Cycle Magazine Oct-Nov 2014 by Cycling UK

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PLUS

guide

650B & 29er hardtails Where to stay on tour Locks grouptest ridelondon surrey 100

to bik e light s 650B & 29er hardtail s ridelondon Surre y 100 sportive where to stay on tour locks group test

lighting-up time L amps, lumens, l aw and more

e xploring cuba o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r 2 0 14

ctc.org.uk

Bikes Events 2015 Ad.indd 1

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Founded in 1878

Clockwise from far left: Andrew Forsyrth, Alice Gore, Rob Ainsley

Contents 48

From the Editor gleamed in the rectangular lamp. Or maybe it was three. It's 23 years ago and I can't remember for sure. But they seemed to shine forever, compared with the short-lived, bulky D-cell EverReadies I was using at the time. This Vistalight was the future. It may have taken front LED lamps a while to catch up. The first ones were a kind of greeny yellow, and all the noise in the cycling press was about halogen bulbs or mini arc-light HIDs. (With a battery weighing as little as a house brick, you could light up the night like a football stadium – for 40 minutes.) Nowadays LEDs have swept all before them. They're powerful, efficient, reliable, durable – everything those old EverReadies weren't. Then, commuting on unlit lanes with battery lights was a lottery. Traffic could see you; you could see where the edge of the road was. It was like navigating with an usherette's torch. Now the battery lighting problem has been reversed. We've got so much power. A lamp the size of a packet of Polos will shoot a beam like a Klieg light. Off-road nightriders have never had it so good. On road, however, that much illumination, spraying everywhere, is dazzling. Cyclists have become the people we used to curse: drivers who fail to dip their headlights! Five red LED s

membership

Every issue

this issue

7 N e w s CTC's analysis of the cycling news

4 B i g p i c t u r e This issue: the old port of Ushet in Northern Ireland

12 C a m p a i g n s c o m m en t The next steps to Get Britain Cycling 14 E v en t s ne w s The CTC Birthday Rides in York 18 S h o p w i n d o w A handful of Cycle Show highlights 20 Ge a r u p Components, kit, accessories, and books reviewed 27 L e t t e r s Your feedback on Cycle and cycling 30 M y b i k e Patrick Trainor's WWII Parabike 32 C T C & Me Inclusive cycling with You Can Bike Too in Cambridge 60 Q & A Your technical, health and legal questions answered 78 C T C C o n t a c t s National and local CTC contacts 81 T r a v elle r s ' T a le s CTC members' ride reports 83 C T C C y cl i n g H o l i d a y s Let us take you there

Get five years’ CTC membership for the price of four. Phone 01483 238301

16 C T C G r a n d D r a w Win one of 11 great prizes, including £3,000 in cash 34 t a k i n g l o n d o n b y storm Hurricane Bertha meets the RideLondon Surrey 100 sportive 40 L i g h t i n g - u p t i m e Everything you need to know about bicycle lighting 48 C u b a n w h eel s Cycle touring on the Caribbean island 52 Be d , b i k e & b r e a k f a s t Accommodation where cyclists are welcome 64 T i m e f o r ne w w h eel s 650B and 29er steel hardtail MTBs head to head 71 L o c k s Four ways to foil bike thieves 76 Me m b e r G r o u p AGM s Where and when your group has its AGM this autumn

On the cover Off-road riders at Newcastleton, one of Scotland's 7Stanes trail centres © Joolze Dymond

CTC, Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford, GU2 9JX E: cycling@ctc.org.uk W: ctc.org.uk T: 0844 736 8450 or 01483 238300 (national office) 0844 736 8451 or 01483 238301 (membership dept) Cycle promotes the work of CTC. Cycle’s circulation is approx. 51,000. CTC is one of the UK’s largest cycling membership organisations, with 67,000 members and affiliates CTC Patron: Her Majesty the Queen President: Jon Snow CTC Council Chair: David Cox Chief Executive: Paul Tuohy. Cyclists’ Touring Club (CTC) a Company Limited by Guarantee, registered in England No 25185, registered as a charity in England and Wales Charity No 1147607 and in Scotland No SC042541. Registered office: Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford, GU2 9JX.

Dan Joyce Editor

Cycle Magazine: Editor: Dan Joyce e: editor@ctc.org.uk Designers: Mary Harris, Simon Goddard Advertising: Anna Vassallo tel: 020 7079 9365 e: annav@jppublishing.co.uk Creative Director: James Houston Publisher: James Pembroke. Cycle is published six times per year on behalf of CTC by James Pembroke Publishing, 90 Walcot Street, Bath, BA1 5BG. Tel: 01225 337777. Cycle is copyright CTC, James Pembroke Publishing and individual contributors. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission from CTC and James Pembroke Publishing is forbidden. Views expressed in the magazine are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or the policies of CTC. Advertising bookings are subject to availability, the terms and conditions of James Pembroke Publishing, and final approval by CTC. Printed by: Precision Colour Printing, Haldane, Halesfield 1, Telford, TF7 4QQ. Tel: 01952 585585

CTC . O R G . U K cyc l e 0 3

THE BIG PICTURE

Northern Ireland

Photo by Chris Juden

Ushet

A rider on a CTC tour of Northern Ireland investigates the old port of Ushet. Fair Head stands clear and sheer across Rathlin Sound and I recall the gossiping calls of eider ducks (oooh, oo-err...) carried on a cool breeze from the sea edge. Cycle-touring is the best. No other way to go enables one not only to traverse, but really be in so many different places in the course of a day. And to be sure of a Cyclists Welcome at the end of the day: turn to page 52. Chris Juden Accommodation, cafés, shops, bike hire & more

cyclistswelcome.co.uk

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THE BIG PICTURE

CTC. O R G . U K cyc l e 5

what’s happening in the cycling world

n ews

This month: More local councillors back Space for Cycling; Northern Ireland's draft Bicycle Strategy; and infrastructure funding

stay in touch c yc l e c l i p s : CTC’s free weekly email newsletter – email your membership number to membership@ctc.org.uk CYCLE c a m pa i g n n e w s :

CTC’s monthly campaigns bulletin. Sign up at ctc.org.uk/subscribe-tocycle-campaign-news

Left: D Buckingham

Newcycling in Newcastle organised a family ride this summer to demonstrate public demand for Space for Cycling

Support grows for Space for Cycling

More and more local councillors are backing the national campaign for cycle-friendly road conditions. CTC's Robbie Gillett examines where and why over 10,000 people have taken part in the national Space for Cycling campaign, and around 500 councillors have backed its calls for high-quality cycle-friendly conditions. Cycle campaign groups across the country have been pivotal in enlisting local authority support. In Newcastle, more than 60% of councillors have signed up to Space for Cycling, thanks in large part to the efforts of the city's campaign group, Newcycling. Committee member Katja Leyendecker explained: ‘Since we began in 2010, working with local councillors has been key for us. We had petitioned the council previously in 2013, as well as running councillor travel surveys, a councillor cycleabout, and cycle infrastructure safaris. We also proposed a cycle manifesto motion, which was adopted by the council in 2011.' For the Space for Cycling campaign, Newcycling has again engaged with councillors – and encouraged its supporters

to do so, via its 800-person mailing list and its popular Twitter feed with 1800 followers. As well as getting councillors to discuss cycling issues, Newcycling organised a ‘Quiz Your Candidate’ hustings at a recent ward by-election, ran a family-friendly bike ride in May, and published a ward-by-ward map of supportive councillors. The group is now looking to embed Space for Cycling campaign principles into the city’s transport policy.

Postcards from Leicester Meanwhile, the Leicester Cycle Campaign Group (LCCG) demonstrated the demand for Space for Cycling by getting supporters to fill in specially-created postcards. ‘They were delivered in batches to ward meetings or councillor surgeries,' said Steve Massey from LCCG. ‘It gave us useful face-to-face contact. We are pleased that the mayor and council are very supportive of cycling and

recently backed removing a lane of the central ring road to provide high quality infrastructure for cycling and walking. We feel people were spurred on by these gains to ask for more.'

CTC/Cyclenation Conference Space for Cycling (which is supported by generous funding from the Bike Hub levy, run by the Bicycle Association) is not just about enlisting the support of councillors. It’s also about providing a national framework for local campaigning, which is why it’s run in collaboration with Cyclenation, the federation of local cycle campaign groups. The annual CTC/Cyclenation Conference, hosted this year by the London Cycling Campaign, is a great opportunity to exchange campaign ideas. It's at Lambeth Town Hall on 22 November. For details of this and other local campaigners' training events, see ctc.org. uk/local-cycle-campaigning

CTC. O R G . U K cyc l e 7

News

while we await the Whitehall Government's ‘Cycling and Walking Delivery Plan' (see page 12), plenty is happening elsewhere in the UK. Northern Ireland's Department for Regional Development (DRD), whose responsibilities include transport, has issued a draft Bicycle Strategy. It is full of good intentions, but so far no targets or funding. These will hopefully follow though in a Delivery Plan, to be developed once the Strategy has been adopted. It reflects a growing momentum for change, which was in large part instigated by the late Tom McClelland, formerly CTC's lead volunteer campaigner in Northern Ireland. The Welsh Government has been consulting on two guidance documents relating to the Active Travel (Wales) Act, passed last year. One outlines the process that Welsh local authorities are required to follow in mapping existing walking and cycling provision, then mapping proposed networks of high-quality provision to be developed over successive years. The other sets proposed standards and guidance on designing for walking and cycling. Both are excellent documents. The weak link is the lack of funding to implement the plans!

Transport for London has also been consulting on new cycling design standards, as well as an updated Cycle Safety Action Plan (CSAP2). CTC has broadly welcomed both. Boris Johnson has attracted headlines with his plans for a ‘Cyclists' Cross-rail network for London’ – two high-profile routes through central London. Both involve protected cycle lanes, priority at junctions and reallocation of road-space to cyclists. Some details need work, but the plan's boldness is heartening. More at ctc.org.uk/campaigns.

Show us the money Six campaigning groups, including CTC, have come together to back amendments to the Infrastructure Bill to force the Government to plan for greater investment in cycling and walking. With transport funds diverted to major road

building and other large infrastructure projects, cash for walking and cycling is in danger of falling off a cliff after 2016. An amendment to the Infrastructure Bill, currently before Parliament, was tabled by Lords Berkeley

Investment in walking and cycling is being marginalised

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From the Chair of CTC

One cross-London route is planned to run E-W from the Tower of London to Acton, the other S-N from Elephant & Castle to Kings Cross

Dav i d C ox Left: Transport for London's East-West Cycling Superhighway

cycling plans f or london, Wales & n.i.

and Judd in the House of Lords. It proposes a system of investment similar to that used for the railways, which has helped drive rail traffic to levels not seen since the 1920s. Cycling levels have been stagnant at 2% of journeys since the 1990s, while in Germany they have risen from 10% to 14%. If the amendment were adopted, the Government would be required to publish a Cycling & Walking Investment Strategy, and then answer to Parliament if the ambitions in it were not met. The Strategy would: set a long-term vision to increase walking and cycling rates; earmark funds for the next five years; set out specific schemes, such as Londonstyle cycling measures; and provide targets.

There's a hint of autumn outside now but still lots of good riding time left, and a great summer to reflect on. CTC put a lot into RideLondon in August. On the Saturday, our Dr Bike volunteers were out in the sunshine, fettling bikes for queues of new cyclists. Sunday saw CTC’s fundraising riders amongst the throng battling through Hurricane Bertha. Hats off to the marshals and volunteers, many from CTC, waving us through with cheers and claps. Enough of London: on to the York Birthday Rides, and a memorable ride up into the Wolds with CEO Paul and a keen bunch of riders. A cloud tracked us across the big sky and finally soaked us on the last hill! As usual, it is the volunteers who make these events, organising everything, planning great rides, and in one case entertaining us with amazing jazz and pop singing. Now we are looking forward to the Cycle Show at the NEC in Birmingham, and to meeting visitors and members on our stand. As the evenings draw in, Councillors will be going to our Member Group AGMs to find out what local volunteers and campaigners have been up to. I cycle daily and enjoy the organisational side, but want to thank the volunteers who make things happen, nurture new riders, campaign for better and safer provision on and off road, and who raise our cycling ambitions and make it all worthwhile.

News

Changes on Council Cox and Dan Howard are re-elected. In Yorkshire & Humber, three nominations have been received for two seats, so an election will be required. Ballot papers are included with this issue of Cycle for all members in the Yorkshire & Humber region. Colin Brown and Roger Crosskey (right and below right) have decided not to seek re-election to Council. Chair of CTC David Cox said: ‘On behalf of Council and our members, I would like to thank our retiring Councillors for their contribution to our work. Their enthusiasm, wise counsel and rigorous thinking will be missed. ‘Colin was always ready to ask the challenging question and draw on his wide experience. Roger’s understanding of governance and commitment to fairness and equalities has been invaluable. But my abiding memory of our outgoing Councillors for London is a hectic evening ride through dark Surrey lanes and

NEWS I N B R I E F GLASGOW BIKE CLUB Glasgow's Bike Club, a partnership between CTC and Youth Scotland, is recruiting and training fifteen 16-24 year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds across the city. Bike Club will support them so they can gain the Platinum Youth Achievement Award by helping them start and lead a sustainable cycling group in their community. Bike Club already has eight new volunteer Peer Mentors, who have their first training course in early October. For more details, see youthscotland. org.uk/projects/bike-club.htm

CHRIS PECK PACKS BAGS CTC's Senior Campaigner Chris Peck left CTC just before Cycle went to press, after eight years working for the charity. He will be working as a consultant and also Left: by cycllingforall.org

National Council is the governing body of CTC, a group of ordinary CTC members who feel they have something to offer the club and want to take an active role in running it. Members are elected to Council for a three-year period, with one third of the Councillors standing down each year. Nominations were recently sought for members to represent the Eastern, London, West Midlands, and Yorkshire & Humber regions for the three years from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2017. There was also a vacancy in the North East. In the Eastern region, two nominations were received for the two seats, so existing Councillors Martin Cockersole and Jim Brown are re-elected. In the London region, one nomination was received for the two seats, so new Councillor Kristian Gregory is therefore elected. In the West Midlands region, two nominations were received for the two seats, so existing Councillors David

studying. He will be missed.

CTC tOURIST COMPETITION draws to a close There's just one month remaining in this year's CTC Tourist Competition, which ends on 31 October. Participants earn points by

woods from National Office to Worpleston’s tiny rural station. Roger led on his custom tourer, then the athletic and lycra-clad Colin on a hybrid, while I followed in my suit on a low-geared Brompton, utterly lost and pedalling furiously!'

taking part in a wide range of different rides – long ones, shorter ones, off-road rides, and special events such as freewheeling and map-reading competitions. These take place across the country. Find out how the leader boards are looking on the event website: ctc.org.uk/ctc-tourist-competition. There's also information there on how to join in; October isn't too late to earn some points. Events are listed online at ctc.org.uk/uk-cycling-events. Details of the winners will be announced in the next issue of Cycle.

G o o d by e to s u m m e r More than 500 cyclists are expected for

the 20th edition of Emitremmus Desrever, Stevenage CTC's annual ride to mark the end of British Summertime, which this year is on 26 October. The main event is a 100km ride from Stevenage to Saffron Walden and back, although there's a 67km Emit Lite too.

Emitremmus marks the end of British Summertime

10 cyc le octob e r/nov emb er 2 014

Emitremmus is an audax event and counts towards the CTC Tourist Competition. You have up to 8 hours, and not less than 3 hours 30 minutes, to cycle via Nasty, Buntingford, Hare Street and Clavering to Saffron Walden then back again through Great Chishill, Shaftenhoe End, Barkway, Reed, Therfield and Weston. There will be controls and refreshment stops at Hare Street (near Buntingford), Saffron Walden, and Therfield. This is the route that’s been ridden by Laura and Emma Trott, Phil Liggett and many others over the years. The Mayor of Stevenage will start the rides from Fairlands Valley Park, between 9.45am and 10.30am. Entry is £7 for CTC members, with advance entry recommended. Visit stevenagectc.org.uk for online entry or phone the secretary (see page 78) for a paper copy.

oN COURSE FOR WINTER CTC has a range of maintenance courses to help you keep your bike running through the winter. From basics like pre-ride checks and mending punctures, through adjusting brakes and gears to looking after fleets of bikes, we are specialists in helping you help yourself. We can even show you how to keep the winter grime off your bike. There's more information at bit. ly/Wfzd4v. CTC is also running a series of first aid courses for cyclists through the autumn. These two-day courses will show you how to prevent further accidents, get help, and apply emergency first aid. See more at bit.ly/WgNsGx

tour of britain CTC's partnership project Cycle Chilterns was instrumental in bringing the Tour of Britain to the area on 12 September. As this was after Cycle went to press, we'll have a report next issue.

NEWS | CAMPAIGNS comment

Conference call It’s party conference time – an ideal time to press your MP to declare his or her support to Get Britain Cycling. Roger Geffen explains

CTC is urging members to contact

their MPs to support calls for action to Get Britain Cycling, in order that the main political parties all commit to the plans and funding needed for substantial increases in cycle use. The call-out was launched by CTC President Jon Snow ahead of the party conference season. By the time you read this, Jon will have joined with former Olympic gold-medallist Chris Boardman and representatives of British Cycling, Sustrans and the Bicycle Association at receptions at the major party conferences, to be hosted by News UK as part of the Times newspaper’s ‘Cities fit for cycling’ campaign. CTC is also supporting Space for Cycling bike rides being held at the Labour and Conservative party conferences by the Greater Manchester Cycling Campaign and Birmingham Pushbikes respectively. Key cycle-friendly politicians are being invited to declare their support for commitments in their respective parties’ manifestos to Get Britain Cycling. They will include ministers and shadow ministers, as well as members of the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group (APPCG) and the many councillors who have supported the Space for Cycling campaign (see page 7).

