cycle THE MAGAZINE OF CYCLING UK
BELFAST BY BIKE URBAN TOURING ON THE MARITIME HERITAGE TRAIL Page 44
On test
OXFORD BIKE WORKS 1E WAHOO ELEMNT ROAM BROOKS SEATPACK FLOOR PUMPS & MORE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021
SMALL WANDERS Bikepacking mini-breaks with young children
FOLDING BIKES
£200 B’Twin & 24in-wheel Tern
EAST TO WEST
Lowestoft to Land’s End off-road
P lu s RIDING THE LINCOLNSHIRE WOLDS CYCLING UK SUMMER RAFFLE WHAT TO DO AFTER A CRASH AND MUCH MORE
MEMBERSHIP FROM JUST £3.88 A MONTH!*
CONTENTS Features 34 East to west Rough-stuff touring from Lowestoft to Land’s End
Welcome
38 Small wanders Bikepacking mini-breaks with a toddler
47 Warming to cycling Why active travel is moving up the political agenda
50 Flat out
38
Escaping the crowds on the quiet lanes of Lincolnshire
Products 20 Shop Window Previews of new products
22 Gear up Components, accessories, and books
60 Folding bikes B’Twin Oxylane 100 & Tern Node D8
34
Flat-bar commu-tourer with a handbuilt UK frame
Regulars 04 Freewheeling Bits and pieces from the bike world
07 This is Cycling UK
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Cycle Editor
Cycling UK’s revised strategy, CTC Holidays & Tours ceases trading, West Kernow Way update, road justice, and more
18 You are Cycling UK Three-year-old Daisy Adams
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Coronavirus
DAN JOYCE
66 Oxford Bike Works Model 1E
For updated advice regarding the Covid-19 outbreak, visit: cyclinguk.org/ coronavirus
31 Letters Your feedback on Cycle and cycling
On the cover Riding past the Titanic Museum on Belfast’s new Maritime Heritage Trail. By Michael Taylor
44 Weekender Belfast by bike: the Maritime Heritage Trail
55 Cyclopedia Questions answered, topics explained
73 Travellers’ Tales Cycling UK members’ ride reports
CYCLING UK: Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford, GU2 9JX E: cycling@cyclinguk.org W: cyclinguk.org T: 01483 238300. Cycle promotes the work of Cycling UK. Cycle’s circulation is approx. 51,000. Cycling UK is one of the UK’s largest cycling membership organisations, with approx. 70,500 members and affiliates Patron: Her Majesty the Queen President: Jon Snow Chief Executive: Sarah Mitchell. Cyclists’ Touring Club, 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. CYCLE MAGAZINE: Editor: Dan Joyce E: editor@cyclinguk.org Head of Design: Simon Goddard Advertising: Harvey Falshaw T: 020 3198 3092 E: harvey.falshaw@jamespembrokemedia.co.uk Publisher: James Houston. Cycle is published six times per year on behalf of Cycling UK by James Pembroke Media, 90 Walcot Street, Bath, BA1 5BG. T: 01225 337777. Cycle is copyright Cycling UK, James Pembroke Media, and individual contributors. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission from Cycling UK and James Pembroke Media 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 Cycling UK. Advertising bookings are subject to availability, the terms and conditions of James Pembroke Media, and final approval by Cycling UK. Printed by: William Gibbons & Sons Ltd, 26 Planetary Road, Willenhall, West Midlands, WV13 3XB T: 01902 730011 F: 01902 865835 Founded in 1878
Top to bottom: Ed Shoote, Jon Shaw, Michael Taylor, Dan Joyce
Last August the talk was of ‘air bridges’, which turned out to be pie (as opposed to planes) in the sky. This year it’s traffic lights, a form of transport restriction that everyone understands and respects. Ahem. Red is clear enough: stop (at home). Green is also straightforward: go on if the way is clear (which rules out, say, the Falklands because the way to reach them isn’t). Amber, as ever, is trickier. It seems to mean: you can go but it’s your fault and not your Government’s if things go wrong. Or perhaps people will interpret it like they do on the highway: speed up to nip through ‘just in time’. It’s difficult to predict what will happen regarding foreign travel and everyday freedoms between Cycle going to press and dropping on your doormat. But it’s fair to say that foreign touring this summer will be at best a gamble. The safer option for August will again be a cycling staycation. That doesn’t rule out adventures. You can have those close to home, even when taking a toddler (see page 38). It doesn’t rule out long rides: end-toends, coast-to-coasts, and point-topoints like ‘furthest east to furthest west’ (p34) are still on the cards. And it doesn’t necessarily mean mixing with the staycation crowds. Pick your destination carefully (p50) and you might have the roads and trails to yourself. With a bit of luck, the sun will shine too. Fingers crossed.
