cycle THE MAGAZINE OF CYCLING UK
On test
TREK 520 TOURER HUNT ROAD WHEELS CONTI GP5000 TYRES PIZZA RACK & MORE
RIDE HIGH
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 £3 OR FREE TO MEMBERS
RIGHT AS RAIN
PASHLEY & GAZELLE’S UPRIGHT ROADSTERS
Four pocketable waterproofs
PARENT COMPANY
Taking mum touring
G R E AT N O R T H T R A I L CYCLING UK’S NEW 800-MILE OFF-ROAD ROUTE Pages 42-48
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CONTENTS 42
36 Raising a glass
Riding a bike for fun often means we end up right back where we started. The draw is the journey, not the destination. We meander over the map, using favourite lanes, views, climbs, descents, and cafés, and finish where we began. They’re circular in that sense only. Looking at a GPS log in Strava or suchlike, the ride outline will be anything but round. That’s especially true for off-road rides, which follow desire lines that haven’t been memorialised in tarmac. Nice sections of trail are scattered like bird tracks on snow: they start, run for a while, then stop. It’s up to whoever’s leading the ride to link them together. Unless you’re at a trail centre, where it’s done for you. Then the fun sections come thick and fast, snapped together like Scalextric track from the trail-builder’s toolbox: straight, berm, drop-off, berm, steep descent, climb, straight. They’re the ultimate circular routes. Yet there’s a less kinetic but more memorable kind of fun to be had in not going round in circles – to really go somewhere. Rides with aspirational destinations are perennially popular with touring cyclists: coast-to-coasts, end-to-ends, and more. There are far fewer off-road equivalents; long-distance trails are thin on the ground. If you’re looking for a new 800-mile off-road epic to ride next year, however, we’ve got just the thing…
Bikepacking through Chianti country and bereavement
42 The Great North Trail Introducing our new 800-mile offroad route
53 Kit inspection
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56 Parent company
Reviews & previews 20 Shop Window Previews of new products
22 Gear up Components, accessories, casual gear, and books
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66 Ride high Pashley and Gazelle roadsters tested
72 Trek 520 Tourer or bikepacker? You decide
75 Lightweight waterproofs Rainproofing that will fit in a pocket
Regulars 04 Freewheeling A short tour around the wonderful world of cycling
07 This is Cycling UK Funding, Cycling Café of the Year, Volunteering opportunities, and more
33 Letters
On the cover
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Pennine Bridleway near Dufton and High Cup Nick. Photo by Joolze Dymond
Your feedback on Cycle and cycling
50 Weekender The Shropshire Hills
61 Cyclopedia Questions answered, topics explained
81 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. 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 Contributing editor: Charlie Lyon Advertising: Jack Watts T: 0203 859 7099 E: jack. watts@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: Precision Colour Printing, Haldane, Halesfield 1, Telford, TF7 4QQ. T: 01952 585585 Founded in 1878
Top to bottom: Max Darkins, Robby Spanring (×2), Dave Barter
To find any Member Group or Cycling UK affiliate, visit cyclinguk.org/groups or phone 01483 238301
Cycling UK’s club clothing is made in Britain. Here’s where – and how Down the Danube with a first-time tourer: 73-year-old mum
Local riding
Cycle Editor
17 Cycling UK Grand Draw Win bikes, gear, holidays, and cold, hard cash – while helping Cycling UK to help more people enjoy cycling
Welcome
DAN JOYCE
Features
this is
150+
Delivery centres involved with BBR in England in 2019 Touring
FIND THE FELLOWSHIP
Help spread the word about the Dutch Reach to prevent this. There’s a video on our website
Volunteering
STAND UP FOR CYCLING
D
o you want to give something back to cycling? Take a look at our latest volunteering opportunities to find out how you can change lives by helping other people to enjoy cycling too. We have a range of roles throughout the UK, from ride leaders in Gateshead to Community Cycle Club volunteers in Southampton. To find one near you, go to tinyurl.com/Volunteerwith-Cycling-UK.
AGM season Member Group AGMs, which take place in October and November every year, are another opportunity to put your hand up to help organise and support cycling locally. By being involved with a Member Group, you’ll find out about the fantastic activities and events you could enjoy in your area. You’ll make friends, learn new skills, and have the satisfaction of knowing you are making a difference by giving others the opportunity to get out on their bikes. To find your nearest Member Group AGM, see: tinyurl.com/ Member-Group-AGMs.
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Teach the Reach With 35% of drivers admitting to not looking for cyclists before opening their car door, our aim is educate everyone about using the Dutch Reach. It’s a simple technique: you reach across to open the door with your hand furthest from the door – your left hand if you’re a driving a British car. Many people have never considered the danger a door opening into a road poses to cyclists, which may account for the 500 people a year injured in this way. Help us to help you by spreading the word. More details on our website: cyclinguk.org/dutchreach.