73 MPs, took place soon after the launch of the Times’s ‘Cities fit for cycling’ campaign in February 2013, after one of their journalists, Mary Bowers, was left grievously injured and unconscious following a collision with a lorry. The second debate, last September, involved around 100 MPs. It concluded with an unopposed vote of support for the 18 recommendations of the APPCG’s Get Britain Cycling report. These include targets to boost cycle use from 2% of trips to 10% (roughly German levels) by 2025 and to 25% of trips (nearly Dutch levels) by 2050. It also called for spending of at least £10 per person annually on cycling, rising to £20 as cycle use increases. Other recommendations include actions to: improve cycle-friendly design standards; tackle the risks faced by cyclists (e.g. by strengthening road traffic law and enforcement and by improving lorry safety); promote cycling positively for people of all

ages, backgrounds and abilities (e.g. cycle training and other activities for women, health patients and others from disadvantaged or under-represented groups). All this will require commitment from several Government departments and a wide range of public, private and voluntary sector organisations, locally as well as nationally. In short, it requires leadership and commitment. Jon Snow, Chris Boardman and others in the cycling lobby have repeatedly called on the Government to show leadership and provide the funding needed to Get Britain Cycling. If we want Space for Cycling, this will require long-term, consistent funding. If they can do this for High Speed 2 and a £24bn roads programme, they can do it for cycling. tak e ac tion Call on your MP to demand Space for Cycling and Funding for Cycling. Visit ctc.org. uk/space4cycling.

Jon Snow at the Get Britain Cycling inquiry last year

Delivery plan not delivered At the same time as the call-out was launched, the publication of the Government’s much-delayed ‘Cycling and Walking Delivery Plan’ remained pending. Its publication was due in December 2013, but has been repeatedly deferred. As Cycle went to press, a launch date was expected in September. MPs are hoping for a further opportunity to debate the plan, following the enormous cross-party support for action to Get Britain Cycling demonstrated by two previous parliamentary debates. The first, attended by

Cycle Campaign News

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12 cyc le octobe r /november 2 014

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N e w s | events

Y o r k B i r t h d ay R i d e s More than 400 CTC members attended the 2014 CTC Birthday Rides at Askham Bryan College on the outskirts of York from 13-19 August. York Wednesday Wheelers, and in particular Mick Lovett and Dave Bean, did an excellent job in creating 20 self-led rides, while John Mawson from Chester made the routes available as GPS tracklogs. Five routes each of A, B, C and D categories – the letters denote distances, A being longest – headed out from York in all directions. They ranged from short loops down the York-Selby cyclepath, whose Solar System Route plots the relative distance between planets with scale models, through to long rides into the North York Moors, out to Pateley Bridge, or to Hull and back. ‘It’s the rides that people come for,’ organiser Peter Mathison said. The week was informal, with cyclists choosing which routes to do and whom to ride with each day. As well as the rides, there were two coach trips – one to Richmond, one to Grosmont and Whitby – and entertainment each evening. Music was provided by: Joan plus Two (Thursday); rockabilly band Rockin’ Deke Rivers and the Jitters (Friday); and Shrewsbury choir Of One Accord (Saturday). There was a quiz on Sunday evening, while Monday featured Blackbeard’s Tea Party and a ceilidh. Every evening had a film showing as an alternative. All guests stayed at Askham Bryan College, either in study-bedrooms vacated by students, or camping. Guests ranged from Birthday Rides veterans such as Margaret Tate from Maidstone, who has

been coming to the event since it began in 1978 to celebrate CTC’s centenary, to Oscar and Toby Futter (aged 10 and 8) from Norfolk, who were attending with their parents; the boys (right) said they enjoyed the Solar System Route best.

ctc Tours CTC Cycling Holidays are open for booking – see cyclingholidays.org or page 83

14 cyc le OCTOBE R /NOVEMBER 2 014

Help CTC make cycling inclusive, like at You Can Bike Too in Cambridge (p32)

each ticket sold helps cycling

The raffle tickets included with this issue of Cycle raise key funds for CTC’s campaigning and development work, as Chief Executive Paul Tuohy explains

ast year, our Grand Draw raised £57,000 for our brilliant work in support of cycling. With 67,000 of us in the CTC family, I’d like to see if we can do even better this year and raise £100,000! Please help us achieve this target. Here’s why… As a national charity, CTC relies heavily on raising funds to support our work in cycling. This raffle is a simple and fun way of helping. It’s also the perfect way to promote the amazing work we are doing up and down the UK to make it a better place for us all, whether that’s through campaigning, advice, training, club rides or general support. Let’s face it: we’re all mad about cycling, so let’s get the message across that cycling is good for the nation, and sell as many prize draw tickets as we can. It’s the perfect way to eulogise about something you feel passionate about. And you, your family and friends get the chance to win some fabulous cycling prizes – or even £3,000 cash! Your charity is at the forefront in promoting the joys and benefits of cycling to everyone, no matter what their circumstances. One

16 cyc le octobe r /november 2 014

money and improve the environment. And whilst all this work on the ground is happening around the UK, our members are helping us to advise and lobby the government on the need to ‘Get Britain Cycling’, to improve the infrastructure and make cycling more accessible for everyone. CTC is the national cycling charity because through cycling, we are changing people’s lives. We are giving them access to cycling when they had none; we are improving their wellbeing, saving them money, and helping to make the world a greener place. So there’s all the reasons you need to get selling. (And don’t forget to buy a few yourself: you have to be in it to win it!)

aspect of CTC that really impresses me is the way in which we are working to make cycling inclusive. Sometimes we think of learning to ride a bike as a rite of passage, something anyone can do. The truth is that for many, and for varying reasons, cycling is something they need support and encouragement to enjoy. There are so many people who need additional help to cycle, and that’s why the work of CTC is so important. We don’t just ride for ourselves: we’re on a mission to get the nation cycling. Already this year we have trained and given confidence to thousands of people to get them cycling to school, work and for pleasure. Some are disabled and needed specially adapted bikes; many are ordinary men and women who have previously lacked the confidence to get out onto the roads and ride. For some, it’s a personal goal to improve their health; for others, Help CTC provide cycle it’s the realisation that by cycling training for young and old they can commute to work, save

Below: by Ian McNicol. Above: You Can Bike Too

C T C G r a n d D r aw

prize draw

Prizes to be won! Eleven people are going to win – and one could be you…

1ST

£3000 cash! 2ND

Surly Cross-Check bike plus Sigma Sport light and cycle computer

ISON DISTRIBUTION

3RD

Genesis Tour de Fer Bike

4TH

Memory-Map Android TX3 GPS waterproof, rugged smartphone 5TH

‘Lost Lanes’ Cycle Touring limited edition print, book and card 6TH

£200 Cotswold Outdoor Voucher 5

7TH, 8TH, 9TH, 10TH & 11TH

5 prizes of £100

7-11

The C TC Gr and Dr aw is back , e ven bigger and be t ter than E VER!

Just the ticket! How to take part There are £20 worth of tickets enclosed with this issue of Cycle (each ticket is just £1). You could buy them yourself, or sell some to family and friends.

and on the return envelope. If you’ve lost the stickers, the return address for entries is: CTC Grand Draw 2014, CTC, Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford, GU2 9JX

How to pay

How else can you help

You can pay for tickets by cheque or debit/credit card. If you’d like to pay by cheque, you’ll need to make it payable to ‘CTC’. If you want to pay by debit or credit card, please fill in the form on the separate prize draw insert that came with your magazine.

You can also choose to support our work with an additional contribution by making a donation. Don’t forget to tick the Gift Aid box if you’re a UK taxpayer – it makes your donation worth 25% more, at no cost to you!

CTC wishes to thank the following sponsors for their generous support of the 2014 Grand Draw

ISON DISTRIBUTION

When is the draw? How to post We’ve included some self-addressed labels for you to stick on your ticket stubs

Please return your ticket stubs by 24 November. The draw will take place of Friday 28 November

CTC . OR G . U K cyc l e 17

PRODUCT NEWS

Show time

Left: Cycleshow.co.uk

The Cycle Show takes place at Birmingham’s NEC from 26-28 September – see cycleshow.co.uk. Here are some things Editor Dan Joyce wants a closer look at.

1. Hope for pressfit BBs

If I had a bike with a pressfit BB, I’d fit something like this: it screws together, holding the bearing cups in place to stop creaking or premature wear. Stand G42 hopetech.com

2. Sensible city bikes Practical bikes are rare at UK bike shows, so I’m glad Gazelle will be exhibiting bikes like the Esprit, a sub-£500 3-speed with a dynohub. Stand K127 gazellebikes.com

3. Minimalist toolkit 4

Multitools get reinvented like mousetraps. This one is three tyre levers with sockets for Allen bolts, Torx bits, and screwdriver heads, plus spoke keys, storage for quick-links, and more. Stand H27 stique.co.uk

4. Reflecting on panniers Ortlieb’s new High Visibility bags (Front Roller, Back Roller, Ultimate6 bar bag, Office Bag) have reflective thread interwoven through the outer fabric, making the whole bag reflective. Stand G143 (Lyon Equipment) ortlieb.com

5. Music in your bones

Aftershokz headphones are a solution for cyclists who want to listen to music but don’t want to be deaf to traffic. They fit in front of your ears and conduct sound via your cheek bones. Odd. Stand M21 aftershokz.co.uk

6. winter is coming It’s only September but the cold weather is on its way. Northwave’s snug Arctic Commuter GTX Boots come in MTB and road versions. Stand L12 i-ride.co.uk

7. Whyte magic Whyte’s bikes are well suited to UK trails and conditions. This year’s M109 CS is a carbon version of my own bike. I’ll kick its tyres, at least… Stand J71 whyte.bike

ctc is at the show. We’re on stand C67, just across from the Quest 88 stand. Do drop by and say hello. 18 cyc le octobe r /nov ember 2 014

KIT REVIEWS

submit a review

gear up

Components, kit, accessories and more, reviewed by specialist journalists, CTC staff – and you. This issue: GPS unit, books, tyres, tools & more

re view of the month

If you want to submit a review, write or email the editor – details on page 3 – for advice. Each one printed wins a Green Oil Eco Rider Deluxe set worth £34.99. For more about Green Oil’s environmentally friendly bike products, visit green-oil.net

Pros + E asier learning curve +O utdoors-proof Cons - O peration in gloves

Cassell Illustrated

1001 BIKES by Guy Kesteven £20

octopusbooks.co.uk

Garmin

OREGON 600 garmin.com

£369.99

It sounds simple: purchase a GPS unit, download a good route, and away you go. The reality for many is that GPS devices act as an indicator of location but anything else is impossible to fathom without hours of trawling through websites or phoning a techy friend. ‘If only Apple made Garmins’ my wife said. In the Oregon 600, it feels like they have. The Oregon 600 (there’s also a 600t, 650 and 650t) is designed for a range of outdoor activities. Compared to my Edge 605, it’s more robust, having better waterproof seals. Another plus is that power can be supplied by AA batteries or a rechargeable NiMH battery pack, so on longer tours you don’t have to worry about finding an electric socket. It lasts 16 hours on two AAs. The major step forward is that it is far more intuitive. The 3-inch screen zooms

2 0 cyc le octobe r /nov ember 2 014

like an iPhone’s and the menu settings are touchscreen. I trialled it for a week of planned rides, downloading GPX files, and using the microSD card for Northern Europe from my existing Edge 605. The function I really liked was the back circular arrow on the screen that returns you to your original routing once you’d zoomed out on the touchscreen. I did still have to phone a friend to help load the routes, but the learning hump for this model is far lower than any other GPS unit I have used or owned. I would thoroughly recommend it. The price above is for the unit and 1:50k OS mapping for the whole of the UK on microSD card. It’s £50 cheaper with just Garmin’s Topo mapping for UK & Ireland. A bike mount for it costs £13.99. Reviewed by CTC tour leader Neil Wheadon

The full title of this 960-page doorstopper is ‘1001 bikes to dream of riding before you die’. Most significant bikes, from the Rover Safety to the Specialized Stumpjumper and beyond, are here. But so are some I wouldn’t dream of riding. There are odd editorial decisions: the Sinclair A-bike gets as much room as the Draisine and more than the Moulton F-frame; imperial measurements are prioritised, even though no one calls a 15mm axle a 3/5in axle; and not every bike gets a photo. There’s a bias towards modern road and mountain bikes too. Despite this, I rarely disagreed with the writers. It’s an interesting compendium of bikes, at its best as a book to dip into (to look for your own bikes?). Well suited to coffee tables or Christmas stockings. ISBN 978-1844037636 Reviewed by Dan Joyce

REVIEWS | gear up

The British Library

LADY CYCLING by FJ Erskine £7.99

Pros + L ess mud in your

shop.bl.uk Subtitled ‘What to Wear and How to Ride’, this book was first published in 1897. Reading the synopsis, I expected to wince at the contents. Instead I found many parallels to cycling in the present day. Billowing sleeves and woollen corsets seem unthinkable, but the reference to the wide array of clothing options and styles is applicable today. Similarly the Riding in Towns chapter seems to set out nicely the basis for the current National Standard for cycle training. I would recommend this as a light-hearted read. Miss Erskine’s knowledge and passion for the subject are clear and paint an informative picture of what it was like for a lady to cycle in the late 1800s. The references to CTC made me smile, and the services provided back then sound marvellous: free entry to French ports, lady consuls in each town, and more. ISBN 9780712357272. Reviewed by Emma Parkin

eyes

+ K eeps stanchions cleaner

Cons - C arbon isn’t cheap

RockGuardz

Mudguard CG325 (Short)

£35.50

rockguardz.com

This mountain bike mudguard zipties to the suspension fork’s bridge and lower legs, much like a Mucky Nutz Face Fender. It’s carbon fibre rather than plastic, making it pricier but more rigid. Clearance was okay even with a 60-622 Racing Ralph, and it never flexed or came loose to touch the tyre. At speeds below 12mph, it did a good job of stopping mud from flicking up into my face. The medium and long versions (490 and 570mm) should provide better

higher-speed coverage than this short one (325mm). This guard also helps to keep mud from being sprayed onto the fork stanchions and seals. Due to the way it’s shaped, it’s designed to fit only the following forks: Fox 32, Fox 34, Fox 36, Fox 40, and RockShox Boxxer. It weighs 76g. The only downside is cost: a Mucky Nutz Face Fender XL will do much the same job for £10.99 and weighs only 30g. Reviewed by Dan Joyce

Leatherman

MAKO TI BIKE Tool £34.95

whitbyandco.co.uk At just 42g, the Mako Ti does most of what you need a multi-tool to do. It doesn’t have a chain breaker or flat-head screwdriver but the four bits – 5 and 6mm Allen, Phillips head screwdriver, Torx T25 – will deal with most cycling bolts. It is a bit fiddly: the bits have to be carefully held in the driver to stop them falling out and then mischievously rolling off to hide in the gutter or grass. Other functions include 8, 9, 10, 15 and 16mm box spanners, 14- and 15-gauge spoke keys, and a bottle opener. The first Mako Ti sent to me was flawed: the sliver of metal that separates the spoke keys was missing, making both unusable. The replacement was okay. If you are in the game of shaving grams, this may be the mini-tool for you. Reviewed by Chris Peck

2 2 cyc le octobe r /nov ember 2 014

Pros + V ery light Cons - Fiddly, loose bits -N o chain tool

REVIEWS | gear up

Schwalbe

DURANO PLUS TYRE £39.99 (folding) schwalbe.co.uk

Van de Plas Publishing & MIT Press

RALEIGH by Tony Hadland £24.50 BICYCLE DESIGN by Hadland and Lessing

£24.95

cyclepublishing.com & mitpress.mit.edu Given Raleigh’s recent renaissance, it’s a good time to see where they came from – which was, of course, Raleigh Street, Nottingham, where Frank Bowden liked the bike so much he bought the company. After that it gets a bit complicated, hence the 370 pages on everything from boardroom battles to lug-making processes; the riders from Zimmerman to Harris; and the bicycles from Record Ace to Chopper. It’s a lot of book, mostly in somehow appropriate black and white, the exception being the chapter on the famous posters. Bicycle Design, meanwhile, is destined to become the definitive record of our wonderful wheels. It

confirms von Drais as our founding father and dismisses all others: Sivrac, Leonardo, even a certain K Macmillan. But what did happen is all there. It covers every type of bicycle: racers, folders, mountain bikes, and even recumbents. Plus all the bits: luggage, saddles, lighting etc. It’s not as shiny as the Raleigh book but it’s well illustrated, often with the patent drawings. There’s an excellent contents and index so you can easily look up, say, the first disc brake (1893) or monoblade (1872). Both books are a must for any cycling bookshelf. ISBNs are 9781892495686 and 9780262026758 respectively. Reviewed by Mike Burrows

When my last Michelin Krylions wore out, I fitted Kevlar-beaded Durano Plus tyres to my fixed-wheel road bike. They’ve done around 4,000 miles since, with no punctures and mostly cosmetic wear. The Plus in the name tells you that they’re reinforced with a layer of springy rubber, like Marathon Pluses. There’s less of it here (5mm), but these tyres are still heavier (380g each) and a little harder to fit than most 25mm tyres. What’s surprising, even though they feel a bit stodgy, is that the rolling performance is decent. My rolldown tests suggest they’re marginally slower than 25mm Continental Gatorskins. If you absolutely must win the club run race to that signpost, there are quicker tyres. But for yearround dependability and longevity, these take some beating. I also put one on my turbo bike and that’s wearing well too. The 2015 version has a slightly different tread pattern. Also available in 23-622 and 28-406 with a Kevlar bead, and in 23-, 25- and 28-622 with a wire bead for £5 less and around 50g more. Reviewed by Dan Joyce

PROS + Puncture resistance + Wear life C ONS - Harder to fit

MacWet

SHORT CLIMATEC SPORTS GLOVES £29.99 macwet.com

These ‘multi-sport’ gloves lack the palm padding of cycling gloves. I didn’t mind: my bikes are all comfortable enough with bare hands. The gloves are made from polyester, polyamide, and polyurethane, with a bit of elastane for stretchiness. The palm feels like suede, and MacWet make much of its grip in the wet and dry. I found it no better or worse than cycling-specific gloves. What is noticeable is the excellent manual dexterity the gloves afford. I could operate a camera without removing them. They come in 14 sizes so it’s easy to get a snug fit, and they’re quite thin. They’re springto-autumn use only; the ‘fleece-backed lining’ is insufficient in the depths of winter. The cuffs are too short for cycling too, as your wrists are exposed. The long-cuff version (same price) would be better. Reviewed by Dan Joyce