this is 364,000
people persuaded to become regular cyclists by Cycling UK’s projects
BAME communities and women ride much less than white men
Strategy
LET’S GET MILLIONS CYCLING Cycling UK’s strategy is being updated. Chair Janet Atherton OBE explains what’s changing and why
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he last year and a half has seen huge changes in society and in the cycling landscape. Cycling UK’s current strategy, which runs until 2023, is being refreshed as a result. The ‘what’ – the core goal – remains the same: to get millions more cycling. As to why: cycling is even more relevant in a post-pandemic world. In terms of how we deliver the strategy, it will become more focussed as we build on the successes of our campaigning and behaviour change programmes.
The what Imagine a country where cycling is a safe and popular mode of transport, where air pollution is no longer poisoning our children, obesity has been eliminated, and traffic congestion is gone. This is Cycling UK’s vision. We believe that millions more people could cycle, transforming their lives and communities. Right now cycling levels remain low. Only 2% of trips are by cycle, only 12% of women cycle regularly, and only 2% of
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children ride to school. And people from a BAME background or with disabilities are far less likely to cycle. Cycling UK is working to change this.
The why The pandemic has shown how important cycling is for transport and health. Cycling levels soared in the first lockdown. Thanks to our campaigning, governments invested in temporary cycling and walking infrastructure. Going forward, all the home nations have committed to provide significant funds for cycling infrastructure and initiatives.
The how Since the strategy launch in 2018, Cycling UK staff and volunteers, with the support of our members, have shown what we can achieve to enable cycling for all. We’ve created 364,000 more regular cyclists through programmes like the Big Bike Revival, where we responded to travel restrictions by helping frontline workers cycle, and spotlighted new audiences through the Women’s Festival of Cycling. We’ve increased income through corporate sponsorship and grants, and by attracting generous donations and legacies, and we continue to secure government commitments to invest in cycling. We now want to reach out beyond the usual cycling communities to further diversity in cycling. (Read more about our activities in our annual report and strategy refresh document: cyclinguk.org/strategy.) We’ve increased membership to over 70,000 and continue to improve benefits, including a new cycle insurance offer. We’re working on a digital transformation project to better enable us to send you the content you most want to see.
programmes to make cycling more accessible for individuals and communities who don’t often ride. And we’ll push for investment for this from local authorities and governments. We’ll speak for all who cycle. We’ll continue to campaign locally and nationally on issues that impact all existing and potential cyclists. We’ll stand up for cycling when it’s given a bad press. We’ll strengthen our organisation. In a volatile charitable funding landscape, we’ll work to secure stable income to deliver our mission. We’ll invest significantly in modern IT systems to enable our staff and volunteers to work more efficiently. Using new digital tools, we’ll respond better to the needs of our members and beneficiaries. We’ll build sustainable membership. Membership is at our heart. The refreshed strategy aims to capitalise on the increase in people cycling, involving them in our campaigns and welcoming them into our membership. We also want to improve your membership experience by providing more of the tailored content and activities that are relevant to you.
Why it’s important to me and you I started cycling relatively late in life, supported by the Wirral Bicycle Belles cycling group. Cycling UK has a unique membership of new and experienced cyclists. I’ve seen how effective that membership can be, whether that’s getting someone like me riding again or adding your name to the thousands who take part in our campaigns. Your membership makes a difference to every new cyclist and helps us force the hand of government. That’s why our refreshed strategy is so important.
