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A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 8 | CYCLE
36 CW from far left: Sam Jones, Andy Whitehouse, Mark Jolly
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FROM THE E DITOR BEING A CYCLIST is a bit like being Peter Pan, and not just because you get to wear tights. You don’t have to grow up: you can still enjoy the simple pleasure of riding a bike that you discovered in childhood, flying along on an inch or two of air. You can hold onto your youth – or rather, hold off the infirmities of age for longer compared to your sedentary peers. Regular cyclists can expect to extend their lifespan by a couple of years on average. But as the adage has it: we don’t cycle to add days to our life; we cycle to add life to our days. Some pastimes seem designed to slow you down, or else are particularly suited to those who have already slowed down. Bowls, indoor or crown green, I’m looking at you. I once went to a free taster session at a bowling centre, to see what it was like. ‘It’s not just for old people,’ said the guy doing the introductions. It so was. Everyone else was about three decades older than me. Cycling is less discriminatory in that there’s no age limit – to start or stop. Sure, weekday morning or afternoon rides are always going to be more popular with retired riders; younger cyclists are mostly at work. But on the club rides I’m used to, on road and off, ages typically range from twenty-something to sixty-odd. And I know cyclists in their eighties. One of them has an e-bike. I’m sure I will, one day. The best way to keep on cycling, after all, is not to stop.
Contents
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EVERY ISSUE
THIS ISSUE
04 B I G P I C T U R E
30 A D A S H O F A D V E N T U R E
80km off-road network opened in the Surrey Hills
07 F R O M T H E C H I E F EXECUTIVE Paul Tuohy celebrates 140 years of Cycling UK
08 C Y C L E S H O R T S Julie Hooper from the Edinburgh All-ability Bike Centre; Cycling UK campaigns round-up; the Women’s Festival of Cycling; the Big Bike Celebration; and more
18 S H O P W I N D O W Things to see at The Cycle Show
20 G E A R Components, accessories, clothing, and books reviewed
Sam Jones and a few Cycling UK colleagues go bikepacking in Dorset
36 T H E F I R E S T I L L B U R N S
Old cyclists with no plans to hang up their wheels
45 B U I L T T O L A S T
The bike with a 50-year lifespan that’s being made in the UK
50 G I A N T O F P R O V E N C E
What it’s like to ride up Mont Ventoux
62 A F F O R D A B L E ( I S H ) H A R D TA I L S Sub-£1,000 mountain bikes from Voodoo and Whyte
68 B O M B T R A C K B E Y O N D 1 A gravel bike with mountain bike wheels
71 P O R T A B L E P U M P S
Four options for inflating your tyres
27 L E T T E R S Your feedback on Cycle and cycling
57 Q & A Your technical, health and legal questions answered
81 T R A V E L L E R S ’ T A L E S Cycling UK members’ ride reports
ON THE COVER Bob Clift Memorial Cheshire Cycleway Ride, by Andy Whitehouse
Cycling UK, Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford, GU2 9JX E: cycling@cyclinguk.org W: cyclinguk.org T: 0844 736 8450* or 01483 238300
Founded in 1878
DAN JOYCE Cycle editor
Membership
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. 65,000 members and affiliates Patron: Her Majesty the Queen President: Jon Snow Chief Executive: Paul Tuohy. 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: Anna Vassallo tel: 0203 859 7100 e: anna. vassallo@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. Tel: 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: Precision Colour Printing, Haldane, Halesfield 1, Telford, TF7 4QQ. Tel: 01952 585585 *0844 numbers are ‘basic rate’, costing under 5p/min plus your phone company’s access charge on a BT landline. Other providers may charge more.
