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On test
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ESCAPISM THE SOLACE OF SOLO CYCLING Page 34
WHEELS UP
Liverpool lads who pull wheelies, not knives
SMALL WONDERS
Adventure bikes for shorter women
THE RIGHT BICYCLE
Building up the bike that suits you best
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CONTENTS 34
Features 04 Help in the crisis What Covid-19 means for Cycling UK
Welcome
34 Escapism The solace of solo cycling in lockdown
One silver lining in the grim cloud that is Covid-19 is the number of people who have rediscovered cycling. Reduced traffic levels have made the roads less intimidating. And cycling has been Government endorsed as daily exercise. New and returnee cyclists – families, furloughed employees, teenagers, older people – have taken to the local lanes. Some are on shop-fresh bikes, others on older machines pressed into service after years of neglect; I came across two cyclists with broken chains in the same week. (I fixed them.) It’s been a strange time to be a cyclist. On the one hand, social rides have been suspended. On the other hand, solo rides have been like trips back in time. We’ve been able to enjoy cycling on once-busy A-roads. Exhaust fumes have been replaced by the scents of spring growth. Traffic’s pervasive drone is largely gone. In its place: birdsong. Let’s not kid ourselves that this is a cycling utopia. The pandemic has had a devastating impact on the health, lives, and finances of people across the world. Yet the lockdown has offered proof of what cycle campaigners have long argued: more people will get on bikes when they feel it’s safe to do so; and life outdoors is so much better with fewer cars on the roads. Is it too much to hope that, at the end of all these rainbows, there’s a golden future for cycling?
38 The right bike Building up the bike that suits you best
49 Wheels up How bikes are changing lives in Liverpool
52 Destination Kilimanjaro
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Products 20 Shop Window Previews of new products
22 Gear up Components, accessories, and books
60 Small gravel bikes
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Cycle Editor
66 Adventure Flat White 69 Gravel tyres Four ‘go anywhere’ tyres on test
Regulars 07 This is Cycling UK Free membership for NHS and care workers; Big Bike Revival for keyworkers; 100 Women in Cycling; and much more
31 Letters Your feedback on Cycle and cycling
On the cover On the Great North Trail in the Pentland Hills. By Joolze Dymond
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46 Weekender Family cycling in the New Forest
56 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. 68,000 members and affiliates Patron: Her Majesty the Queen President: Jon Snow Interim Chief Executive: Pete Fitzboydon. 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: cycle@jamespembrokemedia.co.uk Head of Design: Simon Goddard Designer: Katrina Ravn 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: Seb Rogers; Blaen Roberts; Roger Harbord; Ben Searle
DAN JOYCE
Surly and Kona’s 650B bikes for five-footers
An entry-level touring bike for £440
Coronavirus For updated advice regarding the Covid-19 outbreak, visit: cyclinguk.org/ coronavirus
Cycling to Africa’s tallest mountain
We are
Coronavirus
HELP IN THE CRISIS
For advice on cycling during the Covid-19 outbreak, visit: cyclinguk.org/ coronavirus
Pete Fitzboydon, the Interim Chief Executive of Cycling UK, explains the impact of Covid-19 on the organisation and why we need your support more than ever
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e are living in extraordinary times. The coronavirus crisis has impacted on all our lives in a way none of us could have predicted even a few months ago. At least we’re still able to cycle, bike shops have been exempted from closure, and we’re seeing an unprecedented increase in the number of people cycling as part of their daily exercise or for vital travel. On top of that, the Government announced £250m for temporary cycling infrastructure and a £2bn package of measures to encourage greater levels of cycling in England as the workforce is encouraged to slowly return to work. More money has been promised in Scotland and Wales for pop-up cycle lanes. In Northern Ireland the government has committed to deliver temporary infrastructure during the crisis. But for many businesses, individuals, and charities the impact has been devastating According to the Institute of Fundraising, 91% of charities surveyed expect their cash-flow to be disrupted during the lockdown, with a projected loss of 48% in voluntary income. At Cycling UK we’re not immune. The lockdown is hitting us hard. We’ve had to
For businesses, individuals and charities the impact has been devastating… At Cycling UK, we’re not immune 4
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reschedule or rethink a number of events, including our Challenge Rides, our World’s Biggest Bike Ride, and Bike Week, and we’re looking closely at what the impact might be on the Women’s Festival of Cycling in July. We’ve cancelled all our training, suspended our Holidays and Tours operations, our magazine has been hit by reduced advertising, and businesses have cut sponsorship budgets. It will mean a loss in revenue of around £250,000. That’s a big hit for a small charity. It means we’re having to make some tough decisions in our planning for next year.