What’s new? Our refreshed strategy will focus on four priorities. We’ll enable cycling for all. We’ll expand our
Janet’s journey began with a Cycling UK group
you are
Inspiring cyclists
DAISY ADAMS Three-year-old Daisy is a pocket-sized Danny MacAskill, regularly showcasing her skills on social media. Christina Bengston spoke to her mum, Helen
P
int-sized cyclist Daisy Adams is the youngest person ever to be included on our 100 Women in Cycling list. At just 3 years and 11 months old, Daisy rides her bike every day – carving up mountain bike trails, competing in races, or inspiring her many fans on social media with her bike skills and tricks. “If Daisy encourages other families to go out and have little adventures with their kids, then that’s great” said Daisy’s mum Helen. Daisy began her cycling journey at only seven months old when she pushed herself along on her four-wheeled toddler bike before she had even started walking. By the time she turned two, Daisy was already making national headlines after cycling 45 miles in just nine days for the charity Sands in memory of her older sister Lily, who died 45 minutes after being born. Then in March this year she appeared on BBC Breakfast after cycling 47 miles in seven hours. When asked what she wanted to do when she grows up, she happily exclaimed: “I want to go do the Tour de France!” Due to Daisy’s internet popularity, Helen frequently fields questions from other parents asking for advice and recommendations about children’s cycling. “We get a lot of messages with people saying, ‘My daughter loves Daisy’s videos and it’s made her want to go out and do stuff on her bike.’ These are the nicest messages,” said Helen. “It’s so great to be talking about a positive cycling story. Cycling gets such a bad rap for so many ridiculous reasons and yet there’s so much positivity there. It’s such a great thing for kids to be out and having that freedom. It’s nice to be having a positive impact on something.” In addition to cycling, Daisy also has a passion for ballet. She recently showcased both in a bike dance video in which she gracefully glides around Bristol’s Millennium Square doing tricks on her BMX wearing a pink tutu. Daisy can often be seen in her videos wearing dresses as she rides, partly because of being misgendered when she’s speeding down mountain bike tracks wearing her full-face helmet. Onlookers frequently assume she must be a boy.
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Top: Daisy enjoys trail centres and has done some DH racing Below: Combining her passion for ballet with her BMX
100 Women
“Just because she rides really well and on a mountain bike,” said Helen, “people make that assumption. It happened to her one day six times and she looked so upset. I shouldn’t have to explain to a three-year-old why people are making this mistake. Little girls ride too.” This is why the 100 Women in Cycling list is so important: we have to show the next generation that cycling is for them. Like Daisy, every woman and girl on the 100 Women list has been an inspiration to others, giving them the support and confidence to give cycling a go. And as Daisy continues to smash her personal cycling goals, she’s also shattering the misconceptions of what women cyclists can do. Cycling UK can’t wait to see what Daisy does next. We all look forward to cheering her on at the Tour de France in a few years! Follow Daisy on Instagram: @pint_size_cyclist
More Info Find out who has been featured in this year’s 100 Women in Cycling. c yclinguk.org/womensfestival/ 100women/2021
For the last five years, the 100 Women in Cycling list has given us the opportunity to shine a light on cycling heroines. All the women on the list in 2021 have been nominated by Cycling UK members and supporters. Women from every corner of the cycling world have been included, from mountain bikers and endurance cyclists to community group leaders, cycle instructors and entrepreneurs.
Details Where: Across England Start/finish: Lowestoft to Land’s End Distance: 585 miles Photos: Jon Shaw
Top: Jurassic Coast Bottom: Meadow near Hindon looking towards Great Ridge Wood
E A ST TO W EST
G R E AT R I D E S
JON SHAW Jon has been exploring by bike since he was a teenager. His future plans include the Dorset Dirt Dash and Land’s End to John o’ Groats
Great Rides
EAST TO WEST In the summer of 2019, Jon Shaw cycled largely off-road from Lowestoft to Land’s End with his teenage son and daughter
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he mountain biker who emerged from a gorse thicket on Cornwall’s Mulfra Hill looked sceptically at our bikes: a hybrid, a gravel bike, and an old 29er hardtail. “It’s a bit technical,” he said. I assured him we didn’t mind walking and thanked him, relieved that we could carry on across the moor. I hadn’t been able to find on the ground the track I could see on my phone and OS map. It was the end of a long day, the end of a two-week bike trek, and the teens were hangry. Up to that point we’d not fallen off once on our substantially off-road ride across England from Lowestoft to Land’s End. With 20 miles to go, that all changed! Fortunately we were cushioned by gorse… We made it to Land’s End youth hostel in time for dinner.