2 4 cyc le OCTOBER /NOVEMBER 2 014

Pros +G ood dexterity +D on’t slip in wet Cons - N ot winterproof

your opinions • YOUR CYCLING • YOUR IDEAS

Cycle Letters, CTC, Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford GU2 9JX

W r i t e to u s :

This month Palestine and politics; inclusive cycling; defining an end-to-end route in Wales; Brompton camping; and bike-train botheration

£1, 0 0 0 i n c l u s i v e c yc l i n g b o o s t Bike Active is a special needs cycling group that meets every Friday, come rain or shine, at Alton Water near Ipswich. It was established by Peter Robinson of Felixstowe to enable people who are physically or mentally challenged to enjoy a ride with their carers around the wonderful Alton Water cycle circuit. Peter is assisted by a wonderful team of volunteer riders, while John Malseed of Dedham helps to maintain these expensive and sometimes difficult-to-workon bikes. Suffolk CTC have been linked for some time to Bike Active and recently donated a thousand pounds to the group from events that we have held. Since 2011, Suffolk CTC has given the group £1,900 to enable those who are less able than our regular club riders to experience what we take for granted. On the 15th August, President Dave Dodds (right of cheque) presented the donation to Peter Robinson (left of cheque). Shortly afterwards, the Bike Active group set off into a really big rain squall. Come rain, come shine, like all good cyclists, they were off. — Peter Ling

le t ter of the month

Pedalling to Pales tine First let me say how much I enjoy your magazine and its relaxed approach to our sport. What also sets it apart from other magazines is the high level of content supplied by your readers. However, a note of caution should be sounded when your contributors’ political leanings are broadcast in an article with no context or balance. We all watch despairingly as the humanitarian crisis unfolds in the Gaza Strip in this latest round of a complex war that has lasted many years already, but Mr Gillett’s promotion of the boycott campaign against Israel, and his criticism of Israel’s actions as she defends her citizens against rockets stored in and fired from civilian buildings, have prompted me to write. The boycott campaign being pursued by a minority of activists is not supported by a single Western or European Government. It is widely supported by many of the regimes that routinely deny women an education, freely persecute Christians and other minority religions, and wantonly trample over the human rights that Mr Gillett holds so dear. To publicise it in your magazine was wrong. — Robert Moryoussef

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cycleletters@ctc.org.uk Join in online:

forum.ctc.org.ok

Thank you for publishing the Pedalling to Palestine article by Robbie Gillett in the latest magazine. It was a measured and excellent account of their solidarity visit to the beleaguered Palestinians. It made a welcome change from the usual media blind support of Israel. We also found the account of the Anfield Cycling Club's experiences in WW1 moving. This issue was, generally, excellent. — Miriam Walton and Alan Goater We received a handful of emails for and against the Pedalling to Palestine article. I won't invoke Cycle's get-out clause: ‘Views expressed in the magazine are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or the policies of CTC.' The article was there because I thought members would be interested in it, and I included Robbie's political views as I considered them

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get in touch

integral to the trip. There is nothing hateful or malicious there – quite the opposite. I regret that I didn't edit the international boycott comment to make it clear that this related to individuals and organisations rather than

CTC. O R G . U K cyc l e 2 7

LETTERS nation states. To anyone who was confused or offended by that, I apologise.

Obituaries Brian Griggs

WALES E2E

faculty at Aberystwyth University, who used electronic mapping. The furthest points apart are: Cemlyn Head, Anglesey (OS grid reference: SH 33300 94039) and St Mary’s Well Bay Road, Swanbrook, near Sully (OS grid ref: ST 17222 67441). This is 150.15 miles from Cemlyn Bay. Note that there is a second possible destination on Sully Island, only accessible at low tide: East Point, Sully Island (OS grid ref: ST 16937 66828). This is 150.37 miles from Cemlyn Bay. As with LEJOG, the given points are only the start and finish. The route, the decisions to rush or dawdle, ride mountains or valleys are one's own. — Malcolm Wilson

BROMP TON CAMPING I was very interested in the letter sent by Mike Perris in the Aug/Sep edition. I bought my Brompton 14 years ago. It is ideal for travel by bus, train and aircraft. In 2006, I cycle-camped for 600 miles in Scotland, and in 2007, 800 miles from Le Havre to La Ciotat. In 2009, I cycled 400 miles of the Danube Cycleway to Vienna, staying in gasthofs and hostels, then flying home. In 2010, I rode the North

Sea cycleway from Dunkirk to Oldenburg, with a lightweight tent strapped to the seat pillar. I then took the train to Copenhagen youth hostel and flew home to Heathrow. In 2012, I cyclecamped, and using trains toured most of Italy. Last year, when I was 82 years old, I replaced the 50 tooth crank for a 38 tooth one, which greatly improved my wide-ratio 3-speed Sturmey hub, and then cycled the 1,000 miles of the Camino from Le Puy to Santiago de Compostela. — Donald Wells

Daphne Forster Died peacefully in hospital on 4 July 2014, aged 86 years. Daphne had been a member of the Norfolk DA since the early days. She met her husband, Richard, through cycling with the club. They continued to ride with the club, but switched to motorhome touring when the family arrived. After her husband’s death, Daphne returned to the Norfolk CTC, becoming a stalwart of the Easy Rider club rides at the weekend. Over the last two years, she was no longer able to ride her bike but was still very independent. She was one of life’s characters. — Shirley Burrage & Sue Gatehouse

BIK E ON TR AIN. JUST I recently travelled on the Virgin Trains intercity service from Birmingham New Street to Carlisle with my bike. At New Street, an official directed me to ‘the cycle coach' at one end of the train. I waited there. Nothing happened, apart from all the other passengers boarding. I hurried back to the centre of the train and asked a second official – who directed me to the other end of the train! The official who unlocked the cycle coach said someone would unlock the door for me at Carlisle. At Carlisle, I went to the cycle coach and waited. No one appeared apart from a taciturn cleaner. Fortunately, the driver showed up and unlocked the door. He said that I was lucky that he happened to be passing! Why does it have to be like this? The train journey was the most stressful part of the trip. — David South

Shirley Wilson A past member of CTC, particularly the Eden Valley group, Shirley died peacefully at home on 31 July 2014, aged 69. She was a lovely stoker on our various tandems, with a bright sense of humour. She’ll be greatly missed by all who knew her. — John Wilson

Join the conversation Get immediate feedback from other CTC members on the CTC forum: forum.ctc.org. uk. Here's an abridged extract from one popular thread before Cycle went to press (see bit.ly/1qJRLpQ) WHY ARE BIKES SO EXPENSIVE? al_yrpal: Any bling draped Mamils here have the answer? Or are CTC Forum members more pragmatic? What would be your maximum sensible spend? Story here: bit.ly/1mXvmR5

Loved the article on the Dragon's Backbone ride. It makes me wish I'd written up the Wales E2E I did with a friend on Midsummer's Day last year. Having ridden LEJOG, I was amazed that no one (including CTC) knew the actual E2E across Wales. I worked it out roughly with an OS touring map, and had it refined by the geography

Brian met his wife-to-be Sheila on an overnight London to Brighton ride. They then toured by tandem for over 50 years. Routes included Land’s End to John o’Groats and many European countries. Brian travelled to France annually for Le Tour, and was delighted when in 1994 it passed his Sussex home. He participated in audax events and rode the Paris-Roubaix route. A CTC Life Member, Brian combined his cycling enthusiasm with engineering expertise as the CTC West Sussex Rights Network Representative, and then as Sustrans engineer on the Centurion and Hayling Billy ways. He died peacefully on 8 July 2014. — Charlotte Buswell

Letters are edited for space (if above 150 words), clarity and, if necessary, legality.

Please note that if you have specific complaint or query about CTC policy, you should address it to your CTC Councillor or relevant national office staff member. Letters and emails for the December/January issue must arrive by 31 October. Write to us at: Cycle Letters, CTC, Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford GU2 9JX

2 8 cyc le october /nov ember 2 014

cost and then said it was expensive. His BMW cost probably £40,000. A Dacia Duster does the same job for £10,000.

OnYourRight: The maximum sensible spend is around a grand, in my opinion. Anything above that has diminishing or even negative returns. honesty: Why are I’m not saying I’d be cars so expensive? Car use has exploded sensible if I had three grand in my pocket. and this Ferrari is 200k… tatanab: My most expensive was about Merry_Wanderer: £4k. This is my ‘best' Bikes aren't that expensive compared touring machine. to some products. A When people say that my £4000 machine is colleague asked me expensive, I reply that how much my bike

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the average smoker will spend that much in two years. After two years, my investment continues to give me pleasure. townbikemark: A bike suitable for everyday transport (Dutch & German urban bikes with everything you could want for urban convenience) will cost £500-£1000 and you should be able to get at least 10 years with reasonable maintenance. Mick F: Bikes expensive? Have you costed a career in golf?

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MY BIKE

Patrick Trainor’s Parabike With an interest in military vehicles and cycling, it was inevitable that journalist Patrick Trainor would acquire a BSA Airborne Bicycle

ver since I was a child listening to my father’s tales about driving army surplus wagons after the Second World War, I’ve had an interest in military vehicles. That’s about the same length of time I’ve been into bikes. After purchasing a 1943 Willys jeep a few years ago, I’ve wanted a period bike to go with it. The most iconic WW2 bike available is the BSA Airborne Bicycle, more commonly known as a Parabike. After several failed attempts, I managed to find one in original and excellent condition from a guy in the jeep club in Hampshire this year. Like most things military, these bikes were built out of necessity, and as a result are brutally simple but effective. They are full-size 26-inch wheeled bikes, designed to be folded so they could be strapped onto a paratrooper while he jumped from a plane, then assembled on the ground to provide a means of transport. The one-size-fits-

all 21in steel frame has wingnut-fastening hinge joints on the top and down tubes to allow the bike to fold in two. A more simplelooking wingnut on the top of the handlebar stem allows the one-piece bar and stem to turn sideways for folding as well. The pedals are just spindles on bearings that slide in and out, allowing them to push inwards when bike is folded to keep it flat. Gearing is a 48-tooth BSA stamped cotterpin chainring with an 18-tooth singlespeed freewheel. BSA front and rear centrepull calliper brakes do a good job of stopping the bike, and the leather BSA saddle is more comfortable than it looks.

“It’s debatable if any were parachuted into combat, but land forces did use them”

Tech spec: BSA Airborne Bicycle Frame & fork: BSA 2nd pattern steel frame and fork with folding pivots on top and down tubes, tightened by wingnuts Wheels: 26×1 3/8in steel, 32 spoke front, 40 spoke rear with singlespeed hub Transmission: BSA pattern cotterpin 48T chainset with singlespeed 18T freewheel and sliding peg pedals Braking: BSA centrepull calliper front and rear Steering & seating: BSA leather saddle. One piece handlebar & stem with Bakelite grips and wingnut fastening on top of the stem to allow for easy folding. Accessories: Pump, saddle bag, light bracket on headset. Everest carrier for Bergen rucksack on handlebars available. Rifle holders were a unit modification depending on needs.

From 1942-1945, around 70,000 of the bikes were built. It’s debatable if any were actually parachuted into combat. Land forces did use them, especially commandos, and there are many pictures of British and Canadian forces coming ashore on D-Day carrying them. I love riding this bike. The bolt upright riding position, coupled with the back sweeping handlebars, means I can’t be in a hurry to get anywhere on it. It goes okay when you eventually get the gear turning – thankfully it’s not fixed. Cornering is fun but climbing is difficult as you can’t get forward for leverage. I ride it most to the pub at my local WW2 airfield about a mile from home, where everyone has had a go on it. It’s been to a few shows on the jeep and proves a great talking point. The bike’s longest and best outing was this year’s L’Eroica Britannia event in Derbyshire, which was for pre-1987 bikes. I rode the 30-mile route in full WW2 British military uniform, the result of a bet (I won). The bike performed perfectly. I did have to walk some of the hills but it was an amazing event and everyone loved the bike. I was impressed that so many people knew what kind of bike it was and how many people came to talk about it. Those of a certain age had them as kids, when they could be bought for £5 new from surplus yards. They said they wished that were still the case.

share your story: If you’ve got an interesting bike that’s been chosen or customised to suit you, get in touch. Email editor@ctc.org.uk 3 0 cyc le octobe r /nov ember 2 014

CTC & M E

You Can Bike Too In just two years, this inclusive cycling centre transformed access to cycling in Cambridge. Dan Joyce spoke to two of the team: Ruth Brannan and Angela Sanford

ambridge is a cycling city. Around 30% of its population regularly cycles, more than anywhere else in the UK. But there were people who weren’t catered for. One of them was Aaron. ‘You Can Bike Too got started because of Aaron,’ Angela says. ‘Aaron’s mum and brother are amazing cyclists,’ Ruth adds, ‘so he wanted to cycle too. But there was nowhere locally to cycle safely away from the roads, and no bikes that he would be able to use. So Aaron and I went to London to visit a project called Pedal Power, based in Finsbury Park. We saw the most amazing bikes, and Aaron was able to cycle for the first time. On the train home, he got very excited about the thought of something similar in Cambridge.’ After consultation with the city council, Aaron, Angela, and four other friends with learning difficulties formed a project team. ‘They planned what they wanted and we did some scoping,’ Ruth says. ‘We went to London to visit another project. Then we did some presentations to professionals.’ ‘We met at Milton Country Park,’ Angela says. This is a 95-acre park on the outskirts of Cambridge, with two miles of tracks that are cycle and wheelchair accessible. It’s where the majority of You Can Bike Too’s activities take place, and where its 20 or so special bikes reside. Every Sunday and every other Tuesday, visitors can pay £5 to try all of the bikes in an hour’s taster session, or to hire just one for an hour; Angela takes the money. You Can Bike Too runs events too. ‘On the Big Day Out on 6th July, we had 432 people on our bikes,’ Ruth says. ‘That was in Cambridge city centre the day before stage three of the Tour de France.’ You Can Bike Too is a community project with a host of volunteers but it still needs funding to put on events, as well as to buy and maintain the bikes and make them

available for use. The project’s success is down to being proactive about getting that funding. You Can Bike Too recently received £10,000 from Children in Need to develop cycling sessions for youngsters, while 106 volunteers raised another £10,000 at the Cambridge Beer Festival. Ruth tells me that they’ve been in the local paper nine times since April. ‘We went to Cambridge Radio,’ Angela adds. ‘And we’ve won an award. It’s a bit hush-hush.’

“Aaron’s mum and brother are amazing cyclists, but there was nowhere local for him to cycle safely, and no bikes for him to use”

This latest trophy turns out to be a Points of Light Award for Angela, given by the Prime Minister to ‘outstanding individuals who are making a change in their community and inspiring others’. Angela received it on 25 August, after our interview. ‘People are amazed at how much fun they have cycling,’ Ruth says. ‘Responses vary from “I never knew this was something that I could do” to a man with MS who hadn’t been able to cycle for 10 years, who said “I feel like I’m alive again.” We even had a 92-year-old who had never cycled.’ To anyone who thinks they couldn’t cycle, Angela has a simple rebuttal. ‘I’d say “You could do it. You could get some help and try a bike at Milton Country Park.”’ You Can Bike Too (youcanbiketoo.org) is one of over 40 CTC-affiliated Inclusive Cycle Centres that are part of the CTC Inclusive Cycle Network, set up in partnership with Cycling Projects, and funded through the BIG Lottery Fund. See ctc.org.uk/inclusive

Angela on her own bike. Her favourite on site is a handbike

Ruth (with megaphone) at the official opening of You Can Bike Too

share your story: If you know – or are – someone with a CTC-related story to tell, email editor@ctc.org.uk 3 2 cyc le octobe r /nov ember 2 014

Bikes Events 2015 Ad.indd 1

16/12/2014 14:52

where: London and Surrey START/finish: Olympic Park, Stratford/The Mall, London DISTANCE: 100 miles (shortened to 86 miles) PICTURES: Alamy and CTC

R ide L ondon S urrey 1 0 0 | GR E A T RID E S

Gre at r ide s

Taking London by storm Expecting August sunshine, CTC’s Matt Mallinder joined 21,000 fellow cyclists to ride the Prudential RideLondon Surrey 100 sportive

Above left: Malcolm Park Editorial/Alamy. Below left: Ian Bottle/Alamy

pic is a word that tabloids and MAMILs love, and one I wouldn’t normally use to describe a leisurely sportive. We weren’t breaking new trails in the Urals. This was cycling at its most pampered: closed roads, marshals, and refreshment stops. We were chaperoned past London landmarks and through the quaint lanes of the Surrey Hills before returning to finish outside Buckingham Palace. Yet it was epic – because of Hurricane Bertha. Now in its second year, the RideLondon weekend celebrates cycling and cycle sport. There’s a range of events. The FreeCycle ride on the Saturday sees Central London closed to motor traffic from Green Park to Tower Hill. Sixty thousand cyclists become kings of the road. On the Saturday evening, there’s the London Grand Prix criterium for Europe’s best female professionals. On the Sunday afternoon, it’s the men’s elite road race: the Surrey Classic. The RideLondon Surrey 100 sportive, meanwhile, takes place on the Sunday morning. Wannabe racers logging their rides on Strava can compare themselves to the pros in the afternoon. But it’s not all MAMILs and carbon bling. Like the London Marathon, organised by the same people, it allows ordinary cyclists like you and me to set a personal or fundraising challenge.

Downpours and punctures After Saturday’s FreeCyclers enjoyed record temperatures, I awoke to pre-dawn drizzle on Sunday. My scheduled start was 6:40am.

By 6am, drizzle had become a monsoon. Fellow Team CTC riders were unidentifiable beneath rain capes and emergency gilets made from bin bags. Somewhere out there in the curtains of water were CTC’s CEO Paul Tuohy and Chair David Cox, along with 50 other CTC riders. On the start line, the annoyingly cheerful announcer (no doubt dry in some Portakabin) let us know that the scheduled 100 mile route had been cut to 86 miles. Leith Hill and Box Hill had been removed for our safety. Whilst initially disappointing, the prospect of an hour’s less riding in the rain became a source of succour as I forded streams and flooded roads later on. The hooter sounded. Our starting group rolled out on time during a brief respite in the rain. The dual carriageway of the A12 whizzed us towards Canary Wharf and under the Blackwall Tunnel. The rifle-shot sound of punctures began early: victims lined the route, frantically pumping up spare tubes. Later, I passed one guy with puncture repair kit in hand, vainly applying glue while the rain came down in stair rods. I felt sorry for him – but not sorry enough to give him my spare innertubes.