Working for cycling We know the lockdown has been tough on you too, but your support and continued membership is more important to us than ever, particularly at this unique moment in time when cycling could be entering “a new golden age”, to quote the Prime Minister. We’re still campaigning for cyclists’ rights, especially during the current crisis, and we’re continuing to support you with advice and guidance to help you keep riding. We’re still protecting you through our third-party insurance and legal helpline, and you’re still receiving your free Cycle magazine and online retail discounts. All our staff are now working from home, in line with government guidance, and we’ve taken the difficult decision to furlough a number of staff where their work has been seriously impacted by the lockdown. As our external mailing house is closed, we’ve had to switch from PVC biodegradable membership cards to a paper version, which is now included within welcome emails and
renewal correspondence. There may also be a delay in supplying replacement copies of Cycle magazine that are lost in the post. Throughout the crisis, our campaigns team has been busy lobbying hard to make sure local authorities get on with installing temporary infrastructure. If you’ve not already done so, I would urge you to participate in our campaign action, Space for Distancing, which has been designed to allow you to write directly to your local council with the click of button. We’ve offered free three-month memberships to key workers so they can benefit from our insurance and legal advice. And we’ve adapted our Big Bike Revival programme to benefit key workers choosing to cycle rather than drive or take public transport to work. That means they can get their bikes serviced or repaired for free or benefit from bike loans and free equipment to keep them moving. We think that’s an important gesture to help those on the frontline in the fight against this terrible disease. The coronavirus crisis doesn’t mean we’ve stopped supporting cycling or fighting for cyclists’ rights, any more than it means we’ve had to stop riding our bikes. But it has meant we’ve needed to think carefully about how we run the charity in these unprecedented times, and how we can capitalise on an apparent resurgence in the interest in cycling. Your continued loyalty and support is vital in achieving those aims, and we’re already looking forward to an even bigger and better cycling future. Stick with us today and together we’ll make a truly amazing difference for a better world tomorrow.
Left to right: Rob Kingston, Carol Richardson, Julie Skelton
Top: Traffic levels have plummeted during the lockdown. This is the M3 Right: More key workers are using bikes for transport Top right: Families have been rediscovering cycling for recreation
WHAT YOU CAN DO BY BEING A MEMBER, YOU’RE ALREADY DOING SO MUCH TO SUPPORT ALL THE THINGS WE’RE DOING TO IMPROVE CONDITIONS FOR CYCLING IN THE UK. HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP FURTHER. Renew your membership. Your fees fund: all our campaign work; our engagement work, such as Bike Week and the Women’s Festival of Cycling; our communications, including Cycle magazine, our newlook website, our social media channels, and CycleClips; and underpin our vital grassroots work helping more people to cycle.
Donate to our Keep the Wheels Turning Appeal, raising money to help us keep key workers cycling during the Covid-19 crisis, and support all our great initiatives to help key workers with membership offers, cycle maintenance, and bike loans.
Encourage your cycling friends to join us too – or renew if they’re already a member. It will help us ensure there’s Space for
Take part in our Instagram challenge #RideChangeLives – a fun and easy way to support our appeal by riding seven
Distancing and support us in our ongoing campaigns to keep cyclists safe and open up the countryside.
miles, donating £7 and nominating seven friends to do the same. Doing a lot more shopping online? Raise money for Cycling UK at the same time at no cost to you. You can now nominate us as your chosen charity on: Amazon Smile: Easyfundraising, which partners with over 4,000 retailers; and Giveacar, where you can donate to us when you scrap your car. You can also donate via JustGiving and Facebook. Find out more at cyclinguk. org/ways-to-donate.