COAST AND CAPITAL When the kids were younger, we’d enjoyed a couple of cycle-camping trips with Cycling UK (then CTC). Since then I hadn’t manage to persuade them to cycle any further than school, apart from a weekend ride across Suffolk’s sandy heaths. But as neither had any plans for the summer, I shared my dream of a furthest-east to furthest-west coast-to-coast, as much of it as possible off-road. They bought into it. Not long after my son had finished his GCSEs and my daughter was back from her first year at uni, we were on our way… A biting wind whipping across the North
Wiltshire passed beneath our wheels, while buzzards circled on thermals in the sky
Sea accompanied us at the start from Lowestoft’s Ness Point. As it wasn’t a headwind and wasn’t raining, we counted our blessings and set off towards Southwold. From there we followed the rideable parts of the Sandlings Way. Away from the coast, the sun warmed us. Yet by Woodbridge we were tired and the teens were wondering if they’d bitten off more than they could chew. Pep-talk time. I explained that, unlike me – a 50-something office worker who had been training for this – they, being young, would soon grow strong as they put the miles behind them. This was partly why we started in the east. It gave us a chance to develop our cycling legs before the hilly challenges of the Ridgeway, Devon and Cornwall. The following days took us through Braintree on minor roads before the next off-road leg along the Flitch Way. In Essex we passed cricketers in white flannels on the greens, then headed into London along the tranquil Lee Valley. It slowly changed from verdant through industrial to the steel and glass of Canary Wharf. London on a bike isn’t a typical holiday-fun recipe, but there’s lots to see and plenty of cycle routes. We followed the Grand Union Canal to Windsor, where we caught the glorious pomp of a military band marching to Windsor Castle.
IRON AGE ENGLAND The long climb out of Streatley onto the chalk of the Ridgeway was our first proper hill.
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Feature
SMALL WANDERS
OVERNIGHT LOCAL ADVENTURES ARE AN IDEAL ESCAPE RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY WITH A TODDLER IN TOW. ED SHOOTE ADVISES ON BIKEPACKING MINI-BREAKS
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ED SHOOTE Adventure traveller
Photography: Ed Shoote
Ed and wife Marion have previously cycled the Pamir Highway. Their website is welovemountains.net
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CYCLOPEDIA
w o h w o Kn Making sense of commonly misunderstood subjects
NATASHA CHALK Solicitor (Foreign Qualified) for Slater and Gordon, who represent Cycling UK members
Collisions
What should I do after a crash with another road user?
Road defects
I
f you are involved in a collision with another road user and suffer personal injury or damage your bicycle, there are some important points to remember.
CHECK FOR INJURIES Don’t just get back on your bike and ride away. You could be disorientated, concussed, or more badly hurt than you realise. Check yourself and others involved for injuries and, if able, move out of the way of traffic. If anyone has suffered severe injuries, call 999. Seek medical advice even for minor injuries: visit your GP or local A&E for advice and to evidence your injury.
ASSESS DAMAGE If you can, take photos of the damage to your bicycle and any other damaged items. Keep hold of any damaged items so that they are available for inspection. Keep a list of all damaged items and out-of-pocket expenses as these can form part of your claim.
IDENTIFY WHO CAUSED THE INCIDENT Collect the names, addresses and insurance details of anyone involved in the incident. If relevant, make a note of the registration details as well as the vehicle's colour or model. Avoid admitting fault, verbally or otherwise. Try to stay calm and avoid becoming angry or aggressive. Don't leave the scene before the
Car-dooring isn't an accident – it's an offence
incident has been reported (if necessary) and all relevant steps have been taken. If the police attend, take details of the investigating officer and the police reference number.
WITNESSES Get names, addresses and phone numbers of any witnesses to the incident as soon as possible. Witnesses may be required to provide evidence in any potential claim for damages, especially where there are conflicting accounts.
PHOTOGRAPHS AND VIDEOS Take note of the scene of the incident including date, time, and weather conditions. If possible, take photos of the vehicles in position. Try to reference the location by road signs or other fixed landmarks. If you have an on-bike camera or the vehicles involved have dash cams, try to get details so that the footage can be traced.