Thinking in the rain The route flowed well on fast roads. Soon the Tower of London came into sight. Riders whistled past: faster cyclists with later start times. I settled in, riding at my own pace. The first 20 miles – via Trafalgar Square, past Harrods and out towards the Fuller’s

CTC volunteers All for one, one for all CTC cyclists worked hard to assist and encourage more people to take up cycling during RideLondon. Not only did Team CTC ride the Surrey 100 on the Sunday, 100 CTC volunteers braved the weather to marshal the route and man food stops. £12,500 was raised by Team CTC for CTC. As part of the FreeCycle event, CTC was the official Dr Bike provider, manning five maintenance stations along the route. Over 150 CTC volunteers fixed a record 2,000 bikes. CTC’s Big Lottery All Inclusive cycling project welcomed hundreds of able and disabled cyclists to try out modified cycles – hand cranked, side-by-side tandems and recumbents in a special try-out area in Green Park. Many thanks to everyone who helped. To donate, ride, or to get involved next, visit ctc.org.uk/ RideLondon.

CTC. O R G . U K cyc l e 3 5

GR E A T RID E S | R ide L ondon S urrey 1 0 0 Near right Saturday saw hundreds of test rides on the inclusive cycling bikes in Green Park Far right After almost six soggy hours, CTC’s Matt Mallinder crosses the finish line

Fact File: RideLondon SURREY 100 sportive Route: Stratford to the Mall via Central London, Kingston, Weybridge, Guildford, Dorking, Esher, Kingston, Wimbledon, Putney, The Mall When: 10 August 2014 How much: £100, including CTC cycling jersey Distance: 100 miles (shortened to 86 miles) Terrain: 40% flattish, 30% climbing, 30% rolling hills Conditions: Abysmal. Start/finish: Olympic Park, Stratford/ The Mall, London Matt’s ride by numbers: 3.30am alarm call; 86 miles covered; 3 bananas consumed; 4 bits of Soreen enjoyed; 1 packet of Haribos scoffed; 1 tonne of water dropped on me; 5 hr 45 min of cycling; £315 raised; and zero punctures. I’m glad I had: New tyres, Soreen fruit loaf, mudguards I wish I’d had: Helmet cam, clear glasses, sense of humour Further info: ctc.org.uk/RideLondon, prudentialRideLondon.co.uk route map: bit.ly/1iiIWhE

s u r r e y 10 0 r o u t e Greater London Westminster

1 Twickenham

2 Weybridge

6 4

Brewery towards Richmond Park – were ticked off at a good pace. At the first food stop in Bushy Park, I took on board fig rolls and bananas for later. I was struck by how little time it took – less than an hour – to get from the congestion of Central London to the tranquillity of Richmond Park. No wonder Saturday mornings see hundreds of cyclists here. As we passed through Kingston, the crowds had already started to mass. They slapped advertising boards and whooped encouragement. It was welcome motivation as we trudged onwards to Walton and Weybridge. The roads were waterlogged. Crossing the M25 in Byfleet, the wind almost knocked me sideways. But it shook off my short-lived malaise. I was wet through, but once you’re soaked you can’t get any wetter.

Splashing through Surrey

Gomshall

“The rifle-shot sound of punctures began early: victims lined the route, frantically pumping up spare tubes”

Leatherhead

Dorking

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Riding through Ripley – home to the famous Ripley cycle jumble and referenced in HG Wells’s cycling odyssey, Wheels of Chance – I felt revived. I stopped to eat some malt loaf and to check that my car key and phone were still wrapped in their waterproof bag. At the roadside, I was amazed at the constant

stream of cyclists. When you’re riding, you travel in a bubble with just a few others. Climbing up to Newlands Corner, the halfway point, I passed the place I’d got married. It gave me a warm glow as I cycled up a road that had become a stream. The amount of water was biblical. Hundreds of cyclists were trying to take shelter under a tiny awning. It made me chuckle. I bumped into Stuart Orr, a fellow Team CTC rider, and we swapped war stories before going our separate ways. Ordinarily the view from Newlands Corner is great, with vistas over the South Downs. There’s a decent tea shop too, and the place is a Mecca for Sunday cyclists. The next few villages – Shere, Gomshall, and Abinger Hammer – are also well worth visiting. At this point, the original route would have taken off via Holmbury St Mary to Leith Hill. Leith Hill from the south is a tough, bottom gear climb with many false summits. Given the weather, I wasn’t sorry to miss it. Past Dorking, our second shortcut took us towards Leatherhead instead of up Box Hill. Box Hill is like a little Alpine pass, complete with zig-zag corners. It was a key obstacle in the 2012 Olympic road race. To

the ire of the locals, it has become iconic and attracts club cyclists from miles around.

Steaming home Descending the hills, we entered the stockbroker belt closer to London. Fords across roads were swollen with rain. Riders were puncturing all over the place. At least 50 lined the route in Esher, innertubes in hand. I was counting my lucky stars that I had fitted new tyres the previous evening. I was buoyed by vocal crowds in Kingston and the fact that, after Wimbledon Hill, it was just ten miles to the finish. Soon the Thames was in sight. I felt like a Tour de France rider spotting the Eiffel Tower after three weeks of racing. I paused at the Houses of Parliament a mile from the end to take off my rain jacket, determined that my finishing photo would show my CTC jersey. I even mustered a charge for the line. As I rolled up outside Buckingham Palace to collect my finisher’s medal, the sun came out – either in celebration, or in mockery perhaps.

Top Cyclists on The Embankment approaching Big Ben as they take part in Saturday’s FreeCycle event Below Box Hill is a nice ride on a dry day. It was cut from the RideLondon Surrey 100 due to the weather and the wet roads

Lighting up time Autumn: time to plug in those rechargeables or check out your dynamo setup. Chris Juden presents a guide to lighting and the law

t’s that time of year again – and a long time since 2002, when Cycle last tackled this subject in its entirety. A lot has changed in 12 years. Flashing lights are now legal on bikes, LEDs are now the only source of light worth having, rechargeable the only sensible type of battery, and the only place for a ‘dynamo’ is in the hub. But we are still waiting for the Department for Transport to accept that most lamps don’t conform to any recognised standard.

Headlamps To find your way on an unlit road, you don’t just need to navigate the potholes, you also want to see far ahead to anticipate corners.

4 0 cyc le octobe r /Se p tember 2 014

That calls for a very bright central spot, tapering off to the sides and downwards so that nearer objects are not distractingly bright. The traditional way to do this is with a mirror to gather and focus the light emitted in all directions by a bulb filament and send it straight ahead, through a lens that lets some central light continue directly forward whilst diverting varying proportions of the surrounding beam in other directions. Light that misses the mirror then comes out the front at random, providing conspicuity (‘be seen by’ light) rather than illumination. But now we have an LED and that’s different. Light only comes out the front of an LED, so the lens must do both the

focusing and light distribution. An LED, being bigger than the filament of a bulb, cannot be focused as precisely. Soft focus isn’t all bad: it smoothes out the stripy effects we used to get with some halogen bike lamps. And in spite of the optical difficulties, some torchlike (LED pointing forward) bike headlamps achieve a bright enough central spot without over-illumination of the near field. Designers of this kind of lamp, however, have a difficult task to reduce the amount of light scattered above that central spot. Any headlight bright enough to see where you’re going will always scatter enough light off the front of its lens to be seen by. Any more upward light is a waste of energy (unless you’re off-road and need to see that low branch), and too much dazzles other road users. The idea of a bike lamp dazzling other road users would have been laughable ten years ago, but now it’s happening and opposition to over-bright bike lights is growing. The internationally accepted limit is 200 candela above the horizontal. And many of the (best?) rechargeable battery bike lamps on the market would have to be aimed at the

l i g h t i n g | feat u r e

ground only a few metres in front of the bike in order not to exceed it. Read more on this at ctc.org.uk/dazzle. For an explanation of Watts, Lumens, Candles, and Lux, meanwhile, see ctc.org.uk/WattCandle.

Dynamos do it with mirrors State-of-the-art dynamo headlamps put as much as 8000 candela (advertised as 80 lux) in the beam centre. To cut that to less than 200cd at only 3½º above, when the source of light is an LED, is a considerable optical challenge. The way it’s done is to point the LED backwards, so no ray of light comes out the front without first being re-directed by a computer-designed mirror. It’s the same for high-tech car headlamps, so no surprise that this technology is employed by firms like Busch & Müller, who make those too. LED mirror headlamps were initially just for dynamos, but since Germany relaxed its dynamos-only rule, you no longer need a dynamo in order to have a really bright front light that doesn’t dazzle other road users. There are also a few German-approved (with a K~number) headlamps with a forward-facing

(In the photo) In well lit areas, lights offer conspicuity more than illumination (Photo by Alamy.com)

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All of the batterypowered non-approved headlamps have a forward-facing LED – and a tendency to dazzle. It's a problem LED. But they are not the brightest. Hubs are now where dynamos are at. You can still get headlamps that'll work with an old-fashioned bottle, but you won’t get the benefit of features such as automatic switching between night and daytime modes. All good dynamo lamps (front and rear) now feature a ‘standlight’, that shows a ‘be-seen-by’ light for at least 4 minutes of standstill. Some headlights do this with additional forward-facing LEDs. And some have a DRL (daytime running light) mode, in which these extra LEDs are fed full dynamo power to show up in bright conditions. Some lamps even have a USB outlet, to keep your phone or GPS topped up whilst riding. For more about dynamos, see bit.ly/1uGfneO.

Photo: Steve Behr/Stockfile

Focus on rechargeables All of the battery-powered non-approved headlamps have a forward-facing LED – and a tendency to dazzle, which is okay for offroad nightriders but a problem for road users. In contrast to their optical simplicity, their electronics are often sophisticated, offering lots of different power levels and flashing modes. On their lowest setting, some of these bike torches (by my calculation) probably won’t dazzle. But they don’t dip at the flick of a switch like car headlights – most go through a sequence of other levels, usually including flashing and off! – so the only practicable way to use one of these hundreds-of-lumens bike torches responsibly is to shade it with one hand when another road user approaches. It’s wasteful to run a headlamp on disposable batteries, unless it’s just a little blinky be-seen-by lamp. If you’re buying separate batteries, get NiMH rechargeables if possible. Due to their lower voltage, these cells may not give quite such a bright light as brand new disposables, but they’ll maintain that level, whereas disposables will be dimmer as they approach exhaustion. A few lamps won’t run at all on rechargeables, whist others electronically stabilise input power for constant light regardless of battery type, until its dead flat. The snag with NiCad and NiMH is selfdischarge: they go flat even if you’re not using the light. No problem for commuters who use and recharge daily; a big problem for those who grab a lamp when they need it. Good news: you can now get low selfdischarge NiMH that hold their charge much longer. They’re usually sold as ready-to-use rechargeables. A bit more costly and lower

Adding secondary lamps is fine. For the rear, it's advisable

capacity, but much more convenient. Most of the lamps sold as rechargeable units, like modern phones, cameras, etc. come with an integral Lithium-ion/polymer battery. These hold their charge well and hold much more than the same size or weight of NiMH cells. They can store so much energy that powerful lamps don’t always have a separate battery pack and can get a reasonable runtime from an integral battery without being too bulky. These integral batteries are often charged by USB, just like a phone: very convenient.

Rear lamps Not so much has changed about rear lamps, which were LED already 12 years ago, except the LEDs have become even brighter and better. One new thing in dynamo rear lamps is a feature that monitors dynamo frequency to sense when you’re braking and gives the light a boost. But what cyclist needs a brake light? I suppose if you’re riding in a group at night, or an unusually (in this country) busy bikepath, it might just possibly warn another cyclist not to run into you. As for drivers, they’re going faster when you’re not braking too. If you want a brighter brake light for protection from following cars, you want it all of the time! One new thing in battery rear lamps is an integral Li-ion battery, charged by USB. So all the electronics you take cycling can now be charged by USB: sorted! Dynamo and dynamo-derived rear lamps invariably conform with German regulations,

so they tick the legal approval box and incorporate the retro-reflector you also need by law. But German regulations don’t allow flashing, so they won’t do that. A flashing red light is eye-catching and is not allowed on any other vehicle, so it helps get you noticed against all the other lights in a city and identified as a cyclist, which is important for traffic behind you. You don’t want to be even momentarily mistaken for a faster vehicle when approached from the rear. So it’s a good idea to fit a rear flasher even if you’ve already got an excellent rear light. Likewise if you’ve only got a flasher: fit a steady light too. It’s easier for an observer to track and predict your position.

How to fit? As a rule, dynamo headlamps fit to the forkcrown and battery lamps on the handlebar. If you want to hang a dynamo lamp off the handlebar or any place else, you’ll have to seek a hard-to-find bracket or make one yourself, which may nevertheless be quite easy and neat, since dynamo lamps don’t weigh much and usually attach to their bracket by a simple 6mm bolt. If you want to fit a battery lamp elsewhere, you’ll have to buy or make some kind of dummy handlebar-like bracket, which will be relatively heavy, goofy and/or hard to make yourself. The same apartheid applies to rear lamps. Dynamo lamps bolt sensibly onto the rear carrier or mudguard, where they will not be obscured by anything else on the bike. Battery

CTC . OR G . U K cyc l e 4 3

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Photo: Seb Rogers

Helmet lights: very useful off-road, annoying on road

rear lamps usually clip onto the seatpost, where lots of things can obscure them, even a jacket. Some also have a seat stay mounting option, which sometimes works okay but often isn’t very secure on such a slim tube, so the lamp pivots around to point sideways then downwards, or even goes in the spokes! Good news for practical cyclists who don’t want a dynamo: battery versions of dynamo rear lamps are available that likewise bolt onto any carrier that has the standard European fixings – two rear-facing 5mm holes, horizontally separated by either 50mm or 80mm. Mudguard-fixing battery lamps can also be found, but their weight does tend to accelerate the failure of plastic mudguards. CatEye supply lots of alternative brackets for their lamps and unlike some brands, don’t change designs at the drop of a hat and have okay spares availability. So you’ll probably be able to fit one of their lamps where you want, even if you change bikes in a year or two. In my last lighting article, I wrote what a useful thing a head-torch is, for illuminating road signs and fixing punctures. I never imagined how compact and yet powerful LED lights would become. It’s unavoidable that a light on top of a person’s head, aimed towards the ground, is at some point going to cross the eye-level of another person – and usually when they’re close enough to get properly dazzled.

Unless you're heading into the woods for an off-road lark in the dark, please mount your main headlamp on the bike

So unless you’re heading into the woods for an off-road lark in the dark, please be kind to your fellow cyclists (as well as everyone else) and mount your main headlamp on the vehicle where it belongs, whilst limiting your head-torch to the minimum necessary (as a rough guide, between 10 and 50 lumens) to illuminate signs and provide extra conspicuity. Thank you.

We’re all breaking the law! I exaggerate. A few of us are riding legally at night: those of us with pedal reflectors, a rear reflector marked BS6102/2 (or ECE 1 or 1A), plus front and rear lights, each of which satisfies one of the following criteria. Option 1: It conforms with and is accordingly marked ‘BS6102/3’. The last number, indicating part 3 of the standard, is the lighting part. A lot of rear lights incorporate a reflector, marked BS6102/2, which only means the retro-reflector performance is approved. Option 2: It conforms to the approval regime of another EC country, but only if that approval provides an equivalent level of safety. That’s a tricky one, because no public official will say which other country’s standards are at least as demanding as BS6102/3. So I asked a bunch of international bike lamp experts at an ISO standards meeting. They were unanimous: German traffic law (StVZO) approval, that’s all. Almost any dynamo lighting equipment you might buy will be marked with a K~ number, indicating German approval. Option 3: If it’s a flashing light (front or rear) and only a flashing light, that flashes at the legally permitted rate of between one and four flashes per second, and is completely incapable of emitting a steady light, it’ll be approved if it emits at least 4cd (candela). And 4cd isn’t much: most decent LEDs do that. But most flashing lamps also have a steady mode,

SHINING LIGHTS Note: the reflectors on the top two are required in Germany, not here.

Dy n a m o headla m p s 1) B&M Luxos U senso plus £155 Light the road with up to 90 lux, or have daytime running lights, or charge your USB devices via the remote handlebar switch. For those who want complete ‘off grid’ autonomy and can afford the best, this is it.

amba-marketing.com 2) Axa Luxx 70 steady auto £61 Value for money autonomy: most of the above features for less. Seventy lux is still impressive and the ‘Intelligent Beam’ adjusts with speed. The USB socket is useful only in dry weather and above 14kph.

axa-stenman.com 3) Trelock LS695 Bike-I Uno £20 As little as 10 years ago, we would have been delighted by 20 lux, and at that price, complete with standlight, you won’t be complaining.

trelock.de

Dy n a m o r ea r la m p 4) B&M Seculite plus £22 Lightest lamp that’ll fit (and hence be less likely to break) a mudguard. With standlight and reflector, it does the business on bikes without a carrier.

amba-marketing.com

CTC . OR G . U K cyc l e 4 5

SHINING LIGHTS (cont) Recha r g eable headla m p s 5) Exposure Strada Mk5 £270 Perhaps the only high-power cycle-lamp that can be toggled between max, dim, max etc. like a car headlamp, thanks to its remote switch and sequence options. This 800 lumen twin LED (spot and flood) lamp lasts 3-36hr.

use1.com/exposurelights

CJ's current (sic) favourites: the Eyc T senso plus (£54) and Toplight Flat S Plus (£16), both by B&M and distributed by ambamarketing.com

6) Supernova Airstream 2 £175 The ‘Terraflux’ lens puts more light on the ground and less in the sky than most high-power rechargeables, limiting dazzle, earning it StVZO approval, and enabling it to punch above its 205 lumen rating.

amba-marketing.com

We've waited too long already for our pettifogging regulations to catch up with commercial reality which then requires BS or equivalent approval. So dynamo users with pedal reflectors and very few others are riding legally at light. The rest of you, no matter how bright your lights may be, are scofflaws! Given the needle-in-ahaystack task of sourcing approved battery lights on the British cycle market, most police forces take the pragmatic view that it’s not in the public interest to enforce the letter of the law on this point. White light in front, red behind, flashing or steady, and you’re very unlikely to be challenged – never mind a lack of rear or pedal reflectors. In the event of an accident however, the unobservant driver’s insurer will look for any excuse not to pay out.