Workplace cycling Cycle September might be over but it’s never too late to talk to your employer about making your workplace a better place for cyclists. By encouraging more people to cycle to work, your employer is likely to be able to attract the best talent by making their commute easier and stress-free. Find out more about getting your employer to sign up as a Cycle Friendly Employer on the web: cyclinguk.org/cyclefriendlyemployer.
Since the Cape Wrath Fellowship began in 1949, an estimated 2,000 cyclists have joined. Over the years, however, membership records have gone missing as the paperwork and digital records have passed through multiple hands. With the Cape Wrath Fellowship celebrating its 70th anniversary, Cycling UK is appealing to the cycling community to get in touch and help us ‘Find the Fellowship’. You can check out the current roster of members and learn more at: cyclinguk. org/findingthefellowship
In brief
CLUB SHORTS Tony Sacharczuk from Norfolk is the latest winner of the British Cycle Quest Platinum Medal, having taken seven years to visit all (402) checkpoints. West Dorset Member Group voted at an SGM on 9 February 2019 to dissolve. There will now be a new affiliate group named West Dorset Cycling in the area. You can join your group to Cycling UK for only £77.50/year. Visit cyclinguk. org/join-group.
P roduct News
SHOP WINDOW
Peruse new products without clicking that ‘accept cookies’ pop-up yet again. Dan Joyce selects
Club kit for Christmas?
Godfrey Sports’ last date for guaranteed Xmas delivery is 24 Nov. Visit shop. cyclinguk.org
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Circe EOS £3,500+
Like Airnimal’s Joey, the compact, carbon-forked EOS tandem will take 24in or 26in wheels, which are fitted to the Tour and Sport models respectively. Also available as a frameset, it doesn’t fold but can be ordered as a separable. cyclecentric.com
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£439.98 (pair of levers & callipers) Hydraulic braking percolates down to Tiagra, which now includes shorter-reach levers for smaller hands (ST-4725L/R; normal is ST-4720-L/R). shimano.com
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Voile Straps
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Stanforth Pamira
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SKS Bluemels 75 U £59.99
Mudguards for your MTB or fat-tyred town bike? These are 75mm wide, good for 27.5 or 29in tyres up to 2.6in. sks-germany.com
£6.50+ Invented to bind skis together, these polyurethane straps trump velcro ones because they stretch, so hold things tight to your bike. Get the nylon buckled ones to avoid frame scratches. Various lengths. voile.com
£2,995 I first saw this Reynolds 853/725/631 rough-stuffer at Bespoked 2019. It takes 27.5×2.4 or 29×2.2in tyres and is designed for 2×10, 3×10 or Rohloff gearing. Jones bars and Microshift thumbies are nice touches. stanforthbikes.co.uk
Shimano Tiagra
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CatEye GVolt 70
£70.99 Since it meets Germany’s StVZO standard, the 70-lux GVolt 70 is legal as your only front light in the UK too. You'll probably need to buy it online… from Germany. cateye.com
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Carradice Bikepacking Seatpack £90 “The orignal bikepacking company” now has bikepacking bags. This 16-litre Cordura seatpack has a saddle-rail-mounted support to prevent drooping and swaying. carradice.co.uk
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More online Check out our reviews of the latest bikes and gear online at: cyclinguk.org/cycling-advice
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RIDE 800 MILES OFF-ROAD FROM DERBYSHIRE TO THE TIP OF MAINLAND SCOTLAND ON CYCLING UK’S NEWLY DEVISED ROUTE. MAX DARKINS IS YOUR GUIDE
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Feature
THE GREAT NORTH TRAIL MAX DARKINS Author Max is the man behind the Rough Ride Guide series of mountain bike route guides
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MEMBERSHIP FROM JUST MEMBERSHIP £3.88 FROMAJUST MONTH!* £3.88 A MONTH!*
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KIT INSPECTION
F E ATU R E
Clockwise from top left: The sewing room bustles with activity. Finished article – a Cycling UK Elite Jersey. The printed jersey parts are cut by hand… Then stitched by local machinists with decades of experience.
Feature
Kit inspection
Cycling UK’s new club clothing is made by Nottingham’s Godfrey Sports, where ‘local’ and ‘community’ values are paramount, discovers Christina Bengston
Photographs: Robert Spanring
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ne of the common threads in the 41-year story of Godfrey Sports is the experience of its employees. “How long have you worked here?” I ask sewing machine operator Cath. “Fifteen years,” she replies. “Some of the newer members of staff have only been here about ten years,” jokes managing director Tom Godfrey. Tom has been the MD for 16 years. He took over from his mother Judith, who founded the business in 1978. Godfrey Sports is an independent sportskit manufacturer making performance wear for cyclists, rowers, triathletes, and netball players. It’s now the manufacturer of the new Cycling UK kit.