CONTACT THE CYCLING UK INCIDENT LINE Call the Cycling UK Incident Line (cyclinguk. org/incidentline) on 0330 107 1789 for assistance in making a claim for your injuries or damage to your bicycle.
It’s not just other road users: potholes or other road defects can also cause crashes. Hitting a pothole on a badly maintained road can damage your bicycle and possibly cause you injury as a result. In such a case, your local council may be liable to pay you compensation. In addition to the main points (left), if you are knocked off your bicycle by a pothole or other road defect, take photos with another item in shot to help illustrate the size of pothole or defect (a tin of beans or a water bottle, perhaps). Accurate measurements can be extremely helpful too. And don't forget to log road defects at fillthathole.org.uk
Key points to remember Are you insured?
Top: Julie Skelton
It's easy to overlook these in the heat of the moment.
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If anyone has suffered serious injuries, call 999
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Exchange details with the other party
Take contact details of any witnesses
Take photos
Contact the Cycling UK Incident Line
Cycling UK membership gives you £10million thirdparty liability cover, plus legal assistance. For more types of insurance, visit cyclinguk.org/ insurance
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CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION *See www.cyclinguk.org/join for more information and for terms and conditions.
Biketest
Less famous folders The Brompton is iconic but far from the only folding bike option. Dan Joyce tests a £200 B’Twin Oxylane 100 and a big-wheeled Tern Node D8
A DAN JOYCE Cycle editor Dan has owned a Brompton for 20 years but still wishes it handled better
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s brilliant as the Brompton is at folding compactly and travelling fuss free on public transport, it’s not the best folder for every cyclist. Not everyone can afford a fourfigure price tag – or justify it if the bike might be used infrequently. Not everyone wants the cycling experience you get on 16-inch wheels, nor needs such diminutive folded dimensions. The two folders here are different from the Brompton in different ways. Decathlon’s B’Twin Oxylane 100, formerly known as the Tilt 100, costs a mere £199.99. (Last year it was £149.99!) Cheap folders have a poor reputation. They are typically heavy, handle poorly, and have flexible hinges. Yet Decathlon has good form when it comes to offering decent bikes at bargain prices. The Tern Node D8, which I recommended in the Cycle Shopper feature last issue, is defined by its 24-inch wheels. It’s essentially a conventional city bike that happens to fold down for storage. At £900 (up from £850 earlier this year), it’s clearly not a direct competitor to the budget B’Twin.
Frame & folding: B’Twin Like many budget bikes, the B’Twin has a high-tensile steel frame and fork. Hi-ten is strong and heavy. Despite being a spartan singlespeed, the Oxylane 100 tips the scales at 13.4kg. It shares its frame with the Oxylane 120 (£249.99), which has 6-speed derailleur gearing, mudguards, and a kickstand, so there are fittings for those things on this model too, as well as rear rack mounts. The frame simply folds in half. With the stem folded and the seatpost lowered, this results in a train-friendly package measuring 76×67×41cm. The short folded length is due to the fact that it’s a short bike to begin with: the wheelbase is only 92cm. (A Brompton, which folds into thirds, has a 104cm wheelbase.) Folding took me 20-30 seconds. The pedals don’t fold. The frame hinge has a neat security feature. Its QR lever is attached to a cylinder, which is held down into a hole in the frame joint by spring pressure. To open the hinge, you have to undo the QR lever and (still holding it), turn it 90 degrees and lift the cylinder upwards to disengage it from the frame. When you’re unfolding the bike, this cylinder pops back into place automatically. When it is unfolded and ready to ride, the B’Twin is a very short, upright bike. The stem is really tall and the effective seat tube angle is slacker than it looks because the seat tube is behind the bottom bracket.