Standard lamps? Last year, Germany relaxed its dynamo-only rule to allow StVZO-approved battery lights to be used on all kinds of bikes, not just racers. Meanwhile, Germany and France are cooperating on a new ISO for cycle lamps, which is likely to be adopted by Europe and will then replace the confusion of different national standards. We’re beginning to see more battery lights on the market that have the same well-designed optics as German dynamo

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lights and these should become more widely available in future. For at least two years, DfT has been promising to reform our completely out of date and unfit-for-purpose cycle lighting regulations. Why does it take so long? I don’t know. Maybe they’re waiting for that new European standard to replace BS6102/3? Whilst I personally am content to presume the approval of my German lights and await the eventual confirmation of that by a Franco-German CEN standard, I cannot ignore that the majority of British cyclists, doing their honest best by fitting lights that are good and bright, and which the police recognise as such, are nevertheless breaking the law. We’ve waited too long already for our pettifogging regulations to catch up with commercial reality. We must either revert to the pre-1989 requirement: ‘visible from a reasonable distance’, or else extend the simple 4cd minimum to steady lights as well as flashing. If it’s good enough for flashers, why not? And at the same time, let’s forget about pedal reflectors, or allow the alternative of a second rear lamp, so there’s one of each, flashing and steady. And let’s do it now, for goodness sake. Is anyone listening? Until then, our list of Shining Lights focuses on lamps that are already approved and/or address particular problems for road cycling. It’s unavoidably German heavy. If you can’t find them locally, UK retailers such as Spa Cycles, Bike Plus and St John Street Cycles may carry them. If not, German websites such as rosebikes.co.uk or bike24.de will.

7) B&M Ixon Core £52 Our pick of a bunch of new dynamo-derived, Germanapproved battery lights: this neat lamp puts a USBcharged Li-ion behind Eyc’s fine optics to give 3 to 15 hours of 50 to 12 lux dazzlefree output.

amba-marketing.com

B atte ry r ea r la m p s 8) B&M Toplight Flat-S permanent £14 Busch & Müller’s ‘Toplight’ range have carrier-mounted lighting covered. This is the battery version of CJ's favourite rear light. The new –S version spreads the light better than the old ‘Toplight Flat’. rosebikes.co.uk

9) CatEye TL-LD610 £22 A good example of the nonapproved but nonetheless plenty-bright-enough battery LED rear light, which can be adapted to fit most places thanks to CatEye’s comprehensive range of brackets. zyro.co.uk

10) PDW Fenderbot £16 One of the only batterypowered (2×AAA) rear lights that’ll fit on a mudguard. It incorporates a reflector. The cheaper Smart TL260RG appears to be very similar but is harder to get hold of.

paligap.cc

where: The eastern tip of Cuba START/finish: Holguin & Bayamo DISTANCE: 756km, riding 40-120km each day PICTURES: Alamy.com and Alice Gore

cu b a n w h e e l s | G R E A T R I D E S

Gre at r ide s

Cuban wheels Alice Gore took a two-week tour of the Caribbean island, soaking up the scenery, the history, and the Cuban capacity for improvisation

Left: Alamy.com

e’re dirty, exhausted and in the middle of nowhere, but we’re met by shaking heads. We try again in our limited Spanish: ‘Five people. One night. Here. For tourists. Yes?’ It doesn’t work. ‘No’ and ‘nacionalidad’ is about all we understand – just enough for us to glean that Brits are not welcome at this campismo (a basic beachside resort where Cubans are allowed by the state to go on holiday). It was the second day of our two-week cycle tour around Cuba. We had arrived at the Rio Carbonico campismo at the end of a hot 110km ride, with sunset half an hour off. The chance of getting to the next village 20km away was slim. Just then an onlooker intervened and offered us dinner at his house. We followed him to a tiny wooden house, set idyllically into the forest. A wash in the river nearby, a huge plate of rice and chicken, and a few awkward attempts at communicating with the family later, and we were all falling asleep on make-shift beds. Cuba is a great place for cycle touring. Apart from the stunning scenery, sites of interest, good roads and tolerant drivers, its recent political and economic environment has instilled in its people an ability to ‘mend and make do’. On the one hand, this provided some comfort that if something happened to the bikes (or us), the Cubans would fix it. But moreover, it provided a quiet sense of security. It’d work out. The cars are a perfect example. At the end of our trip, we found ourselves unable to get a bus to Trinidad so asked after private transport instead. This wasn’t a problem: seven men set about squeezing five bikes into the back of one bright green 1957 Rambler estate. Half way through the journey, there was a

clank from the underside of the vehicle. No problem. The driver stopped, found a local farmer, obtained a piece of string, tied up the car, and delivered us to our destination.

Castro’s hide-out Our tour began at Holguin, a dusty town that gave us access to Cuba’s eastern region. This is arguably the most spectacular part of the country, offering incredible scenic variety and, as the heartland of the Cuban Revolution, plenty of culture and history. With only one minor interruption, we cycled 756 kilometres to make an almost full loop around the eastern tip of the island. We took in mountains, coast, lush farmland, and semi-desert scrubland, passing through tiny hidden-away villages, beachside resorts and towns with characterful plazas. On a bike, you take it all in: the roadside stall offering piles of mouthwatering fruit; the old man with a face like scrunched-up paper, watching the world go by; all the Che Guevara graffiti. We also stopped for longer breaks after every three days or so on the bikes, punctuating our trip with more usual tourist activities. We stopped off at Baracoa, Santiago de Cuba, Fidel Castro’s mountain hide-out, and the heritage site of Trinidad. Leaving Baracoa, we faced a 76km ride to Yacabo Abajo, including La Farola, a steep pass over the Sierra del Puriel mountain range, and one of the trip’s highlights. We approached the mountains in the blazing sun. As we ascended, however, the

DO IT YOURSELF Cuba’s an easy place to travel to and around, even with bikes. Virgin fly direct from London to Havana and take bikes for free. It’s then easy to transport bikes on buses, so we got an overnight bus from Havana to Holguin, booked in advance online. Although you can book casas in advance, we always found somewhere to stay and everyone was happy to take our bikes inside. Food can be a little difficult to get en route, so having plenty of snacks to hand is a must. Some proficiency in Spanish is also highly recommended.

“we took in mountains, coast, lush farmland, and semi-desert scrub, riding into villages, resorts, and old plazas” CTC. O R G . U K cyc l e 4 9

Fact File Cuba Distance: We cycled a total of 756km, ranging between 40 and 120km daily.

Top Wider tyres are recommended for rougher sections, like this one between Santiago and Pilon Above Old cars are everywhere in Cuba. Their drivers are considerate around cyclists, and the roads mostly good

clouds came across, cooling us down and providing a moody backdrop to the deep green forested hills and valleys around us. Then the clouds darkened and, just as Dave was removing a three-inch nail from his front tyre, they burst.

Photos: Alice Gore

Tropical rain Torrential doesn’t describe it. As we heaved our way up the last few kilometres, we could hardly see two metres. Yet after the heat of the morning it was deliciously refreshing, a cathartic outpouring that placed smiles of amusement on all our faces. As quickly as the rain began, it stopped. As we left the mountains behind us, the sun lit up a different landscape – an arid, semidesert terrain that stretched its way to the sea. It got better the further we journeyed. The stretch from Santiago to Pilon was special: mountains one side, sea the other. After that we began our second mountain climb. The long, flat option from Pilon to Bartolemé Maso would be easy but boring. So we took the route through the mountains. It was relentless. There were repeated 25% inclines on unmade roads, and 15 deep fords that we couldn’t cycle across. It took us nearly six hours to travel 20km and climb 1600m, much of it on foot. Yet it was also beautiful. Bright blue and yellow butterflies danced around the trees, which led into a forest so deep that it had once hidden hundreds of revolutionaries. At the highest point, we could see for miles. We felt utterly removed from the rest of the world. We’d given it a go, the Cuban way, and it had all worked out.

Route: Starting in Holguin, we took in an almost complete clockwise route around the eastern tip of Cuba. We first headed north to Guadalavaca, then travelled round to Baracoa, Guantanamo, Santiago de Cuba, Bartolemé Maso and finally Bayamo. We visited Trinidad on foot. Conditions: Cuba is a cycle-friendly country, with good and quiet roads. The heat posed the greatest challenge; even in January it reached 40º some days. Accommodation: Lots of casas particulares in Cuban towns. A little like B&Bs, these are usually exceptionally clean and run by very friendly people. Accommodation outside of the towns is trickier, hence the use of campismos. Maps/guides: GPS and a pre-printed map. There aren’t too many roads to get lost on so you should be okay if you have planned well. I’m glad I had: A water filter bottle, wet wipes, a good supply of sweets, 35mm tyres, and my Brooks saddle. Next time I would: Learn more Spanish and take a little less weight. Further info: Rough Guide to Cuba (978-1409362791) and Bicycling Cuba by Wally and Barbara Smith (ISBN 978088150535). organised tour: CTC Cycling Holidays is running a tour of western Cuba from 26 January to 10 February 2015. See cyclingholidays.org for details.

eastern cuba Guadalavaca Holguin

6 Bartolemé Maso

Baracoa

Bayamo

5 Santiago de Cuba

4 Guantanamo

The Savoy in London welcomes cyclists â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not just those on folders

where to stay on to u r | f e a t u r e

Bed, bike & breakfast As CTC’s revamped Cyclists Welcome website shows, there are more bike-friendly ways than ever to overnight in Britain. Rob Ainsley, who’s spending 234 nights away during 2014, looks at some options ycle touring reminds us of how basic and timeless our human needs are: just food, drink, and shelter for the night. And free wi-fi. Plus sockets to recharge the phone, laptop, e-reader, and GPS… Joking apart, while the most important thing about touring is the time spent on the bike, and the accommodation only the wrapping, it still affects the enjoyment of the contents. For instance, an otherwise lovely Wales trip was overshadowed by a shudderingly awful guesthouse, where the extensive pattern of white flecks in the carpet proved on examination to be toenail clippings. On the other hand, a miserable day in the North York Moors was turned into a delightful experience by a welcoming B&B whose owners helped me clean and lube my bike, laundered my sodden clothes, and told me laugh-out-loud village tales over unlimited tea and cake.

Travelodge rooms can be booked for as little as £19 a night

An informal online poll of CTC members for this article suggested that on tour, most of us camp around half the time. (Partly because it’s cheap, but also for flexibility and freedom.) The other nights are spent in hostels; occasionally, inexpensive hotels or B&Bs; and – increasingly – that online phenomenon of couchsurfing.

Where you lay your head While cycle-camping remains much the same as ever, the business of getting a roof for the night has been transformed by the internet, and cycling accommodation options are more varied than when I gleefully discovered bike touring in 1979. (The first night was in Selby Youth Hostel: long since closed, but then a narrowboat. It set the pattern for quirkiness that has characterised my subsequent adventures. The weather set the subsequent pattern too. It didn’t rain – it poured.) Then, it seemed the only affordable weatherproof beds were in Youth Hostels. We booked them by sending a postal order, arriving by car was an act of sedition, alcohol was banned, and we had to sweep the kitchen before being released. Now, we book with an app, the car park is full, own-brand bedding is supplied, and they’ll flog us a bottle of YHArebadged wine with dinner. And they’re almost free from youths – at least, the remote rural hostels that haven’t been auctioned off are. Some of these far-flung YHs are a destination in themselves, such as Glen Affric in the Highlands, a rough but cyclable eight miles from the nearest tarmac. There’s no bike shed here, but the warden smiled when I locked up my tourer: opportunist theft by sheep, she reassured me, is not a problem.

Camping barns & hostels For a simple shelter in remote locations, camping barns have proliferated. You usually need your own bedding, and there’ll be little more than a dorm mattress and basic kitchen, but they’re handy spontaneous alternatives to tents in bad weather. I came across some in Scotland this summer that seem part of a new pattern: bunkhouse plus B&B rooms on the same site, offering a range of basic to midmarket beds, with fireside food and drink (and wi-fi) in the attached pub. Youth Hostels (187 of them in England and Wales, plus 26 camping barns) have had to change in response to the 200-odd independent hostels (some former YHs) that now dot the country. Many independents are town-centre, backpackerish places that are better for free wi-fi, but not as good for drying rooms. But they vary in character enormously, and if they’re bike-friendly, they’re often worth building a tour around. One such independent is Wayfarers, in Penrith. It sits on the C2C and End to End, and was created ‘very much with cyclists in mind’, says Mark Rhodes, who runs it. Through the summer, about two-thirds of their guests arrive by bike, and can enjoy outstanding facilities, as I did: large indoor, secure storage space; a workstand and tools for free use; washing facilities; and a drying room ‘for those odd occasions it rains in Cumbria!’ laughs Mark. ‘As a cyclist, these are things I use regularly and know what a difference it makes to start the day in dry clothes and to sort niggling gears!’ A big advantage hostels have is their capacity for groups. The last few years have seen a rise in charity teams doing routes

CTC. O R G . U K cyc l e 5 3

Photos by Rob Ainsley, unless noted

where to stay on to u r | f e a t u r e

Location, location, location: Whitby Youth Hostel is right by the abbey

Photo: Dan Joyce

CYCLISTS WELCOME

The classic former-child’s-bedroom in an emptynest house, with pastel nylon sheets, is still around, but bed and breakfasts have raised their game such as the End to End or Way of the Roses (WoR). It’s a trend noted by Chris Alder, deputy manager at York YH. They can easily be accommodated, thanks to flexible spaces that can be used as secure cycle storage, its laundry areas, restaurant and bar facilities: ‘At weekends we get 20, even 40 cyclists sometimes. Often they’re not regular cyclists, so they don’t fancy riding into town in the evening; they’re happy to eat and drink in the hostel.’ Cycle-touring here is on the up, he reckons, with Saturday nights the busiest. (York is an obvious WoR stopover when done over a long weekend.) ‘Sunday can often be quiet,’ he says, ‘which means it’s a bargain – prices can be virtually half that of the night before.’

Hotels & budget chains Off-peak, advanced booking makes hotels cheap too. Chains such as Travelodge or Premier Inn regularly release blocks of rooms at low prices, and comfort can come cheap: I routinely stay at them for £19 or £29 respectively, off-peak and booked a month or three in advance. (Avoid Fridays and Saturdays – except in business areas, where weekends may be cheapest. Add £20 or more to those figures for London, which is always busy!) The no-frills but clean, comfy Travelodges invariably seem happy for bikes to stay in rooms, while the comparatively luxurious Premier Inns always find an unused function suite or cleaner’s cupboard to store mine.

In fact, my Raleigh has spent more time in meeting rooms than I ever have. We’re more welcome at other hotels these days too. Increasingly, the reception staff or manager turn out to be cyclists themselves. At Bewley’s in Leeds and Kimberley’s in Harrogate this summer, for instance, staff in both showed enthusiasm and knowledge when we arrived on two wheels. But for anybody credit-card-touring (travelling ultra-light but luxuriously), not all the UK’s top end has quite caught up with, say, Germany, where we’ve never been looked up and down when arriving by bike. Some big-name hotels in London, to judge by my experiments this year, still look with faintly patronising amusement if you do so. Honourable exceptions exist, such as the Savoy, off Strand, which even offers guests cycle hire.

Ever since CTC’s formation in 1878, we’ve recommended establishments that catered to the needs of cyclists. These could be identiﬁed in the early days by cast-iron Winged Wheel logos, two feet across, mounted on the wall. Many of these Winged Wheels still exist – see wingedwheels.info for where they are. The Winged Wheel was a seal of approval, marking cycle-friendly inns and hotels. These days, CTC doesn’t issue iron plaques but the tradition of identifying cycle-friendly accommodation providers, cafés and cycle hire outlets continues. Now it’s digital: the details are collected on CTC’s website, cyclistswelcome. co.uk. You can search it for cycle-friendly accommodation in an area in seconds, either before you set off or en route by smartphone. Whether you’re cycle touring or going away for a mountain biking weekend, you’ll then know what you can look forward to. Not just the cake, the comfortable bed or a suitable campsite, but something that all cyclists need to be sure of when going somewhere new: a welcome for you and your bike. You can have conﬁdence that there will be somewhere safe and secure to store your bike. And you can relax in the knowledge that even if you arrive looking like a drowned rat, having contended with our traditional British weather, you’ll still be just as welcome. Cyclists Welcome also lists cafés, recommended by cyclists for cyclists. That should ensure cyclist-friendly portions, as well as somewhere where bicycles can be parked safely, securely and in clear view. If you’ve visited somewhere that you think should be listed by Cyclists Welcome, why not recommend a cycle friendly establishment on the website and be in with the chance to win £50 of Wiggle vouchers in our monthly draw? Visit cyclistswelcome.co.uk

Traditional B&Bs Bed and breakfasts, that British institution, have raised their game since 1979. The classic former-child’s-bedroom in an empty-nest house, with family photos and pastel nylon sheets, is still around. But many mid- and up-market places offer classier experiences with, say, organic farm food for breakfast. Solo tourists still usually pay a premium though. Being bike-friendly makes good economic sense if you’re a B&B. Louise Alexander, owner of Blakeney House in York, targeted cycle tourists when she took over the place two

CTC. O R G . U K cyc l e 5 5

f e a t u r e | where to stay on to u r

Approaching Glen Affric. It’s touring-cyclable from the east, more of an MTB ride from the west

Yurts can be booked in Keld in the Yorkshire Dales

York YH gets groups of charity cycle-tourers

years ago. Business is thriving, with dozens of cyclists every month. ‘There have been more independent groups this year, often riding for charity,’ she says – and the trend is up. In 1999, Sustrans put the annual value of the UK cycletouring market at £600m; it must surely now be well over £1bn. The internet is not essential to get a bed: I still find places by cycling around, looking and asking. And though I’ve occasionally come to accommodation grief while backpacking (having to overnight in bus stations, or walking streets at 4am), I’ve never had serious problems cycling. The nearest to failure was in Kennacraig, Scotland, when a regatta had booked out everything for miles. Luckily, the ferry we were booked on to next morning was waiting in the harbour, and as cyclists we were allowed to kip onboard. A bit like that Selby narrowboat, except with a staff bar… But now, thanks to the web, it’s easier than ever to find cyclist-friendly accommodation. This isn’t only a matter of secure storage or drying facilities: it’s also attitude. Again, things seem to be improving here, perhaps thanks to cycling’s higher PR profile these days. More often, your hosts or their family members ride too. So they’re not fazed when you turn up soaking wet. They just smile, help you hang up the tent to dry, put the kettle on and run a bath – and they’ll happily supply a healthy breakfast before your early-morning departure. CTC’s

5 6 cyc le October/Nov ember 2 014

own Cyclists Welcome website is a great first port of call.