CYCLE SHORTS
Close passing is on the Government’s radar – thanks to you
Left: Andy Catlin
Quick releases
Left: Luke Stanley
PLAY TOGETHER ON PEDALS
Campaigns
OVERTAKING EXPECTATIONS Your collective support has been crucial for Cycling UK’s campaigning this year, as Duncan Dollimore explains
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HE LAST FEW months have been so busy on the campaigns front that I was unsure where to start with a summer round-up until I realised the common theme: the incredible support we’ve received for our campaigns from members and supporters. Whenever we’re trying to influence any organisation, public body, or decision maker, we have to have a credible argument, but being able to state that several thousand people support what we’re saying is crucial in ensuring that our voice, and yours, is heard. This was evident earlier this year when we delivered 9,300 letters to Highways England, objecting to proposals to ban cyclists from the A63, something we and many of you feared would be the thin end of the wedge, setting a dangerous precedent for cycling bans on other roads. The number of responses generated media interest, which in turn provided us with the platform to present our case – though it has meant that Highways England are still ploughing through the responses. That means
1 0 C Y C L E AUG US T/SEPTEM BER 2018
we’re still waiting to see if they’re going to abandon their plans.
CYCLE SAFETY: MAKE IT SIMPLE Getting support to campaign against illogical proposals to ban something is straightforward – there’s a bogey man to focus on and he’s planning to do something stupid that affects you, so act now! But when we launched our ‘Cycle safety: make it simple’ campaign in April, in response to the Government’s cycling and walking safety review, we knew it would be harder. We backed the review, so there was no bogey man, and there was a danger that there was nothing dramatic or new to motivate people to respond. But 10,800 of you did via our online action. Whilst the Government hasn’t yet published the outcome of their review, they have confirmed that one key concern raised was close passing. In late June, road safety minister Jesse Norman announced funding for a pilot scheme to improve driving instructors’ cycle safety awareness. He also promised additional resources for police forces to enable them to deal with close passes. The proof will be in the pudding, but it’s encouraging that the Government is making the right noises – partly because so many of you asked them to support our proposals. So that’s summer 2018: we’ve been very busy campaigning and, more importantly, so have many of you, and that’s what’s needed to effect change.
Having helped teach more than 8,000 preschool children in Glasgow to ride a bike since 2014, the Play Together on Pedals programme run by Cycling UK, Cycling Scotland, and Play Scotland has now expanded to Edinburgh. Alongside the playful programme offered to children in nurseries, parents and families will be encouraged to give cycling a go through try-out sessions and drop-in activities. Suzanne Forup, Head of Development Scotland for Cycling UK, said: ‘We’re hoping to help more parents start exploring the city on two or three wheels, encouraging families to leave the car at home for short journeys and enjoy being active together.’ Read more at bit.ly/PTOP-Edin. CAUGHT ON CAMERA
Cycling UK supported the launch on 2 July of a new nationwide platform that allows footage of dangerous driving to be uploaded directly to police forces across the UK. The National Dash Cam Safety Portal, set up by dashcamera manufacturer Nextbase, provides a single point for cyclists and drivers to report serious road incidents captured on dash, bike, and helmet cams. Previously, incidents had to be reported to individual forces. To submit a video, visit nextbase. com/dashcamportal. BRITISH CYCLE QUEST SUCCESS
Neil Hemingway from Stockton in Yorkshire is the latest Cycling UK member to visit all 402 checkpoints of the British Cycle Quest. For more, see cyclinguk. org/british-cycle-quest.
PRODUCT NEWS | SHOP WINDOW
Product news
SHOW TIME
Save with Cycling UK
MIDNIGHT SPECIAL 1 SURLY FRAMESET £750
Going shopping? Members get 10% off cycle-related products in Halfords stores and 15% off at Cotswold Outdoor, Runners Need, and Snow+Rock.