Meet the new Chief Exec Pete Fitzboydon has joined Cycling UK as its Interim Chief Executive, following the departure of Paul Tuohy after six years at the helm
P
ete is the former Chief Executive of London Sport and has a long career in the sport and leisure sector, including ten years at the Football Foundation. There he oversaw more than £1bn of investment into grassroots sport, helping to transform some of the most rundown communities in the country. More recently, he led Parkwood Leisure, one of the UK’s largest leisure providers, where he completed a business transformation which helped the organisation to grow by 20%, to over £100m turnover and 5,000 staff. He said: “I have always been a keen cyclist, commuting 20 miles a day in London for over ten years, long before it was fashionable! Nowadays I’m limited more to weekends on the road, either on my own or with my young family, and using my trusty Brompton on trips to London. My passion for technology also spills over into cycling. I love nothing more than buying a new cycling gadget.”
Interim Chief Executive Pete Fitzboydon is a keen cyclist C Y CL I NGUK . O RG
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Great Rides
ESCAPISM
Solo cycling gives us so much more than exercise. On his short local loops, Jo Burt finds freedom and adventure
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JO BURT Jo is the cartoonist behind MBUK magazine’s Mint Sauce
Details Where: West Sussex, near Brighton Start/finish: Jo’s home Distance: short Pictures: Seb Rogers
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Feature
THE RIGHT BIKE CAN’T FIND THE BICYCLE YOU WANT? ASSEMBLE IT FROM OFF-THE-PEG PARTS. DAN JOYCE LOOKS AT HOW AND WHY TO BUILD UP THE BIKE THAT SUITS YOU BEST
DAN JOYCE Editor All of Dan’s bikes were built up from frames – apart from his Brompton, which has merely been rebuilt as bits have worn out
B
ike choice is subjective. There’s no bike that’s objectively best, only better or worse for what you’ll be using it for. That’s why star ratings in reviews are nonsense: your three-star bike might be my five-star bike and vice-versa. All of us have different demands and preferences. To meet them, you might invest in a custom bike – or you could just equip an existing frameset or bike with your favourite components. The kind of bike you’re after will affect how far your version diverges from the stock model. Racing bikes tend to resemble each other because they’re shaped by the same demands. It’s convergent evolution. There isn’t the same pressure on your preferences when it comes to recreational cycling, such as touring or messing about on a mountain bike, or transport cycling. ‘Better’ or ‘worse’ are only what they mean to you. That sparks divergent evolution, and very different bikes for loosely similar jobs. So don’t feel disenfranchised by anyone who says your bike should be like this or that. You know what your priorities are – and how much you want to spend.
CRITICAL RESEARCH You can use any bike for any kind of cycling, within reason, but some combinations will be frustrating at best and dangerous at worst. The closer a bike or frame’s purpose aligns with what you have in mind, the easier it will be to build into exactly what you want. Manufacturer descriptions are a good place to start. Bear in mind, however, that they literally want you to buy into their product. So take any claims with a pinch of salt. The same goes for reviews, which sometimes read like cut-and-pasted advertising copy. Others read like Charlie Kelly’s Universal Bike Review (Google it). The more reviews you read, the more you’ll find yourself playing bike review bingo: laterally stiff, vertically compliant; responsive handling; direct power transfer; aluminium is ‘stiff’ (in itself it isn’t – it’s built into stiff structures to stop it flexing
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Left: Blaen Roberts
Feature
WHE E L S UP
Liver Pedlaa Pool is transforming young lives across Merseyside. Julie Rand spoke to founder Blaen Roberts about how the group took off
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’ve been riding a mountain bike for longer than Blaen Roberts has been alive but I still can’t pull a wheelie. Yet perfecting this skill has led to hundreds of youngsters in the Merseyside area abandoning a life of gang culture, violence, and knives for the joy and freedom of riding bikes. They are part of a Cycling UK-affiliated group, Liver Pedlaa Pool, the ‘laa’ part being a play on words around the Scouse term for ‘lad’ or ‘mate’. The group was founded two years ago by Cycling UK’s Young Achiever for 2019, 21-year-old Blaen Roberts, who himself was steered away from criminal activity by rediscovering cycling. Despite his youth, he has now become a mentor and father figure for many of the boys who take part in the regular rides through the city that he organises. Blaen has been riding bikes since he was five. At 16, however, he moved to London to work as a DJ and found himself drifting into a gang-based lifestyle with a bleak future. A friend of his was stabbed to death. Realising that something had to change, he moved back home and started going out on his bike again, covering 20 to 30 miles at a
time. Posting these rides on social media using the hashtag #bikelife, he decided to see if he could get others to join him in using cycling as a distraction from more suspect activities.