Someone’s spare room A recent trend is couchsurfing – hooking up with people via the internet who are happy to put you up for free, on the understanding that you will one day do the same for someone else. A cyclist-specific such website (covering Britain and abroad) is warmshowers.org, a freeto-use network of cycle tourists who offer this reciprocal hospitality, from a camping spot in the garden and use of bathroom, up to ensuite rooms with generous dinners. The concept has many fans, especially among long-haul adventurers such as David Hammerton and Grace MacKenzie, who are now in Bristol, having cycled from Australia. ‘Almost everyone we’ve stayed with through Warmshowers has been incredibly hospitable,’ says David. ‘We got a safe place to store our bikes, fantastic meal, comfy bed, shower and whatever else we needed. The real fun is sharing stories over a meal.’ As for me, it’s the variety of accommodation styles now that I love. In reasonable weather, camping’s wonderful. But often the forecast is less enticing, I’m tempted by town-centre amenities, or simply fancy a treat. When I do, bike-friendly comfort – whether in hostels, B&Bs, or hotels – is cheaper and easier to arrange than ever. Sleep well!

b oo k i n g yo u r b e d These are the typical costs per person you can expect to pay (outside London!), based on a single person/two sharing. Wild camping, couchsurfing,

friends & relatives: £0 Camping: £10–£12 / £5–£10 Hostels, camping

barns: £15–£22 / £15–£22 B&B, pubs: £30–£50 / £20–£40 Hotels: £40–£80 / £20–£40

There are lots of websites dealing with accommodation – you can even just type ‘place name’ and ‘B&B’ into a search engine. Here are some more useful ones. Cycle-friendly accommodation

cyclistswelcome.co.uk | warmshowers.org Bargain hotels

travelodge.co.uk | premierinn.co.uk ibis.co.uk | booking.com Hostels

yha.org.uk | syha.orguk independenthostelguide.co.uk hostelbookers.com

Photo: alamy.com

Some far-flung Youth Hostels are a destination in themselves. Glen Affric in the Highlands is a rough but cyclable eight miles from the nearest tarmac

meet the experts

expert advice

Q&A Your technical, legal and health questions answered. This issue: the legality of bulls in fields; fitting a new freehub; cycling when obese; why bottom brackets are better with holes; folding tyres; and pump modifications

Chris Juden CTC Technical Officer and qualified engineer

question of the month

Dr Mat t Brooks Cycling GP

Paul kitson Partner from Slater & Gordon (UK) LLP

The Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 prohibits bulls being kept on land where there's a right of way. Exemptions exist…

Legal

ANIMAL DANGERS

Above right: iStockphoto.com

On the Trans-Pennine Trial, I was faced with a bull and a group of heifers grazing on the narrow strip of land on a raised riverbank. Not wanting to risk their passivity or jump in river, I retreated and trespassed on an alternative route. What is the law on land ownership, rights of way, riverbanks, NCN routes and large farm animals? What are the rights and duties of the land owner, farmer and the required grounds of negligence for personal injury or damage to cycles? Name & address supplied

Like walkers, cyclists often encounter animals when exploring the countryside. The legal duty imposed upon owners of animals is

6 0 cyc le octobe r /nov ember 2 014

contained within the Animals Act 1971. This is a difficult and poorly drafted piece of legislation. Where the animal is a ‘dangerous species' (i.e. a species that is not commonly domesticated in the UK and whose fully grown adults can cause severe damage), the keeper of the animal is liable for the damage. Where the animal does not belong to a dangerous species – cattle would be classed as non-dangerous – the legislation essentially imposes strict liability on the owner of an animal only if the likelihood of damage was due to the characteristics of the animal, and that these were known to the person who had charge of the animal. An illustration of the law in practice is the case of McKaskie v Cameron, which was heard in the Preston County Court in July 2009. In that case, the farmer had known that a public footpath crossed one of his fields containing cows with calves and that this was used by walkers. He was also aware: that if the cows attacked

people on the footpath, then they could suffer serious injury; and that his cows would act aggressively if they became stressed. The farmer unfortunately failed to prevent or reduce the risk of injury to walkers by moving the cattle to another field or fencing off the footpath. The trial judge found for the claimant, notwithstanding the fact that the claimant had deviated from the exact route of the footpath and taken a short-cut across a field, where she was trampled by the cows. The judge held that the farmer was in breach of his duty of care to the claimant under the Occupiers' Liability Act 1957. It was held that a protective cow/calf bond existed, giving rise to a propensity for cows to protect their calves, and it would therefore be unwise to put any cows with calves in a field crossed by a right of way unless certain precautions were taken. This case was not argued under the Animals Act, but if it had been, liability would, in my opinion, have been established. The Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 places a prohibition on keeping bulls on land crossed by public rights of way, which is punishable on a summary

Fitting a new freehub body to an older hub may also require a new axle assembly

conviction with a fine. However, this prohibition does not apply to bulls under ten months old or those which are recognised dairy breeds, when they are accompanied by cows or heifers. Recognised dairy breeds are Ayrshire, British Friesian, British Holstein, Dairy Shorthorn, Guernsey, Jersey and Kerry. If any animal, known to be dangerous by the keeper, causes injury to a member of the public using a public right of way, including cycle routes, then they can be sued by the injured party for their injuries and financial losses. Paul Kitson Technical

FREEHUB BODY REMOVAL

The freewheel body of my Deore LX 8-speed freehub (FH-M580) is coming to the end of its life. I do not want to buy a new rear wheel as the present one has just had a new rim put on it. I can find only two possible replacements for this freehub online, none of which have ‘M580’ or anything closer than ‘M510525’ as part of their designation. Will any of these freehubs fit this hub? Mike Griffiths

Some speak of a Shimano freehub body interchangeability chart, found somewhere on t’internet, but as none can give a live link – or even a deceased one – and having never seen such a thing myself, I reckon it’s with Bigfoot! There is some good news. Provided the hub isn’t very old or weird (exotic designs in the name of Dura-Ace and Saint, plus anything with a silent clutch or alloy outer body), any usual replacement body will go with any usual hub. You can even convert from 7-speed to 8/9/10-speed – provided you fit a longer axle. Problems arise with the many different shapes of right side cone. I don’t think anyone (except Shimano’s gnome of freehub knowledge) can say how many or which hubs are the same as one another in this respect. But if the cone and in particular its seal are

different, your old cone will either not even go near the new body, or will fit but without its seal, so dirt and water will flood through the gap and quickly destroy the bearing – including the cup surface in your brand new body! So for safety, you need also to buy the spare axle and cone(s) assembly corresponding with your new freehub body. You need only the right-side cone, its seal and perhaps the locknut, but they are not sold separately (or not nowadays in the UK, where it’s a small wonder that replacement bodies can even be had!). If you don’t need the bike in a hurry, buy just a body, one that’s as close as you can find in type, model year and level, to your hub – and hope for the best. But before you buy that M510-525 body, check that you can if necessary buy a corresponding axle assembly. And check that your cones aren’t worn-out too. Chris Juden Health

OVERWEIGHT CYCLIST

Does being obese (e.g. a BMI of 34) make it harder to balance on a bicycle? And if one was unlucky enough to fall off, and land on an arm (as opposed to a leg that was used to bearing the weight) would one be more likely to break something? What advice would you give to such a rider who had suffered a fall, but was thinking of returning to cycling? Peter Hall

This is an interesting question and not as straightforward as you might think. Obesity is described as a BMI (body mass index) more than 30. A BMI of between 25 and 30 is considered ‘overweight'. In fact, being underweight (a BMI less than 18.5) is known to increase the risk of some fractures. However, it is a complex pattern, as highlighted by a study

Being overweight is no barrier to taking up cycling. Just take it easy to begin with

Q&A this year which looked at the relationship of weight, height, and BMI with fracture risk at different sites in post-menopausal women. There was some evidence that hip, spine and wrist fractures were more likely with lower BMI. For upper arm, shoulder and clavicle fractures, only height was significantly associated. The authors concluded that the relationships between fracture and weight, BMI and height are site-specific. The different associations may be at least partly explained by effects on bone density, bone structure and geometry, and patterns of falling. While I am no expert in mechanics, from basic principles it seems likely that obesity would make it more difficult to balance, particularly at low speeds. My advice to any overweight rider considering a return to cycling would be to go for it. Cycling is an excellent lowimpact activity which offers great benefits to health and these should far outweigh any risks. And it's a good way to lose weight. So get back on the bike but take it steadily to start with, until you build up confidence and improve fitness. Matt Brooks Technical

BB: OPEN OR SEALED?

I have an audax bike that Cobra Cycles (Preston) built for me in 1994. It was a custom job done in 531C and has seen better days. I have asked Graeme Scott from Happy Trails to renovate this old bike for me. Graeme is unsure about the bottom bracket. It's an open design. I think it's

Folding tyres use a bead made of Kevlar rather than wire. This saves weight

a Cinelli? What wisdom is there about open bottom brackets. Graeme was talking about lining it to seal it. Tim Linford

There is no point in sealing a bottombracket. A frame is less likely to rust if its bottom-bracket is able to drain any water that may get into it via breather holes, bottle boss threads etc. The bottom-bracket shell itself may be more rusty in the very open Cinelli style, due to the relatively free passage of dirty water in and out, but the bottom-bracket shell is comparatively thick and any rust can be seen and treated. As for the bearings, in modern units (except in rare and unusual designs) they are sealed from all sides and so it does not matter if the weather can get at them from all sides. In fact, a bottom-bracket that does not drain is more likely to subject the bearings to total immersion, which is more likely to defeat the seals. So leave this bottom-bracket as is, but treat the inside of the bottom-bracket with rust-preventing paint and/or waxoil. And choose bottom-bracket/crankset designs where the outermost parts inside the bottom-bracket are aluminium or rust-proofed steel, or paint them before fitting, and use a rust-preventing anti-seize compound on the threads. Chris Juden

tyres more difficult to fit in the first place. A Var-425 tyre lever is helpful. Cracks don’t really matter in the outer rubber of a modern tyre, since the threads are man-made fibres and do not rot. If a tyre isn’t puncturing or distorting, there’s no need to replace it yet. The more of that high hysteresis tread rubber wears off, the easier it rolls in fact. So apart from their increasing susceptibility to punctures, worn tyres are great! The one place to beware of exposed casing threads is at the edge of the rim, which can quickly chafe through an unprotected sidewall. Chris Juden

Technical

FOLDABLE TYRES

Why are some tyres foldable and others rigid? What are the pros and cons? I have ridden the Schwalbe Supreme tyres on my bike for 2500 miles without puncture or mishap. However, they have slight cracking between sidewall and tread, and an occasional fibre pulls out, so I think it’s time to renew them. Anthony Beggs

Foldable tyres cost more, weigh less, and sometimes have some other, less immediately obvious higher performance features than their rigid, steel-beaded counterparts, such as a finer weave casing. And obviously they fold, which makes it easier to pack a spare on tour – not that I’d necessarily advise that. As the bead is less rigid, stiffened by Kevlar rather than steel wire, it has to be a smaller diameter not to stretch too big when inflated, and this can make foldable

Contact the experts

Topeak's Twin-head adaptor hose kit can be fitted to other pumps, or even a compressor

PUMP HOSE UPGRADE

I have an electrical compressor that I use for tyre inflation. It works fine for Schrader valves, but inflating Presta valves with a brass adaptor is always a problem. Is a specific Presta valve inflator for compressors available, or are there any other measures to make this easier? Ken Thompson

ou could possibly replace the compressor's hose (or cut it and replace the end part of it) with the Twinhead adapter hose kit from Topeak (wiggle.co.uk/topeak-twinhead-kit/). It comes with a selection of adaptors for common hose-fitting threads, plus an allelse-fails option for cutting and connecting to the orginal hose. The ‘Twin-head’ gives you the option of connecting to Schrader or Presta with equal facility. I have one of these on a floor pump. It's been reliable. Chris Juden

Send health and legal questions to the Editor (details on p3). We regret that Cycle magazine cannot answer unpublished health and legal queries. Technical and general enquiries, however, are a CTC membership service. Contact the CTC Information Office, tel: 0844 736 8450, Email: cycling@ctc.org.uk (general enquiries) or Chris Juden, technical@ctc.org.uk (technical enquiries). You can also write to: CTC, Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford, GU2 9JX. And don’t forget that CTC operates a free-to-members advice line for personal injury claims, tel: 0844 736 8452.

6 2 cyc le octobe r /nov ember 2 014

Main photo by Simon Walker. Others by Dan Joyce

R E V I E W S | B I K E TE S T

bike test

Time for new wheels Your next mountain bike will probably have 650B or 29er wheels. What are the pros and cons? Dan Joyce tests two steel hardtails from Genesis Mountain bike wheel size was the debate

that looked like never ending. Now it has, at least in part: the 26-inch wheel is dead. I don't mean that you won't be able to get tyres, tubes and forks in this size for some years to come, or that your 26-inch wheel bike is suddenly any worse. I mean that if you go into a shop today and try to buy a 2014 or 2015 mountain bike, it will not have 26in wheels – not unless it's an entry-level bike, a downhill bike, or a wide-rimmed fat bike. The choice now, if you're into crosscountry or trail riding and are willing to spend more than about £500, is between 29er and 650B, which is also branded 27.5. The industry's switch from 26-inch to 650B was rapid and has stirred up strong opinions. The new, 25mm bigger wheel is either ‘the best of both worlds', sitting

6 4 cyc le octobe r /nov ember 2 014

as it does in between 26in and 29in, or ‘a marketing con'. Whichever: the switch has happened. If you're in the market for a new bike, then as long as you don't have a big investment in 26-inch (spare tyres? Second or third bikes?), it doesn't greatly matter. What does is how the two wheel sizes left standing stack up. The other change in mountain bikes has been more gradual: a trend for longer top tubes, shorter stems, and slacker head angles, plus shorter chain stays to stop the wheelbase getting too long. Gary Fisher was one of the earlier proponents of this with his Genesis geometry (no relation), and the baton has been taken up by other brands, notably Whyte. (If you want to see where more gravity-oriented riders are taking this, check out Mondraker's Forward Geometry

bikes.) The primary result of these changes is that you should crash less, especially over the handlebar, because there's more stabilising trail and you're sitting further back relative to the wheels. For this test, I got two hardtails from British brand Genesis. The High Latitude 20 is a 29er, the Latitude 20 650B. Apart from the wheels, they're very similar indeed: both are steel, both have contemporary geometry, and apart from the Latitude's 20mm longer fork and wider handlebar, they have essentially the same spec. They cost the same too. Frame & fork Both bikes are built from double-butted chrome-moly steel tubing, branded Mjölnir. That's Thor's hammer, which was supposedly: a) capable of levelling

B I K E TE S T | R E V I E W S

P61

Genesis Latitude 20

(Above) A 44mm head tube adds stiffness and maximises fork steerer compatibility (Below) 27.5 isn't a misnomer with this chunky Ardent, but it's only 25mm bigger and 38mm smaller than 26in/29in

mountains; and b) so heavy that none but Thor could pick it up. There is a weight penalty over the equivalent aluminium frame – half a kilo or more – but it's hardly intolerable. The reward is not springiness but sturdiness; these are strongly built frames. Each is reinforced where the top and down tubes meet the head tube. And the head tube is massive: a 44mm diameter tube that looks a little odd on a steel frame. The bigger tube gives a bigger weld area at the joints. It also accommodates different fork steerers: with the right headset, you could fit 1 1/8in straight, 1 1/8in to 1 1/2in tapered, or 1 1/2in straight. It can't hurt frame stiffness at the front of the bike either. The rear triangle of both bikes has a bracing strut to stop the seat stay bending under braking forces. Since they're designed here, the frames have some UK-specific features. Foremost among these is mud clearance. There's plenty of room in the rear triangles around the 57mm tyres fitted. You could fit larger in summer, or in winter too if you were happy to dispense with the front derailleur. Both frames have eyelets for a down-tube mounted mudguard, and a forward-facing seat tube slot to help keep filth out of the frame. Apart from a bottle or two, other braze-ons are absent, probably because Genesis have the bikepacking angle covered with their new Longitude. Seat tube diameters are different. The Latitude uses 31.6mm, so you can upgrade

Also available

1) WHYTE 901 £1199 Whyte's least expensive 650B trail hardtail takes the 'confident geometry' numbers a step further, with a 66.5º head angle, a longer top tube, and shorter stays. Fork is a 130mm Rockshox Sektor Gold. whyte.bike/gb/

2) Trek Stache 7 £1300 This trail 29er's geometry is fairly similar to the High Latitude 20, except for a 120mm Recon fork with more offset. Wheels and tyres are Bontrager (with 15mm front hub and 142x12mm rear), gears mostly Sram X7. trekbikes.com