Fat-tyre pioneer Surly’s chrome-moly road-plus bike is expensive (£2,200) but the versatile frameset is tempting. It takes 60mm 650B tyres or 42mm 700Cs. Stand G135/G147. ison-distribution.com
C17 ALL-WEATHER 2 BROOKS CAMBIUM £94.99
It’s a waterproof version of the normal Cambium, whose cotton covering isn’t and stays damp, and it doesn’t need breaking in like the leather B17 it’s based on. It’s 464g. Stand G81. extrauk.co.uk
THE CYCLE SHOW IS AT BIRMINGHAM’S NEC FROM 28-30 SEPTEMBER. HERE ARE SOME THINGS DAN JOYCE WANTS A CLOSER LOOK AT (SEE ALSO P76)
3 SHIMANO XTR 9100
£289.99
(CASSETTE ONLY)
Shimano have caught up with Sram’s 12-speed Eagle groupset and their dinnerplate cassette goes one bigger: 10-51 is available. 51! The freehub and derailleur have been redesigned, so you’d need those and more to upgrade. Stand C11 (Madison). ridextr.com/en
4 CHIA CHARGE KARMA BAR Photo: The Cycle Show
£1.20 OR LESS
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These Yorkshire-made bars have an advantage over gels and many other energy products: they’re nice. Some are vegan and wheat-free. Better than an NEC sandwich! Stand K1. chiacharge.co.uk
5 LEZYNE MEGA C GPS
£180
One of two new GPS computers from Lezyne, it offers long battery life (up to 32h), both live and offline mapping, and good phone interactivity. Stand C23. upgradebikes.co.uk
6 SCHWALBE G-ONE BITE TL EASY £58.99
Need some tyres for your gravel bike that are pretty good off-road and on? Check out the G-One Bite, in 40-622 or 54-584. I liked the latter on Sven’s Pathfinder (April/May 18). Stand A21. schwalbe.com
7 CANYON COMMUTER 5.0
3 5 1 8 C Y C L E AUG UST/SEPTEM BER 2018
4 6
£1,299
Many bikes are stylish or practical; Canyon’s 8-speed belt-drive commuter is both. The mudguards incorporate Supernova dynamo lighting and a rear rack. It’s only 12kg too. Stand K63. canyon.com
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D E TA I L S WHERE: Dorset START/FINISH: Swanage DISTANCE: 97 miles over 2 days PICTURES: Sam Jones, Sarah Hobbs
DORSE T GR AVEL DASH | G RE AT RI DES
Great rides
A DASH OF ADVENTURE
Ian Taylor rode a touring bike
The Dorset Gravel Dash is a 100-mile organised off-road ride through West Country hills, with camping and feasting. Sam Jones signed up
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t 9am on a May morning, the beer garden of the Red Lion in Swanage was packed with a 100 or so bikepackers, and event organiser Charlie the Bikemonger was quoting William Shatner. ‘Live life… live life like you’re gonna die, ’cos you’re gonna,’ he boomed. ‘I hate to be the bearer of bad news… but you’re gonna die.’ There was a cheer from the cyclists. Charlie’s words were part eulogy for veteran Gravel Dasher Oli Kemp, who had died recently in a car crash, and part encouragement for all of us to make the most of the next two days. The big group of strangers was indeed already bonding. So began the Surly Dorset Gravel Dash, the most hospitable and enjoyable organised ride I’ve been on – not to mention one of the most challenging. The 2018 edition was the fifth Dorset Gravel Dash. The brainchild of bike shop owner Charlie Hobbs, the aforementioned Bikemonger, it’s an off-road ride of just under 100 miles with 6,876ft of climbing. While you’ll need to be fit and determined to conquer every climb in Hardy Country, the emphasis is not on how hard you cycle but on how much fun you have. It’s not a race. Charlie describes it as ‘scouting for adults’.