FOLDERS
BIKE TEST
First look
Minimalist steel folder that works okay for short hops between train stations and the home or office
Tech Spec
B’TWIN OXYLANE 100 Your weight is very much over the back wheel.
to prevent them coming undone by accident. Start by dropping the seat down Frame & folding: Tern (or you can do this later). The Node D8 has a beefy Then fold the frame in half; aluminium frame and a the fork and chainstay have hi-ten steel fork. Like most magnets at the dropouts of Tern’s folders, it ‘N-folds’. to hold the folded frame The frame folds back on together. Drop the handlebar itself so the front wheel down and (optionally) fasten ends up pointing forward, it to the frame with the making the folded package rubber strap on the main slightly shorter. It’s still large frame tube. Fold the pedals. (89×78×43cm) because the Use the adjustable stem to Node D8 is a long wheelbase orient the handlebar flush Top: The frame hinge won't open unless you undo the bike with big wheels. with the frame. It took me QR lever and lift the cylinder A few years ago those about 30 seconds. upwards against spring tension 24-inch wheels would have Like the B’Twin, the folded Bottom: The stem hinge simply clamps closed. Make disqualified the Node as Tern can be rolled around sure you do this one up luggage on UK trains. As on its wheels if you extend properly before setting off! well as being ‘fully folding’, the seatpost. But roll it bikes had to have ‘wheels carefully as those magnets 20in or smaller’. This requirement has can sometimes unfasten. been quietly dropped. Neither wheel When unfolded, the Tern’s seatpost has size nor maximum dimensions are listed height markings to make it easy to position in National Rail's Conditions of Travel, the saddle. There’s enough post for riders which only say that folders must be ‘fully up to around 195cm tall. As with the folding’ (and, like any luggage, not cause B’Twin, there’s nothing to stop a thief from obstruction, delay, or danger). I checked pulling the post right out, so be careful this point with the Rail Delivery Group, where you park. who confirmed it. Components Folding is straightforward as long The B’Twin’s singlespeed drivetrain has as you remember that the front wheel a twiddly 48in gear. That’s okay for short has to point forward. Both hinges have hops of two or three miles but frustrating user-friendly levers with sprung catches
non-folding plastic pedals, 165mm steel chainset with 44t chainring and chainguard, square tape bottom bracket, KMC 1/8in singlespeed chain, 18t freewheel. One ratio, 48in. Braking: Alhonga steel V-brakes with plastic levers. Steering & seating: Rubber grips, 580x25.4mm steel low-riser handlebar, folding non-adjustable aluminium stem, threaded headset. Foam saddle, 565×31.6mm steel seatpost, QR seat clamp. Equipment: front and rear strap-on LED lights, bell. decathlon.co.uk
Price: £199.99 Sizes: one size Weight: 13.4kg (as shown) Folded size: 78×66×41cm (claimed), 76×67×41cm (measured) Frame & fork: Hinged hi-ten steel frame with fittings for rear rack, mudguard, bottom bracket ‘stand’, and rear derailleur. Hiten steel fork with mudguard fittings. Wheels: 44-406 B’Twin tyres, 406×21 single wall aluminium rims, 28×3 spokes, 76mm solidaxle front hub, 130mm solid-axle singlespeed rear hub. Transmission:
Dimensions in millimetres and degrees
550 515 71˚
530 45
23
130
385
540 74.5˚
61
270
500
165 280
406
920
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GROUPTEST
FLO O R PU M P S
Details
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
1
Gauge
Analogue or digital, the gauge needs to be easily readable while you’re using the pump. What pressure measurements does it display: PSI, BAR, or kPa? Does the gauge have a way of marking target tyre pressures?
Grouptest
2
Floor pumps
Pressure/ volume
Like hand pumps, smaller diameter plungers are better for higher pressures and lower volumes (e.g. road bike tyres), while larger diameter
A floor pump takes the effort out of inflating tyres, getting them up to pressure in less time. Vicky Balfour tests four
VICKY BALFOUR Bike mechanic Vicky is a bike mechanic and the founder of Vicky Bikes, a platform that empowers everyone to find pockets of adventure through a love of cycling.
Cycle’s test promise At Cycle, we are proudly independent. There’s no pressure to please advertisers as we’re funded by your membership. Our product reviews aren’t press releases; they’re written by experienced cyclists after thorough testing.
3
Pump head
Many floor pumps have a dual or adaptable head so that they’ll fit to both Presta and Schrader valves but some will only do one or the other. What valves do your bikes have? (A Presta pump head also works on a Woods valve.)