JULIE RAND Volunteer Engagement & Comms Officer
MASS RIDES Like the Pied Piper, Blaen soon had a huge following. In the beginning, eight riders gathered outside the Liver Building every Sunday. After a month, there were a 100. After a year, nearly 500 were turning up from all over Merseyside to take part, including people with children in trailers and a man with a dog in a basket! Now the mass rides, or ‘ride outs’, have grown so big they are on hold while Blaen works with Merseyside Police to set up a Safety Advisory Group so they can take place with the force’s blessing. He is also working alongside the force’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) as part of an initiative to combat knife crime in the area. The group is about much more than stunts in the street, and it is remarkable what has been achieved by Blaen and Liver Pedlaa Pool in only a couple of years. As well as bike maintenance classes, he’s started a competitive mountain bike
Right: Blaen was Cycling UK’s Young Achiever award winner for 2019 C YCL I NGUK . O RG
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Biketest
Small gravel bikes
Cycling UK’s Georgina Cox and Nicola Marshall test ride two 650B all-rounders: a Kona Rove NRB and a Surly Straggler. Review compiled by Dan Joyce
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GEORGINA COX
NICOLA MARSHALL
Head of Membership and Individual Giving
Director of Income Generation
Georgina thought gravel bikes were a bit of a marketing fad, but is now a convert.
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Nicola normally commutes over a beautiful common. She loves weekend riding on lost lanes.
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horter cyclists have little choice in gravel bikes, as with touring bikes. A drop-bar frame small enough for someone under about 5ft 3in (160cm) won’t automatically accommodate 700C wheels with wider tyres. One solution is to change the bike’s geometry, slackening the head angle and increasing the fork offset. The other is to use smaller wheels, such as 650B. Many brands, however, simply don’t make gravel bikes for five-footers. Our testers are an inch either side of that. “Being only 4ft 11in, with short legs for my height, my cycle choice is limited,” Georgina said. She isn’t kidding. I knew petite women weren’t well catered for but was nevertheless surprised by how few off-the-peg options there are that would properly fit. The two I got hold of have 650B wheels, which are an inch-and-a-half smaller in diameter than 700C. I didn’t come across any
gravel bikes with 26in (ISO 559) wheels, which are an inch smaller again, but some touring bikes still use this size and could be adapted for ‘gravel' use. Surly’s Straggler comes in two wheel sizes. Bigger Stragglers use 700C wheels, smaller ones 650B. The smallest Straggler has a dinky 38cm frame. It’s so compact I asked the supplier to leave the fork’s steerer tube long; I wanted Nicola and Georgina to be able to set the handlebar as high as the saddle. All sizes of Kona’s Rove NRB come with the 650B wheels that gravel bikes have helped popularise. Unlike most manufacturers, Kona take advantage of these smaller wheels by offering smaller frames too: the smallest is meant for riders as short as 4ft 10in. The seat tube and head tube of this model are longer than the little Surly but the reach is almost identical. The two bikes aren’t women-specific. They’re just smaller, which is what’s most important. For a given height, gender differences can be addressed with a different saddle (likely wider for women), a different handlebar (likely narrower), a different stem (shorter for a more upright position), and lever reach adjustment (for smaller hands). The plan was that Nicola and
S M A LL G R AV EL B I KES
BIKE TEST
First look
A well-proportioned gravel bike that's fairly light thanks to its full-carbon fork and aluminium frame
Kona take advantage of the 650B wheels by offering smaller frames, fitting riders down to 4ft 10in
Tech Spec
KONA ROVE NRB Georgina would swap the bikes between them. That was stymied by the Covid-19 lockdown. So was our planned photoshoot… and also my visit to Guildford, when I would’ve weighed, measured, and spec-checked the bikes. We’ve done what we could with people and bikes in different locations.