The route encourages you to take your time and appreciate the differing landscapes you encounter, from Corfe Castle near the start, to the Jurassic Coast in the south, to the Iron Age hill forts in the north. Despite growing up in Dorset, and spending much of my time walking its trails, I was surprised to discover new gems as well as pleased to return to old favourites. That’s down to the hard work of Charlie and his team, who have carefully plotted a route using existing rights of way and quiet roads, and then negotiated access with landowners where necessary. It’s clear they know the area well, and there’s a visible effort to give back to the local community. Local suppliers are used and efforts to minimise conflict with locals and landowners are high – not just in the route directions but in the rider instructions. Ten miles from the finish, a group of us encountered a dog walker who held the gate open for us all to pass through. Yes, he knew about Charlie and the Dorset Gravel Dash, he said. If only all mass participation events could inspire similar local sentiment!
Do it yourself
GR AVE L RIDING The 2019 Dorset Gravel Dash is on the weekend of 25-26 May. Charlie’s got plans for two new Gravel Dashes, one in Devon and another in Germany. For further details, sign up to his newsletter on the Charlie the Bikemonger website. While multi-day off-road rides like the Dorset Gravel Dash are relatively rare, they’re becoming more popular. The Dirty Reiver in Northumberland embraces the gravel rides of mid-west America, and offers challenging day routes of 130km and 200km. For a more genteel setting, there’s Eroica Britannia in the Peak District, where a mix of gravel, road and bridleways are ridden on pre-1987 bikes.
CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON There are two ways to tackle the Dash: in one day, with a mighty hoof of an effort; or
COMBINING A WEEKEND’S WORTH OF RIDING WITH ‘SITTING AROUND A FIRE, DRINKING BEER, EATING GOAT’ WAS TOO GOOD TO MISS CYCL I N G U K . OR G CYCL E 3 1
FE ATURE | CYCLING IN AGE
3 6 C Y C L E AUG US T/SEPTEM BER 2018
CYCLING IN AGE | FE ATURE
Feature
THE FIRE STILL BURNS A CHANCE ENCOUNTER WITH A GROUP OF TOUGH OLD RIDERS INTRODUCED JOURNALIST RICHARD BAYNES TO THE WORLD OF ROAD CYCLING. LIFE HAS NEVER BEEN THE SAME SINCE n a clearing in a small wood, just off a narrow lane a few miles outside Glasgow, a group of men sit talking around a wood fire. They’re wearing shorts and the brightly coloured tops of cyclists everywhere. Expensive road bikes rest against trees, and laughter and banter rise up with the smoke from the fire. The men have craggy, worn, lean faces, but every one has a sparkle in his eye. Some are in their late seventies, some older. One man, Bobby Brodie, is 89. All have ridden here, some covering more than 20 miles. Later, they’ll ride home – and next week they’ll do it all again. Sometimes someone is unwell, or the weather is so foul not everyone can get out, but there are always some of the
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group pedalling along the lanes on their swift, slim machines. They descend on this spot, a few miles south of the city, light a fire and then talk bikes, tell old stories, and rib each other endlessly. I first come across them after a chance encounter with Bob Mair, a retired tax officer. Bob, from East Kilbride, is on his bike climbing a long hill across a moor; I’m out for a walk in a brief bit of autumn sunshine. We stop to talk, and he mentions there’s a fire lit at a spot down the road. A little later, I make my way over a stile and into the trees to find the group. The welcome is instant, the men are relaxed, and there is the feeling that laughter could break out at any time. I think of my own parents, around the same age, cooped up in a nursing home with locked doors and constant care, coping with the
CYCL CYCLI N I NGGUUKK. OR . ORGG CYCL CYCLEE 3 7
B U I LT TO L A S T | F E AT U R E
Feature