4
A
floor pump is one of the most useful additions to any cyclist’s home workshop. Whether inflating mountain bike tyres with a huge air volume or putting high pressures into narrow road tyres, a floor pump will save you time, effort, and frustration compared to a small hand pump. Pumping isn’t just easier, it’s more accurate because a floor pump’s pressure gauge takes the guesswork out of making tyres firm or supple enough. Most floor pumps are track pumps, with a T-shaped handle for the hands, a vertical barrel, and a hose that connects to the tyre valve. Foot pumps are also an option, however, and we’ve included one in this test.
plungers are better for lower pressures and higher volumes (e.g. mountain bike tyres). Check the pump’s pressure range matches your requirements.
Stability
The stability of a pump affects its ease of use, especially if you are using it to inflate to a high pressure or using a large volume one to seat a tubeless tyre. Look out for big or weighted foot plates – or a stable base on foot pumps.
2 5
3
5
1
4
Hose
Too short and it can be hard to inflate tyres if the bike is on a bike stand, too long and the hose can get in the way when being stored. Check out the length and how the pump is designed to store the hose when not in use.
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TRAVELLERS’ TALES
Ten-year-old Luke and mum Kerrin rode 144 miles
Southern England
Cycling to the sea Framlingham Castle in Suffolk is set in extensive parkland
East Anglia
Staycation success With last summer’s plans in disarray, Lesley and Alan Baillie toured East Anglia instead
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very year we enjoy a cycle touring holiday in Europe or the UK. In 2020, we’d planned three weeks in Scotland and Northern Ireland in June. With lockdown still in place in May and accommodation closed, we realised this couldn’t happen and cancelled the trip. We discussed cycling the French Atlantic coast in September but, by August, France didn’t seem feasible either. We then decided to plan a trip most likely to actually happen: a tour in England that we could start from home. We chose East Anglia and ordered Sustrans maps so we could follow National Cycle Network (NCN) routes. Our tour took us through Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Suffolk, and then up around the Suffolk and Norfolk Sun, sea, and sand remained on the agenda
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coastline. We cycled back through the Fens, with a memorable night in the beautiful cathedral city of Ely. It was a fantastic trip, helped by an Indian summer, and brought us great memories to sustain us through the winter. We set off in early September from our home in Aylesbury. Highlights en route included the beautiful Anglesey Abbey gardens near Cambridge, Wicken Fen Nature Reserve, Bury St Edmunds Abbey, and Framlingham Castle. There were unexpected treats too: medieval stone bridges in Cambridgeshire; cycling through Minsmere to the historic port of Dunwich; coffee by Horsey windmill in the Norfolk Broads; lunch at Norfolk Lavender; and walks across the beautiful beaches on this lovely coastline. The NCN routes took mainly quiet lanes through pretty countryside and villages, interspersed with stretches of traffic-free routes alongside waterways and through country parks. Most impressive was the 14-mile St Ives to Cambridge Busway route, where we cycled on an excellent tarmac path alongside open countryside. We’re now excitedly planning our 2021 UK cycling tours, using NCN routes once again.
facebook.com/CyclingUK
AU G U ST/ SE PTEMBER 2021
Twitter @wearecyclinguk
Luke Cocks and his mum, Kerrin, rode from Stroud to Southampton I LOVE CYCLING and wanted to do something challenging so my mum said to plan a three-day cycling trip. I wanted to cycle to the coast and chose Southampton. We had never cycled that sort of distance before, but I ride my bike to school every day and we did a few hilly rides beforehand. I planned the entire 144-mile trip, sticking to the National Cycle Network. I then found places for us to stay in Swindon, Amesbury, and Southampton. The January lockdown messed up all my plans, so we had to wait until April for restrictions to ease. We bought waterproof covers for our backpacks, a handlebar bag, and cycling shorts. We were really lucky with the weather: although it was cold in the mornings it didn’t rain. Before we left, I worried that the lockdown would come back, my mum worried that one of the bikes would break, and my little sister worried that we’d crash. As it turned out, we only crashed once – into each other – in Cirencester! It was an amazing three days spent outdoors, seeing the spring countryside with lots of fields of baby lambs and rape in full bloom. We also watched a military convoy cross Salisbury Plain. We ate lunch in fields and fuelled on fruit pastels and chocolate. Next time we need a handlebar holder for the phone so that we don’t get lost. Also, backpacks aren’t very comfortable. I’m now planning a cycling trip across Wales for us.
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