CTC . O R G . U K cyc l e 6 5

B I K E TE S T | R E V I E W S

Genesis High Latitude 20

to a dropper seatpost in future, whereas the High Latitude uses 27.2mm, which offers a bit more flex if you stick with a rigid seatpost. Both bikes use an X-Fusion air fork with a 15mm screw-through axle, something that will reduce sideways flex in the front wheel and prevent it accidentally ejecting. The Latitude's fork is 20mm taller and has less offset; the bikes' trail figures end up about the same. You can adjust the forks' rebound and each has a switch to lock it out. Both had quite a bit of stiction from the seals to begin with, but they loosened up after a few rides and some silicone spray. (Above) Sizes 17.5in and larger get a 100mm fork. The 16in has an 80mm fork so the handlebar isn't too high (Below) Both bikes use a clutch-equipped rear derailleur, which doesn't swing about over bumps

Components Size apart, the wheels are identical. The rims are wide, 23mm internally, so support wider tyres without them squirming or rolling off when your corner. Wider rims will be laterally stiffer too. The rim bead hook is designed for tubeless tyres, so you'll need only a rim strip, new valve, and sealant to ditch the innertube. The wheels are built with good quality spokes: double-butted Sapim ones. Both bikes use 57mm Maxxis Ardent tyres. These all-round trail tyres coped with everything from sharp rocks to roots and mud during the test. I'd have preferred a lighter-treaded Maxxis Ikon for at least the rear of the High Latitude, as the Ikon still grips okay in mud in 29er format and it rolls noticeably better. There's not much to say about the Shimano Deore transmission and hydraulic

brakes. Everything worked well and won't be particularly expensive to replace when it stops doing so. The High Latitude has a 38/24 double rather than a 38/26 double like the Latitude to compensate for the bigger wheels. I found the big gap between chainring sizes frustrating. If I didn't fit a single ring, I'd fit smaller outer and possibly inner rings instead; the bolt-circle diameters of 104 and 64mm would allow this, and there's scope to move the mechs. The Latitude's riser bar is wider than the flat bar of the High Latitude. At 750mm, it's as wide as I've ever used. Most of the time I didn't really notice the difference, but it helped with steering leverage when things under-wheel became difficult. I was less impressed with the single-bolt saddle clamps of both bikes, which allowed the saddles to be knocked out of horizontal alignment easier than twin-bolt clamps. Ride Both bikes offer confident handling. Sitting further back behind a slacker head angle makes these bikes descend far more surely than a steeper-angled bike with a longer stem, where your weight is more forward. Conversely, you need to remember to lean forward enough while climbing to stop the front wheel wandering. This was the first time I'd ridden a bike with 650B wheels. I was underwhelmed. I can't say I noticed any real difference from 26-inch. There must be an incremental

CTC . O R G . U K cyc l e 6 7

R E V I E W S | B I K E TE S T (Far left) Bigger wheels aren't just for crosscountry racing. They're fine on trail centre tracks (Near left) This is some of the Strava segment ‘Schwartz Koff' on Dalby Forest's black route

Tech Spec Dimensions in millimetres and degrees

670 590 73˚

790 40

68.5˚

175 318

1095

Price: £1199.99

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584

GENESIS LATITUDE 20

Genesis High Latitude 20

improvement in rolling performance, especially over bumps, but it's small – or at least, smaller. At 584mm, a 650B rim is 25mm bigger than the 559 of a 26-inch rim but 38mm smaller than the 622 of a 29er rim. It's not a halfway house. The differences between the High Latitude 20 and Latitude 20 were tangible. The 29er felt quick enough, so I took it to a crosscountry race. I couldn't seem to hold the same pace on the 650B bike. On club rides, I kept drifting off the back, particularly when the trails opened out. On twisty singletrack that was more about fun and feel than 'fficiency, the Latitude 20 was fine. It reminded me of the now defunct Orange P7 (26in). To check that the efficiency differences weren't just in my head, I rode the bikes back to back on a 2.5 mile circuit in Dalby Forest, incorporating much of the blackgraded World Cup route and a bit of the red route. Being a tight and technical circuit, with little in the way of fast singletrack or fire roads, any momentum advantages from the bigger wheels ought, by conventional wisdom, to have been minimised. The test was somewhere between science and sticking a finger in the air, as I don't own power cranks. I do have a Garmin Edge 500. So I rode the circuits at exactly the same average heart rate: 150bpm, a brisk pace but not racing. I did the same warm up each time, and rode with only current and average heart rates visible. Overlaying the heart rate traces afterwards, I was pleased to find they were mirror images, deviating by only a few beats at any point. Over a 23-minute ride (it's not an easy 2.5 miles!), the High Latitude was 21 seconds quicker. That's about a second a minute, or just under 2%, faster. Breaking the rides down by the admittedly vague accuracy of Strava segments, the High Latitude made significant time on two long climbs (Jingleby Top Climb and Black Route Climb) and a

135

425

665

445

704

Sizes: 16, 17.5, 19, 20.5in Weight: 12.73kg (no pedals)

Genesis Latitude 20

little on two up-and-down segments (Three Rock Drop and Worry Gill). The Latitude was quicker on a tricky, rocky descent (Schwartz Koff). Elsewhere there was nothing much in it. Summary If you're not racing or riding long distances, a couple of per cent isn't a big deal. So do you want the handling feel of smaller wheels or the efficiency of bigger ones? Try both. I'd advocate riding the biggest wheels that you comfortably fit. This philosophy shows up in some bike brands, where the same model is offered with different wheels: 650B for small to medium riders, 29er for medium to tall. Wheel size is not just about speed. Bigger wheels are more comfortable and stable on bumpy ground. (I fell off the 650B bike twice, the 29er not at all.) On the other hand, it's easier to fit more suspension travel around a smaller wheel, so perhaps 650B bikes will dominate the longer-travel trail bike market while 29ers (continue to) dominate in crosscountry. As for the Latitude 20 and High Latitude 20, either one is well suited to the muddier, more technical trails that UK mountain bikers encounter more often than riders in the USA or Continental Europe. Steel hardtails at £1200 are something of a niche – for a few hundred pounds more, you can have a full-suspension bike at a similar weight – but it's a niche that both bikes fill quite well. I preferred the High Latitude 20; it was better at the kind of riding I do more of.

Frame & Fork: Double-butted cromoly frame. 120mm X-Fusion Velvet RL2 fork, 15mm axle, tapered steerer

Braking: Shimano M447 hydraulic discs 180/160mm rotors Steering/seating: 750×31.8mm riser bar, 70mm×7º stem, FSA Orbit ITA-A h/set. Genesis saddle, 31.6×400mm seatpost

Wheels: 57-584 Maxxis Ardent tyres, Alex Volar 2.3 rims, 32×3 Sapim 2.0/1.8/2.0mm spokes, Deore M618 hubs Dimensions in millimetres and degrees

genesisbikes.co.uk

680 590 73˚

790

135

435

686 68.5˚

445

742 45

Transmission: Deore M615 chainset 38/26, Shimano BB51 73mm, Shimano HG50 11-36 cassette. Deore M610 shifters & M615 derailleurs (GS rear). 20-speed, 20-96in.

175 316

622 57

1120

GENESIS HIGH LATITUDE 20 Price: £1199.99 Sizes: 16, 17.5, 19, 20.5in Weight: 12.9kg (no pedals) Frame & Fork: Double butted cromoly frame. 100mm X-Fusion Slide RL2 fork, 15mm axle, tapered steerer Wheels: 57-622 Maxxis Ardent tyres, Alex Volar 2.3 rims, 32×3 Sapim 2.0/1.8/2.0mm spokes, Shimano Deore M618 hubs

Transmission: Deore M615 chainset 38/24, Shimano BB51 73mm, Shimano HG50 11-36 cassette. Deore M610 shifters & M615 derailleurs (GS rear). 20-speed,19-101in. Braking: Shimano M447 hydraulic discs 180/160mm rotors Steering/seating: 720×31.8mm flat bar, 80mm×7º stem, FSA Orbit h/set. Genesis saddle, 27.2×400mm seatpost genesisbikes.co.uk

group test

your thoughts?

Locks

Cycle Letters, CTC, Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford GU2 9JX

W r i t e to u s :

Letting your bike out of your sight? You’ll need a lock. Journalist Dave Atkinson tries to break into four decent ones

Email us:

cycleletters@ctc.org.uk Join in online:

forum.ctc.org.ok

Locks need to be tough. I attacked those featured here using a basic armoury

of readily available tools: a 1.5m wrecking crowbar, a set of 600mm bolt croppers, and a decent hacksaw. You could buy these in any tool outlet for a total of about £60. All four locks survived five minutes of attack. Cheaper locks – especially cable locks – can often be cut well within that time, sometimes in seconds. At the other end of the scale, power tools will breach any bike lock… For now, the standard solid shackle lock – a D-lock or U-lock – still offers the best combination of security and ease of use. (See bit.ly/1qwJCWb for tips on preventing breakage with a bottle jack.) Heavy chains are also very secure but not so portable, so they’re a good option for a shed or garage where your lock stays put. Other types of lock can offer good performance in specific situations. Many locks are rated under the Sold Secure scheme. For bicycle locks there are Bronze, Silver and Gold standards, which require the lock to resist increasingly harsh treatment. Germany uses a standard called VDS, the Netherlands ART, and Sweden SSF. Manufacturers will often rank a lock on their own scale too.

Keys

Design Solid shackles and heavyweight chains are generally the most secure – and also the heaviest. Cables are much easier to attack but good for securing parts of your bike as a complement to a shackle lock, or as a secondary defence if your bike is parked somewhere reasonably safe like a locked bike store. Lightweight chains and link-plate locks, with plates held together by rivets, generally fall somewhere between the two.

Locking mechanism Most thieves are either opportunists or use brute force attacks but if a lock mechanism is vulnerable, then your bike is too: we’ve seen beefy-looking locks where you could knock out the lock cylinder with a screwdriver and a tap from a hammer. Make sure it’s well protected.

Locks normally come with two or three keys. Keep the spares safe and check the lock manual for instructions on what to do if you lose your key. Many locks offer a key replacement service.

Outer cover Most locks have an outer cover that’s designed to stop the business parts of the lock from scratching your frame. This can be a simple plastic or fabric sleeve over the shackle/cable/ chain, or something more fetching.

Mounting options Most, though not all, locks will come with some means of attaching the lock to the frame. Check that the mount will work with your bike. Some large shackle locks won’t fit inside the main triangle of a small frame if you also want to carry a water bottle.

CTC. O R G . U K cyc l e 71

REVIE W S | grou p T E S T

1) OnGuard Brute 260

3) Abus Bordo Granit X-Plus

£54.99 todayscyclist.co.uk

£99.99 zyro.co.uk

OnGuard do a wide range of locks, and the Brute is their top shackle lock. A 260mm hardened shackle gives you plenty of room for the frame and both wheels (assuming you remove the front wheel), and the shackle locks into the mechanism on both sides and at both ends for extra security. It’s Sold Secure Gold rated and OnGuard give it a 97 on their scale from 1 to 100. Twisting the lock with the wrecking bar put a few cracks in the plastic but I couldn’t bend it, although I did manage to bend the stand it was locked to. The hacksaw had little effect on the shackle and the lock is very well protected too. Once I’d finished with it, it was perfectly functional, if a little battered. Sturdy and dependable shackle lock with four-point locking system and plenty of room inside

With a Sold Secure Gold rating and the highest rating on Abus’s own scale, you’d expect the Bordo Granit X-Plus to deliver, and it does. The link plate design is used throughout the Bordo range but unlike the cheaper Bordo locks, which easily succumb to a pair of bolt cutters, this is a tough cookie. Neither the cutters nor the saw did much damage, and Abus have fixed an earlier flaw in the design, which meant that the lock mechanism could fall out if a plastic plate under the barrel was damaged in an attack. The link-plate design means it’s a bit more versatile than a shackle lock and it folds down a lot smaller for portability. On the minus side, it’s expensive: you can get the same level of protection from a good shackle lock at half the price. Clever design makes the Bordo less intrusive when carried but it’s more expensive than a shackle lock

2) Knog Bouncer £38.99 todayscyclist.co.uk

72 cyc le OCTOBE R /NOVEMBER 2 014

Knog’s funky Bouncer is one of a growing number of small shackle locks. They have their benefits: they’re easy to carry, fitting in a jeans pocket for example, and generally pretty secure. The downside is that you can only easily lock your frame as it’s not a big enough shackle to fit in a wheel too. This one stood up well. I gave it five minutes of persuasion with the wrecking bar and then went after it with the hacksaw. I did manage to make some inroads into the shackle with the saw but it didn’t pop, although the plastic and rubberised cover was a mess by the end. If you need a lock you can carry to the pub or sling in a saddle bag or rucksack, it’s one to consider. It doesn’t come with a frame mount and is rated Sold Secure Bronze, but it punches above its weight. If you like the style but want a tougher lock, Knog offer the Strongman, which is 15mm longer, 300g heavier, and Sold Secure Gold. Diminutive but solid lock that’ll fit in your pocket but should still keep your bike safe

4) Squire Str onghold G3 Chain £89.99 raleigh.co.uk With a 900mm chain, hardened 10mm links, and a tough padlock, the Stronghold G3 chain is a very solid locking solution. The 10mm links are more than a match for the types of boltcutters a thief would normally carry about town; my 600mm cutters are about as big as you can easily conceal, and they didn’t make much of an impact on the chain. The padlock is tough too, all metal with a super-hard shackle that the hacksaw barely scratched. Save for a few rips that the fabric covering the chain sustained when I was trying to twist the lock off, it pretty much looked good as new after five minutes of abuse. Chains are heavy and more difficult to carry, especially if you don’t have a bag: this one is best for a static location such as a shed or bike store at work. Very secure and weighty lock. Not easily portable so better for keeping in a single location

annual general meetings

CTC Member G ro u p AG M s All CTC members welcome. For more information, contact the group secretary – see page 78 for details ALFRETON 12 Nov, 7.30pm Lumb Farm Country Club, Derby Rd, Marehay, Ripley, DE5 8JN ARUD ADUR 15 Oct, 7.30pm, Griffin Room, Village Hall, 90 Ferring St, Ferring, Worthing, BN12 5JP ASTON HILL BIKE PARK 13 Nov, 7pm, Forestry Commission Chilterns Office, Upper Icknield Way, Aston Clinton, Aylesbury, HP22 5NF AYRSHIRE 13 Oct, 7.30pm, Ex-Services Club, Carrick Street, Ayr BATH 25 Oct, 3pm, Sunningdale, 48 Forester Rd, Bath, BA2 6QF BEDFORDSHIRE 15 Oct, 7.30pm, Friends Meeting House, 5 Lansdowne Rd, Bedford, MK40 2BY BLACKBURN & DISTRICT 6 Nov, 7.45pm, Primetime, Norden School, Stourton Street, Rishton, near Blackburn BLACKMORE VALE & YEO VALLEY 1 Nov, 1pm, Castle Gardens, Sherborne, DT9 5NR BOGNOR REGIS & CHICHESTER 19 Oct, 10.30am, Village Hall, West Stoke nr Chichester BRIGHTON & HOVE 14 Oct, 7.30pm, The Stoneham Pub, Portland Road, Hove BURNLEY & PENDLE 5 Nov, 7:30pm, The Boulsworth Room, Christ Church, Carr Rd, Nelson CALDERDALE 7 Nov, 7.30pm, Oddfellows Rooms, 3 Coleridge Street, Halifax CAMBRIDGE 2 Nov, 3.30pm, Hauxton Village Hall CARDIFF & SE WALES 28 Oct, 8pm, Chapter Arts Centre, Market Road, Cardiff, CF5 1QE CENTRAL LONDON 14 Nov, 7pm, Calthorpe Arms, Grays Inn Road, London CHEAM & MORDEN 19 Oct, 2pm, 312 Chessington Rd, West Ewell, KT19 9XG CHELMSFORD 16 Oct, 8pm, Chelmer Hut, Meteor Way, Chelmsford CHELTENHAM 16 Oct, 7.30pm, The Exmouth Arms, Leckhampton, Cheltenham CHESTER & NORTH WALES 2 Nov, 12.30pm, Neuadd Eleanor, Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd (Llanfair DC), Denbighshire CORNWALL 19 Oct, 11:45am, Trethurgy Village Hall, Carclaze Rd, Trethurgy, PL26 8YE COVENTRY 31 Oct, 7.30pm, Friends Meeting House, Hill Street, Coventry, CV1 4AN CYCLE BRISTOL 22 Oct, 8.15pm, The Beechwood Hall, Beechwood Rd, Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 3TR CYMRU Contact secretary DERBY & BURTON 26 Oct, 11am, The Royal Oak, 55 Green Lane, Ockbrook, Derby, DE72 3SE DEVON 2 Nov, 11am, St Lawrence Chapel, Ashburton, TQ13 7DD DISS 14 Oct, 8pm, Grasmere Club, Denmark St, Diss DUDLEY 7 Nov, 8pm, Kingswinford Community Centre, High Street, Kingswinford, DY6 8AP DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY 18 Oct, 10am, Galloway Woodturner’s Clubroom in Castle Douglas EAST MIDLANDS To be confirmed. Late Jan. EASY SURREY 28 Oct, 7.30pm, The Royal Standard, Sheldon Street, Croydon EAST SUSSEX 2 Nov, 2pm, The South View Rooms, Western Road, Hailsham EAST SUSSEX MIDWEEK 8 Oct, 2pm, Chiddingly Village Hall