BUILT TO LAST MANY OF TODAY’S BIKES ARE DISPOSABLE, LASTING JUST A FEW YEARS – OR EVEN MONTHS. ISLA ROWNTREE WANTS TO CHANGE THAT, AS VICTORIA HAZAEL DISCOVERED magine what will happen to your bike when you no longer want it. You might sell it or donate it to a bike recycling centre. Yet whatever you do, eventually its raw materials – steel, aluminium, rubber, and oil – will probably one day end up in landfill. Those finite resources will be trapped in the dump. Isla Rowntree’s Imagine Project wants that to change. The former cyclocross champion, eponymous children’s bike designer, and longstanding Cycling UK member is concerned that within two decades those limited materials will become scarce and the price we pay for bikes will be out reach for most people. Isla wants to find an alternative to the ‘take, make and dispose’ model that the cycle
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industry all over the world currently follows. Inspired by the sailor Ellen MacArthur’s book Full Circle and by a sustainable business manufacturers’ conference in Cambridge, Isla kept thinking there must be solution to just throwing bikes away: ‘It niggled and burned away at me, having seen this future problem for the cycle industry and the world. Knowing a possible solution, I felt I had a responsibility to act on that. In the time that I didn’t act on it, I started to feel irresponsible for not doing anything.’ According to Isla’s research, within a decade there might be material price volatility that would affect her successful children’s brand Islabikes. Yet it might take three to five years to work out a solution so that families could still afford bikes for their children. ‘It started to feel urgent,’ she said. ‘Rather
than waiting for the crisis to come, I set aside a team of people and a separate space and launched the Imagine Project as a concept.’
BIKES FOR LIVES The Imagine Project’s plan is to make a bicycle that can be: manufactured in the UK; ridden to school and back for 50 years by as many children as possible; and, at the end of the bike’s life, separated into usable materials. ‘We want to rent bikes to families,’ Isla said. ‘Then as the child grows, they can exchange it for a bigger size while we refurbish the old bike and rent it to another child. The bicycle circulates between lots and lots of users for a very long time, and those raw materials are being used for cycling not sitting unused in a shed.’
CYCL I N G U K.O RG CYCL E 4 5
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B I K E T E S T | H A R DTA I L M T B S
DAN JOYCE Cycle editor
Bike test
AFFORDABLE(ISH) HARDTAILS How good a mountain bike can you get for less than £1,000? Editor Dan Joyce tests the Voodoo Bokor and Whyte 529
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INCE WE LAST featured hardtails improves the steering feel through the (Oct/Nov 14, not including plus handlebar, so have longer top tubes to bikes and fat bikes), mountain maintain your reach to the bar. Relatively bikes have evolved. The trend slack head angles produce plenty of for frames to get longer (reach), lower stabilising trail and, with the long top tubes, (bottom bracket), and slacker (head angle) mean longer front centres (bottom bracket to has continued, in a bid to make us faster front hub). With the front wheel further out or simply safer on descents. ‘One-by’ front, there’s less chance you’ll dive over it. drivetrains are the default. Axle standards The seat angles of both bikes are steep seem to be settling on screw-through Boost so the front wheels aren’t so lightly loaded hubs: 15×110mm front, 12×148mm rear. that they’ll snow-plough through turns or lift There’s a third wheel size contender, 27.5+, up on climbs. (Both use slightly bent seat which is interchangeable with 29in on tubes to keep the chainstays shorter, so the framesets with enough clearance. And seatposts raise up at a slacker angle Sterling isn’t doing so well against than the centre-to-top seat tube ON THE the US Dollar, so you don’t get angle implies.) PLUS SIDE as much for your money now. Whyte take the geometry For more thoughts on I cherry-picked two good trends further. The Voodoo’s wider, softer tyres for bikes to test, both 29ers: the frame is a touch