bit like a kid’s bike – an impression reinforced by the pink, sparkly paint! At 10.6kg, it’s heavier than my road bike but not too heavy to lift up and down railway station stairs. I was pleased to see lots of fittings for pannier racks and water bottles. With the cranks supplied, there was a couple of millimetres of toe overlap.” Frame and fork We’ll come back to Georgina on the Kona: crank length later. It’s Above: Georgina liked the “First impressions were worth noting here that, Kona’s sparkly maroon colour Opposite page: (left) good. I loved the sparkly by not being specifically Georgina on the Kona Rove maroon paintwork. It felt designed for shorter NRB; (right) Daria Taddei also took the Surly Straggler for lighter than my hybrid and cranks, both bikes have a test ride, though at 5ft 4in not much weightier than a bottom bracket that’s she’d fit better on a larger size either of my road bikes. higher than it need be, so This is the smallest frame it's a stretch for the short but it was still a tad big for me: with rider to get a toe down when stopped. the saddle at its lowest, the seatpost hit Neither Georgina or Nicola commented the bottle bosses. I’d fit a shorter post on this so I guess it’s something they’ve or saw an inch off this one. There are become used to from other bikes. plenty of frame mounts, and my normal Both bikes have steep seat angles. and rack and pannier for commuting This makes the reach to the handlebar would fit fine. There was no toe overlap, manageable while providing room to even with my relatively large feet.” squeeze in ‘normal’ sized wheels. But Nicola on the Surly: “With a small it also tips the rider’s weight forward, frame and 650B wheels, it looked a which can result in numb or tingling
chainset, 40t X-Sync chainring, SRAM GXP 68mm bottom bracket, SRAM PC1110 chain, SRAM PG1130 11-42t 11-speed cassette. Sram Apex shifter & rear derailleur. 11 ratios, 25-96in. Braking: SRAM Apex levers, TRP Spyre C mechanical disc brake callipers, 160mm TRP rotors. Steering & seating: 400×31.8mm Kona Road handlebar, 60mm Kona Road stem, FSA No. 57B headset. WTB Volt Comp saddle, 31.6mm Kona Thumb offset seatpost, Kona seatpost clamp. Equipment: none konaworld.com
Price: £1,699 Sizes: 46 (tested), 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58cm Weight: 10kg/22lb Frame & fork: Butted 6061 aluminium frame with fittings for rear rack, mudguard, and three bottles. Kona Rove Verso full-carbon fork with fittings for mudguard and two bottles/accessory cages. Wheels: 40-584 WTB Horizon Plus TCS tyres, WTB Asym i23 TCS rims, 32×3 14g stainless spokes, 100×12mm Formula front hub, 142×12mm Formula rear hub. Transmission: no pedals, 165mm SRAM Apex 1 Dimensions in millimetres and degrees
502 707
75.5˚ 460
672 45
70˚ 74
430
584 165 271 1005
142 584 40
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CYCLOPEDIA
w o h w o Kn Making sense of commonly misunderstood subjects
DAVE BARTER Cycling author – see phased.co.uk
Indoor cycling
W
ith the coronavirus and social distancing likely to limit our activities for some time, many of us – especially at-risk individuals – will be looking for alternatives to riding outdoors to keep fit. Zwift is one such. It's a virtual world in which cyclists can congregate and continue riding – indoors. Think of it as a huge online game where all you need to play is a bike, a static trainer, and an internet connection. Instead of mashing away at game controllers you simply pedal and the system does the rest. In order to get started, you need a way of connecting your bike to the Zwift virtual world. The simplest is to use a basic turbo trainer (or rollers) and add a speed sensor to your bike that can transmit information via Bluetooth or Ant+. Zwift uses this sensor to estimate the power you are outputting and translates this into forward progress in the virtual world. A power meter will give a more accurate picture but is more expensive. Neither option will provide feedback from the virtual world. Pedalling will feel the same on the flat or uphill; it's up to you to increase the effort. A smart trainer will significantly enhance
You must be able to see the device running Zwift but not drip sweat on it
your experience. These devices are able to vary the resistance you feel based upon feedback from the virtual world. As you climb, the resistance gets harder; descending it backs off. It gives the impression of riding a real hill. Smart trainers fall into two camps: traditional turbo trainer wheel-on units; and directdrive trainers, where you remove your rear wheel and mount the bicycle using a cassette attached to the unit. Direct drive provides a smoother riding experience and a better simulation of the real world, but comes at a cost: units start from £400-500. Once your bike is ready, you’ll need a phone, tablet or computer with an internet connection. You may also need a Bluetooth or Ant+ USB dongle to pair your trainer or speed sensor to. Zwift provides plenty of information on getting started at zwift.com/uk/get-zwifting.