76 cyc le octobe r /November 2 014

EDEN VALLEY CUMBRIA 25 Oct, 2pm, Langwathby Village Hall, near Penrith EAST YORKSHIRE 18 Nov, 8pm, Hull Sports Centre, Chanterlands Avenue, Hull EDGWARE 9 Oct, 8pm, The Guide Hut, The Glebe, Stanmore, Middlesex ESSEX 15 Nov, 10.30am, Chelmer Club Hut, Meteor Way, Chelmsford, CM1 2RL EXETER 21 Oct, 7.30pm, Aylesbeare Village Hall, EX5 2BS FALKIRK 31 Oct, 7pm, The Dawson Centre, David’s Loan, Bainsford, Falkirk FIFE & KINROSS 7 Nov, 7pm, Falkland Community Hall FLEET CYCLING 4 Nov, 7.30pm, The Oatsheaf, 2 Crookham Road, Fleet, GU51 5DR FROME 7 Nov, 7.30pm, The Horse and Groom, East Woodlands, Nr Frome, BA11 5LY FYLDE BICYCLE BELLES 7 Nov, 7.30pm, 1 Mowbreck Court, Wesham, PR4 3AG FYLDE 19 October, 11am, Cobbled Corner Cafe, Chipping nr Preston, PR3 2QH GLASGOW 4 Nov, 7.30pm, Couper Institute, 84 Clarkston Road, G44 3DA GRAMPIAN 1 Nov, 6pm, SYHA, Aberdeen Youth Hostel, 8 Queens Road, Aberdeen HAVERING 26 Oct, 10am, Thames Chase Visitor Centre, Pike Lane, Upminster RM14 3NS HEART OF ENGLAND 20 Oct, 7.30pm, The Red Lion, 1672 High Street, Knowle, Solihull, B93 OLY HERTFORDSHIRE 9 Nov, 2pm, Colney Heath Village Hall, AL4 0PS HIGHLAND 1 Nov, 2pm, Spectrum Centre, Farraline Park (Bus Station), Inverness HORSHAM & CRAWLEY 22 Oct, 8pm, Dog and Bacon pub in Horsham HUDDERSFIELD & DISTRIT 26 Oct, 1pm, Meltham Methodist Church, Millmoor Rd, Meltham, HD9 5JD KETTERING 14 Oct, 8pm, Trivelo, 7 Lancaster Rd, Rothwell, Kettering, NN14 6DW KIDDERMINSTER 12 Nov, 8:pm, The Lock Inn, Wolverley, DY10 3RN LANCASTER & SOUTH LAKES 4 Nov, 7.30pm, Hala Centre, Scotforth, Lancaster LEDBURY 16 Oct, 7pm, Upper Hall, Worcester Rd, Ledbury HR8 1JA LEICESTERSHIRE & RUTLAND 16 Nov, 10.30am, Botcheston Village Hall LINCOLNSHIRE 12 Oct, 11am, Reepham/Cheery Willingham Vil. Hall, Hawthorn Rd, Lincoln, LN3 4DU LONDON (REGION) 29 Oct, 7pm, The Four Feathers Youth and Community Club, 12 Rossmore Rd, London, NW1 6NX LOTHIANS & BORDERS 6 Nov, 7.30pm, Eric Liddell Centre, 15 Morningside Rd, Edinburgh, EH10 4DP LOUGHBOROUGH 22 Oct, 8pm, Blacksmith Arms, 29 Meeting Street, Quorn, LE12 8EU MANCHESTER & DISTRICT 2 Nov, 3pm, Stalybridge Station Buffet Bar  MERSEYSIDE 12 Nov, 7.30pm, Pig and Whistle (private room), Covent Garden,  Liverpool MILTON KEYNES 6 Nov, 8.30pm, Ship Ashore, Milton Keynes, MK15 9JL NEW FOREST CYCLING WEEK 26 July, 7.30pm,

group riding CTC has scores of Member Groups across the UK, offering rides and events for all abilities. Every CTC member can ride with any Member Group, and non-members are welcome to try-out riding with a CTC group.

Avon Tyrell Manor, New Forest NORTH BIRMINGHAM 4 Nov, 8.15pm, The Cooper Hall, Main Street, Shenstone NORTH HAMPSHIRE 2 Nov, 10.30am. Upton Grey Village Hall, Upton Grey, Hampshire, RG25 2RA NORTH YORKSHIRE 2 Nov, 12 noon, Galtres Centre, Easingwold NORTHAMPTON 22 Oct, 7.45pm, Park Ave Methodist Church Rooms, Park Avenue North, Northampton, NN3 2HT  NORTHAMPTONSHIRE & MILTON KEYNES 2 Nov, 10.30am, A5 Rangers Clubroom, 101 Watling Street West, Towcester, NN12 6AG NORTHERN IRELAND 6 Nov, 7.30pm, St Nicholas Parish Church Halls, 2-4 Cadogan Park, Lisburn Road, Belfast NORWICH 19 Nov, 8pm, The Methodist Church Hall, Aylsham Rd, Norwich NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 2 Nov, 1.15pm, Lowdham WI Hall, Main St, Notts, NG14 7AB NUNEATON CYCLING CLUB 16 Oct, 7pm, Ambleside Club, Ambleside Way (off Higham Lane), Nuneaton, CV11 6AJ OLDHAM & TAMESIDE Contact secretary OXFORD CITY 25 Oct, 2pm, Kennington Church Hall, The Avenue, Kennington, OX1 5PL OXFORDSHIRE 8 Nov, 11am, Hinton Waldrist Village Hall, SN7 8RN OXFORDSHIRE MIDWEEK 15 Oct, 10.30am, Witney Rugby Club, Witney PEMBROKESHIRE FREEWHEELERS 22 Oct, 7.30pm, Plas Hyfryd Hotel, Narberth, Pembrokeshire PETERBOROUGH 15 Nov, 2.30pm, Orton Waterville Village Hall PHOENIX CYCLING 23 Oct, 7pm, The Cabin, Lisvane Old School, Cardiff, CF14 0SQ PORTSMOUTH 13 Nov, 7.45pm, Bedhampton Social Hall, Bedhampton Road, PO9 3ES READING 26 Oct, 2pm, Eye & Dunsden Village Hall, Dunsden Green, Oxfordshire REDDITCH & BROMSGROVE 4 Nov, 7.30pm, Webheath Village Hall, Heathfield Rd, Webheath, Redditch, B97 5SQ ROGATE DOWNHILL 12 Nov, 7.30pm, White Horse, Petersfield, GU32 1DA SCOTLAND 22 Nov, 11am, The Ukranian Club, Edinburgh SHEFFIELD & DISTRICT 23 Oct, 7.30pm, Fat Cat, 23 Alma St, Sheffield, S3 8SA SHROPSHIRE 2 Nov, 10.30am, Roddington Village Hall, Shropshire SOUTH BUCKS 2 Nov, 10.30am, Winchmore Hill Memorial Hall, HP7 0PN SOUTH BUCKS MIDWEEK 15 Oct, 1pm, Lee Common Scout Hut, Lee Clump Road, Lee Common, Gt Missenden, HP16 9NB   SOUTH BUCKS CHILTERN HILLS 16 Oct, 8pm, Little Kingshill Baptist Church Hall, Little Kingshill, Great Missenden, HP16 ODZ SOUTH HERTFORDSHIRE 27 Oct, 7.30pm, The Waterend Barn, St Peters St, St Albans, AL1 3LE SOUTH MANCHESTER 6 Nov, 7.30pm, Cheadle Village Hall (behind parish church), Stockport

SOUTH WEST LONDON 12 Nov, 10.30am, Hersham Amenity Room, Hersham, KT12 5AB SOUTHAMPTON & ROMSEY 5 Nov, 8pm, The Club House, Chilworth Community Centre, Chilworth Rd, Old Chilworth Village, SO16 7JP SOUTHEAST ESSEX 24 Oct, 8pm, St Laurence & All Saints Church Hall, Eastwoodbury Lane, Eastwood, SS2 6RH STEVENAGE & NORTH HERTS 30 Oct, 8pm, Springfield House Community Centre, 24 High Street, Old Town, Stevenage, SG1 3EJ STROUD VALLEYS CYCLING 4 Oct, 4pm, St Lawrence’s Church Hall, Stroud SUFFOLK 15 Nov, 7.30pm, Oddfellows Hall, 37 High Street, Ipswich SWALE 25 Oct, 1pm, Phoenix House Community Centre, Central Avenue, Sittingbourne, ME10 4BX SWANSEA & WEST WALES 3 Nov, 7.15pm, Swansea Yacht Club Clubhouse, E Burrows Rd, Swansea SA1 1RE SWINDON 25 Oct, 1:pm, Brown Jack, 1 Priors Hill, Wroughton, Swindon, SN4 0RT TAYSIDE 18 Oct, 12 noon, Balkeerie & Eassie Hall (east of Newtyle) TEESSIDE 15 Oct, 7.30pm, Middlesbrough Bowling Club, Cornfield Road, Linthorpe TIDWORTH Contact secretary TWO MILLS (WIRRAL) 21 Oct, 7.30pm, Memorial Hall on the Green, Willaston, CH64 2XR TYNESIDE & NORTHUMBERLAND 5 Nov, 7.30pm, Merton Hall, Merton Way, Ponteland, NE20 9PX UXBRIDGE LOITERERS Contact secretary WALSALL 23 Oct, 8.00 pm, The Lazy Hill, Walsall Wood Rd, Aldridge, Staffs WANTAGE 20 Oct, 7.45pm, Challow & Childrey Cricket Club, Vicarage Hill, East Challow, OX12 9RR WESSEX CYCLING 22 Oct, 7.30pm, Kinson Conservative Club, 1394-96 Wimborne Road, Kinson, Bournemouth, BH10 7AR WEST 2 Nov, 11am, Horton Village Hall, Horton Hill, Horton, BS37 6QN WEST DORSET 26 Oct, 10am, Borough Gardens House, Dorchester WEST KENT 2 Nov, 2pm, Otford Village Mem. Hall WEST MIDDLESEX 19 Oct, 8pm, 90 Hercies Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB10 9ND WEST NORFOLK 24 Oct, 7.30pm, East Winch Village Hall, Station Rd, East Winch, PE32 1NR WEST SURREY 15 Nov, 10am, Jack Phillips, High Street, Godalming WEST SUSSEX 9 Nov, 10.30am, Pulborough Village Hall, West Sussex WEST YORKSHIRE 2 Nov, 1.30pm, The Oddfellows Rooms, Unity House, Coleridge St, Halifax, HX1 2JF WINCHESTER 15 Oct, 7.30pm, The Baptist Hall, Swan Lane, Winchester, SO23 7AA WOMBOURNE 10 Oct, 8pm, The Institute, Church Road, Wombourne, WV5 9EZ WORCESTER & MALVERN 6 Nov, 7.30pm, The Talbot, Knightwick, WR6 5PH YORK 22 Oct, 8pm, Brigantes, 114 Micklegate, York, YO1 6JX YORK WEDNESDAY WHEELERS 15 Oct, 11am, Galtres Centre, Easingwold

how to get in touch with ctc

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Cheltenham Stephen Cook   t: 01452 700687 Cornwall Martyn Aldis   t: 01326 378305 Devon Roy Russell  t: 01392 664856 Exeter Roy Russell t: 01392 664856 Frome Perry Milkins   t: 0774 7607913 Stroud Valleys Helen Fenton   t: 01453 270772 Swindon Mike Blundell   t: 01793 703496 Wessex Cycling Mike Walsh   t: 01202 429985 West Jane Chapman t: 0117 9629766 West Dorset Angela Price   t: 01305 266648 West Midlands Coventry George Riches   t: 02476 452437 Dudley Ann Brown t: 01384 918528 Heart of England Dennis Snape   t: 07738 733007 Kidderminster Derek Skinner   t: 01299 896820 Ledbury & District David Fisher t: 01684 540981 North Birmingham Peter Farrell t: 0121 378 1361 Nuneaton Anne Taylor t: 02476 741276 Redditch & Bromsgrove Pat Bradshaw t: 01527 544450 Shropshire Julian Birch    t: 01743 358421 Walsall David Woodcock   t: 07866 028154 Wombourne David Goatman t: 01565 631020 Worcester & Malvern Nigel Greaves t: 01562 69913 Yorkshire & the Humber Calderdale Graham Joyce   t: 01422 885071 East Yorkshire Dudley Moore t: 01482 840168 Huddersfield & District   Ken Roberts t: 01484 604157 North Yorkshire Keith Benton   t: 01904 769378 Sheffield District Gareth Dent  t: 07792 899501 West Yorkshire Chris Crossland  t: 01422 832853 York Sally Raines t: 01904 328553 York Wednesday Wheelers Mike Lovett t: 01904 701398 non-geographic Phoenix Cycling Denise Thomas   t: 07974 770113 bike parks Aston Hill MTB Nick Larkin   t: 07891 065897 Rogate Downhill Matt Hoy   t: 07929 430972 Tidworth Freeride Phll Potts   t: 07733 307570 For online links to CTC member groups, visit ctc.org.uk/groups

complaints For a copy of CTC’s complaints procedure, please write to The Chief Executive, CTC, Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford, GU2 9JX. 78 cyc le octobe r /vovember 2 014

Right & below: Duncan Lomax, Ravage Productions

t r av e l l e r s ’ ta l e s

Fifty British riders joined the three-day event

The Tour of Menorca With Teesside clubmates Peter & Alec, Mike Newton rode a Spanish sportive

Roop with Christian Prudhomme (his right) and Gary Verity (his left)

Le Tour in Yorkshire Roop Singh savoured every moment when the Tour visited his home city of Leeds

s soon as it was announced that the Tour de France was coming here, I reached for my diary. Nothing was going to get in the way. The week leading up to the Grand Départ, I cycled around bits of the route. Everywhere had sprung to life with bunting and bicycles painted yellow. Late on the Thursday night, I decided to paint mine too. Next morning it looked a bit rough but it was dry, so I rode it into Leeds,

Roop painted his bike yellow for the Grand Départ

only to bump into the top brass of the Tour: Gary Verity and Christian Prudhomme. Gary pointed to me and said the spirit of the Tour was catching the imagination of the British people. On Saturday 5 July, I was in the centre of Leeds by 7am. The atmosphere was electric. As the racers made their way to the official start line at Harewood House, I took a shortcut to Harrogate. Other than the Cavendish fall, it was a brilliant day. I left Harrogate at 7pm having put in a full shift. On Sunday 6 July, I decided I would cycle to York for the start, catch the train to Sheffield to see the finish, then cycle back to Leeds. In Sheffield, I was told that the race would finish at Don Valley, north of the city. As I made my way to the finish line, I was on the route; although it was closed to vehicles, it was still open to pedestrians and cyclists. To my amazement, the lines of fans started cheering me up the hill. I felt as if I were in the race! At the top of the hill, I could see a long straight stretch in front of me. The crowd cheered as I pedalled full pelt past them. I had just lived my dream. Then I waited for the race, seeing the lads fly past me on the final 100m stretch. I was one happy bunny. The ride home was bliss.

For the last few years, Peter had been keen to take part in the Vuelta a Menorca, a three-day sportive on the island that runs in late October. In 2013, Alec and I agreed to go with him. We were part of a 50-strong British contingent; the rest of the riders were Spanish. It didn’t cost a great deal, only about £240 each. The flight was £70, three nights’ hostel accommodation was £72, bike hire was £52, and it was £47 to enter the event. We cycled in a peloton at an average speed of 16mph for 15 miles on day one, 70 miles on day two, and 35 miles on day three. It was like being part of the peloton in the Tour de France. Peter and I even had to steer between a couple of bikes when two cyclists touched wheels and fell over. The terrain was flat or undulating, with only two proper hills: S’Enclusa on day two, a climb that took us to 275m; and Monte Toro on day three, which topped out at 358m. The temperature on the three days was between 18 to 25 degrees, so we escaped the cold British weather. The organisation was excellent. The reception on day three was remarkable, with delicious food and plenty of wine. Everyone was presented with a certificate on stage. Organisers Arturo were pleased to have so many British cyclists and hope to get more in 2014. It runs from 17-19 October; see menorcacicloturista.com for details. My ride video is on YouTube – search for ‘gasbagsmike’ and ‘menorca’.

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A cycling staycation David Hubbard convinced his family to swap a holiday in Greece for a UK cycle tour

Careful luggage distribution overcame family objections

Crisp starts don’t diminish the best autumn days

Autumn sunshine Susan Cronshaw cycled through Hardy Country on the last warm day of the year

etting off on a crisp October morning, I cycled past West Bay’s golden cliffs and unpretentious harbour, on the B-road to the thatched village of Burton Bradstock. After that I took quiet lanes, mostly following NCN 2, which links Dover to St Austell. I rode through a gentle landscape of small dairy farms with crows flying low over fields of golden stubble. Colourful hedgerows dripped with blackberries and rosehips. The climb out of Little Bredy was a gut-wrencher but I was well rewarded with a view looking back down the coast as far as the white chalk cliffs at Beer in Dorset’s neighbouring county of Devon. The climb continued towards my goal, the Hardy Monument. Not the literary Hardy, but Vice-Admiral Hardy, Captain of HMS Victory. Views from the monument extended down to the Fleet and Chesil Beach, and towards the Isle of Portland. A blast of a run downhill to Winterbourne Abbas and a brief foray onto the busy A35 were followed by a beautiful 10 mile stretch on the route of a Roman road, high along a ridge, back towards Bridport. With glorious views into the far distance, buzzards circling, and an almost total absence of buildings

or traffic, the landscape had a truly remote quality. The next signpost stipulated that the road ahead was unfit for HGVs. With grass growing down its centre, I could see why. It skirted around the top of Eggardon Hill, then hurtled down steep and narrow winding lanes into pretty Powerstock. The descent continued through dark tunnels of trees and leaf-covered mud-spattered lanes, into Loders and thence into bustling Bridport, where I took the former railway line back to West Bay. I had cycled in sunshine all day, in shorts and T-shirt, in mid-October. I could not believe my luck.

On the ridge top, heading for Bridport

How I would I prevent a mutiny when I suggested cycling around southern England instead of our traditional holiday in Greece? Maybe if I promised my wife and son they would not have to carry anything? Maybe if I didn’t mention distances? They agreed! I’d bought a tandem two months earlier. For our luggage, I invested in an Extrawheel trailer. My daughter really enjoyed being on the tandem, and the trailer carried all the weight easily. It was great fun. Everyone was remarkably cheerful and up for it. We have all cycled quite a bit but never all together for several days on end. We did lots of miles, despite the fact my wife gently said that three hours a day would be quite enough. We covered over 300 miles in total. The longest day was 92 miles. We live in Guildford and cycled to Salisbury via lovely quiet lanes in Hampshire, then headed across Wiltshire to Bath using NCN 24. The ride through Longleat was the highlight. Our route out of Bath was hard but very quiet as we went northeast through the Cotswolds. We stayed over in Gloucester, and then headed east to stay with friends in Witney, dodging heavy downpours. The route home took in some lovely scenery across the Ridgeway. We followed NCN 5, and then NCN 23 from Reading to Guildford. Well done, family: you did great! Maybe we will do it again some day.

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