shorter, hardtails, see our 2015 Voodoo Bokor (£850) and the so I slid the saddle back to Trek Stache and Genesis Whyte 529 (£950). The Bokor compensate. I’d fit a stem Tarn review: bit.ly/ is essentially an upgraded 10-15mm longer if it were mine; cycle-plussize Voodoo Bizango. The 529 is it would still be short enough to Whyte’s trail hardtail for ‘bigger keep a tight rein on the steering. mileages and higher speeds’. The Voodoo’s frame details tick most of the boxes: a tapered head tube to FRAME, FORK & FIT accommodate today’s suspension forks; a Both bikes’ aluminium frames employ 73mm threaded bottom bracket rather than contemporary mountain bike geometry. a nasty press-fit; and 148×12mm Boost They’re designed for a short stem, which rear hub spacing, which means a stronger,
THE TREND FOR FRAMES TO GET LONGER (REACH), LOWER (BOTTOM BRACKET), AND SLACKER (HEAD ANGLE) HAS CONTINUED 6 2 C Y C L E AUG UST/SEPTEM BER 2018
laterally stiffer wheel, other things being equal. There’s cable routing for a dropper seatpost, externally under the down tube then up inside the seat tube. The rear brake hose and derailleur cable are external too, which makes replacement easier. However, the bare sections of gear cable invite dirt and water ingress, and also interfere with a down tube mudguard. I’d fit full-length gear cable housing with zip-ties, maybe using the dropper guides on the down tube. The Voodoo’s fork is a good one at this price point: a RockShox Judy Gold with 120mm of easily adjustable air-sprung suspension. You can fine tune the rebound and you can lock out the fork for climbing. Since it’s a Boost fork (15×110mm dropouts), it will clear a wider tyre. Officially a 2.8in tyre will fit. I tried my Carver’s front wheel, fitted with a 29×3in Surly Knard, and it went in fine between the fork legs but with a gap of only 1-2mm under the arch. So I’d not go bigger than 29×2.6in – still a big tyre. The Whyte 529 is also routed for a dropper seatpost, contrary to appearances. The cable goes into the down tube (a different grommet is required) and runs internally all the way to the dropper, passing through the frame above the axle. Tidy. It’s fiddlier to get at, should you need to, and the same can be said of the internally routed gear cable and brake hose. Like the Voodoo, the Whyte has a tapered head tube and a threaded bottom bracket. The rear dropouts are old-school 135mm quick release ones. That doesn’t much bother me, as a 63kg XC lightweight, but it
H A R DTA I L M T B S | B I K E T E S T
VOODOO BOKOR RockShox Judy Gold fork, 1×11 gearing, and a decent frame as well
WHYTE 529 More progressive frame geometry makes a difference
CYCL I N G U K . OR G CYCL E
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PUMPS | GROUPTEST
Group test
PORTABLE PUMPS
RICHARD HALLETT Technical Editor
Tiny pumps are easy to carry but for hassle-free inflation you’ll want something bigger. Richard Hallett tests four M A XIM U M PR E S S U R E Around 100psi is enough for almost any bike used on the road. Few mountain bikers will need more than 40psi.
I N F L ATI O N R ATE A long, fat barrel will contain more air than a long, slender one but the larger plunger will require greater force to reach a given pressure. Small, narrow pumps that compress little air with each stroke will take forever to fill a fat mountain bike tyre.
PR E S S U R E G AU G E Useful out on the road or trail, and at home if you don’t have a track pump or a separate gauge, but not obligatory.
CO N N E CTO R Push-on connectors for Presta valves are quick to use but risk damaging the valve. A hose is easier to fit and can be configured to work with a Schrader valve, but contains ‘dead’ air and makes it harder to reach high pressures.
S IZ E A N D W E I G HT As light as practical. While a small micro-pump may be neat and unobtrusive, it is a waste of space if it doesn’t work as expected when required.
S TOWAG E Frame-fitting pumps take up space by a frame tube unless placed along a seat stay using a suitable peg. Some pumps fit to a clip under a bottle cage. Smaller ones may fit a pocket or hydration pack.