Zwift equipment options Getting started can cost less than £50 (speed sensor plus subscription).
Speed sensor Wahoo RPM, £29, uk.wahoofitness. com
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Direct-drive smart trainer Elite Direto £450-550 elite-it.com/en
Wheel-on smart trainer Tacx Vortex Smart, £249, tacx.com
Zwift subscription £12.99 per month, zwift.com
Tablet mount Minoura iPad and tablet handlebar mount, £29.99, zyrofisher.co.uk
What rides can I do? Zwift provides a number of virtual worlds. Watopia is a fictitious set of islands with a multitude of routes from flat to a simulation of the famous Alp D’Huez climb. This world is continuously available to ride. Six other ‘worlds’ – London, for example – are available on a weekly rotation. These provide a semi-realistic experience; London lets you do circuits of Westminster. You can simply ride round one of these worlds at your own pace, chatting to other riders (by text). Or you can follow a structured training plan and ride to a schedule and pace dictated by Zwift. Finally, there are regular group rides and races if that’s your kind of thing. With no geographical restrictions, you’ll find yourself mixed in with riders from across the world.
Too much information? For a guide to ‘analogue’ turbo training, visit cyclinguk.org/article/ top-tips-using-turbotrainer
Left: Dave Barter
What do I need for virtual cycling with Zwift?
TRAVELLERS’ TALES
End of the road at Tunstall, Holderness. Erosion is 1-2m a year
The North The Chilterns: rolling hills and some shade from the July sun
Rick Elliott cycled 500 miles around ‘God’s own county’
South West England
Mercury rising A heatwave lay heavy on Bob Forster’s tour of Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire
T
here’s no accounting for the weather. July should have been perfect: summertime, and the living is easy. My annual tour had everything going for it. What could be better? Day one was continuous rain. No let up. I rode south from Oxford, damp yet cheerful as there’s not much that can get through a cape. But this was not going according to plan. The sun, so they say, shines on the righteous, as well as on cycle tourists. Next day Great Missenden was bathed in warmth. Across the Chilterns, Henley oozed class. I sat on the river bank, pint of milk on one side, innertube inflated on the other, just making sure that puncture was
Temperatures edged into the mid-thirties
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A tour de Yorkshire
mended. I was wreathed in smug content. And so it continued, on to Salisbury, Stonehenge, and Cirencester on successive days. Each day warmed further. No problem – every rider knows that we make our own breeze as we ride onwards. But by now, the temperatures were serious. Sun cream was smothered on ripening flesh. Stonehenge to Cirencester was mercifully flat but mercilessly hot. At Avebury stone circle, the ice creams stood no chance at all in temperatures edging into the mid-thirties. The final day of my tour broke all records. Some distance away, Cambridge recorded 38.7º centigrade. Oxford was not far behind, a phrase that sounds familiar from the boat race commentary. All of a sudden, the heat caught up with me. No more cockiness. After resting, I could barely get my leg over the bike. Home was a tepid bath and glass after glass of cordial. Then my wife placed me gently into the recovery position: stretched on the armchair with tea to drink and, just a fingertip away, a man-sized slab of cake. I would live to pedal another day.
facebook.com/CyclingUK
Twitter @wearecyclinguk
OKAY, I HAD passed a ‘Road closed’ sign but it did say underneath: ‘Passable for cyclists’. Half a mile further on, the road literally went off a cliff! I looked down at the result of coastal erosion, and pondered the long detour I’d have to make. It had been going so well: the train to Hull, then a visit to the lonely Spurn Point. It was the start of a cycle ride roughly following the Yorkshire boundary, using the most picturesque routes. The views were magnificent, all the way north to Whitby and over the North York Moors. Next came the Yorkshire Dales, passing Tan Hill, the highest pub in England, and Garsdale Head. Three long climbs led me through Kingdale and into the Forest of Bowland. The High Pennines section through Trawden, Hebden Bridge and Holmfirth featured hills that are short, steep and relentless. My route touched the outskirts of Sheffield before climbing into the Peak District, with beautiful views over the Derwent Valley. The eighth and final day was a fast 90 miles through the Isle of Axholme to Goole, the largest inland port in the country, and Howden with its lovely minster. From there, the TransPennine Trail took me to Hull for my train home.
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