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HE PORTABLE CYCLE pump was once a simple affair, with either a hose or integral push-on connector depending on the sporting or utility aspirations of its owner. Today it may as easily be a miniaturised floor pump complete with extension hose, pressure gauge, and fold-out foot. These additions add weight and bulk but offer a practical alternative to the hand pump for anyone who has struggled to apply enough force with hand and arm strength alone or damaged the tiny
threaded stem of a Presta valve while fitting a push-on connector. The ideal pump is one that you can use easily and effectively to reach the pressure you need. The time taken to get there is less important unless competing, in which case it is worth considering a gas canister inflation system. As a rule, a fast-acting pump with a fat barrel and plunger that compress a lot of air with each stroke will reach a lower maximum pressure; slender is good if you want to get to 100psi with relative ease.
Fix that puncture If you need a refresher on how to fix a puncture, have a look at the video on the Cycling UK website: cyclinguk.org/article/ technical-guide/videorepair-puncture
CYCL I N G U K . OR G CYCL E 7 1
Travellers’ tales
The start at Whitehaven harbour
Going solo on the coast-to-coast GARETH CURWELL TOOK THE C2C ROUTE FROM WHITEHAVEN TO TYNEMOUTH
DOWN THE PACIFIC COAST Sandy D Franklin cycled from Vancouver in Canada to the USA-Mexico border
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he ferry made its way over the silk smooth waters from Vancouver Island to Vancouver. As I watched sea otters and porpoise, I thought: this is not a bad way to start a bike ride. First we cycled through the state of Washington, crossing over Deception Pass and continuing on to the San Juan Islands. After traversing the Straits of Juan de Fuca and travelling down Puget Sound, we followed the mighty Colombia River to Astoria, Oregon. The road down the Oregon coast, soberingly named ‘the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq Veteran’s Memorial Highway’, was wild, stunning, and atmospheric. The Coastal Range mountains dipped down to the sea, and mist, spray and surf were rolling in. We
Los Angeles: 100 miles to go
saw five grey whales offshore as we rode along the clifftops. The old-growth coast redwoods of Northern California were spectacular. I silently thanked the ‘Save the Redwoods League’, who campaigned in 1918 to save them. We stopped at hiker/biker campsites, which offered simplicity and transient friendships, and enjoyed great cafés. Catching sight of the Golden Gate Bridge was another highlight. In central California, we entered a world of strawberry growing where Mexican immigrants worked under a relentless sun. In southern California, the surfing lifestyle was like a religion, with beachcomber cafés galore, more surfers and surfboards than cars, and more pelicans each mile than seagulls in Scarborough. After Santa Barbara and its Spanish architecture, we rode through Los Angeles. The last two days were stunning: cruising along great cyclepaths through San Diego, across a six-mile sandy isthmus, and through small towns where English was a foreign language. We arrived at the Mexican border after 1,968 miles, having seen enough sunsets to last us a lifetime.
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Croasdale, Cumbria
CYCL I N G U K . OR G CYCL E 8 1
Left & above: Alamy
The Oregon coast road
y wife looked concerned. ‘Just be careful out there!’ she said, pecking me on the cheek, having witnessed me slipping on the greasy C2C start ramp at Whitehaven marina, after the customary dipping of the rear wheel in the Irish Sea. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,’ I replied. I may be 62 and profoundly deaf (I wear a cochlear implant), but as I rode gently out of Whitehaven on that bright and sunny summer morning, with blue skies overhead and birds singing, I felt like a teenager. It was life-affirming stuff – riding in the tranquility of the Lake District, along flowery lanes, past verdant fields where sheep and cattle grazed, the sun’s rays bouncing off the distant ripples of Loweswater Lake. Sitting on a bench at Whinlatter Forest visitor centre, coffee and cake at hand, I soaked up the atmosphere as young families with excited children mingled with brightly-clad mountain bike riders heading for the nearby trails. With overnight stops at Penrith and Parkhead Station, this was quite a challenging ride. But the incredible scenery, the camaraderie of fellow cyclists I met en route, and the sheer spiritual joy I felt throughout this mini adventure made it all worth it. I eventually made it to a rain-soaked Tynemouth to dip my front wheel in the North Sea.