FABRIC OF SOCIETY The Godfrey Sports factory is nestled into a housing estate on the outskirts of Nottingham. On the wall of the building, overlooking the children’s play area,
CHRISTINA BENGSTON Communications and Media Officer Christina has been taking part in Cycle September (p10)
is a brightly coloured mural with flowers, trees, and local scenes. Judith Godfrey encouraged the painting of the mural to brighten up the park. Now retired, she still helps maintain the park gardens. “We’re part of the local community,” Tom tells me. The inside of the factory feels crammed. On the top floor are rolls and rolls of fabrics, patterns hung in every available space, and a selection of completed jerseys, gilets, and other sports apparel. On the bottom floor are a huge sublimation print machine and an intimidating-looking fabric press. Embroidery machines, a vinyl printing area, and a large cutting table take up the rest of the space. On the middle level, the noisy hum of sewing machines nearly drowns out the chatter of voices in the sewing room, which contains yet more neatly hung patterns. Tom runs the company alongside his sister, Kristen Godfrey-Dunn, who joined in 2012. “When I started here it wasn’t like starting a new job,” she says. “We both grew up here.”
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Details Where: Danube River in Germany and Austria Start/finish: Passau to Vienna Distance: 340km (211 miles) Pictures: Cass Gilbert
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APR I L/ M AY 2019
DANUBE
G R E AT R I D E S
CASS GILBERT Bikepacker & cycle tourer Cass had ridden across the Alps off-road just before this trip hence his MTB
Great Rides
PARENT COMPANY
At the age of 73, Cass Gilbert’s mum had never been cycle touring. Cass took her on a trip down the Danube
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hen I read about veteran cyclists touring into their later years, I’m always impressed and inspired, hoping I’ll have the vitality to do the same myself. But I’ve not heard about anyone in their seventies taking up cycle touring for the first time. I’m proud to say my mum, at 73, has done just that. As a parent, she’s watched me cycle off into the world for the last couple of decades, but it wasn’t until last summer that I received a most unexpected email: “I’d like to do a bike tour with you. Can you think of anywhere suitable?” A 340km portion of the Danube Cycleway (Donauradweg) – between Passau in Germany and Vienna in Austria – looked like it would be perfect. The fact that my older sister, her husband, and their two children live in Vienna sealed the deal: visiting them would be the perfect ‘reward’. Renting an electric bike seemed like a natural progression to the plan; it would allow us to cover a reasonable distance each day and keep pace with one another.
Photography: Cass Gilbert
TALES OF THE RIVERBANK Fast forward a couple of months and it was time to leave Passau, our gateway to the Donauradweg. I can’t, unfortunately, claim we were introduced to the cycling utopia we’d been expecting. For most of the route, riders can choose between cycling on the north or the south
Do it yourself
E-bike hire
There are a few bike rental agencies in Passau. We used ‘Rent A Bike Passau’. The €25 a day stepthrough e-bikes have their battery on top of the rear rack, which makes them rear-heavy, especially with panniers. These are provided for €4 a day but we brought our own, along with a helmet and gloves. You can drop off the bike at specific locations in Vienna, or have it picked up for €35 at various points along the route.
bank. We chose the flatter, northern side out of Passau. But although the bike path is technically separated from the road, there was enough heavy traffic that it wasn’t relaxing. Certainly, it didn’t yet live up to the images of bike paths meandering enticingly by the water’s edge… The next morning, we took the first of many ferry crossings and enjoyed a far more relaxing journey. Within a couple of days we were getting into the swing of things, plotting which side of the river suited us best, building up confidence in the saddle, and enjoying the simple rhythm of a bike tour. We’d start with breakfast in the guesthouse, map opened before us. A coffee and perhaps an apple strudel as a mid-morning treat. A picnic lunch by the river edge at lunch. Then a last stint of riding, before plugging in mum’s bike at the guesthouse and tucking into dinner. The Danube Cycleway is a popular route, and we particularly enjoyed being a part of the ebb and flow of riders. We spotted the same couples or groups at different times of the day, nodding as we passed one another other in different cafés or picnic spots. It sees up to 600,000 cyclists a year, the majority of whom visit in July and August. By mid September, when we were there, it’s considerably quieter, which meant booking accommodation on the fly was easier. This was just as well, as we had absolutely no idea of our range each day, being our first tour together. Often situated on the banks of the Danube, all of the gasthofs
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Advice
CYCLOPEDIA
While this cycle lane is only advisory, the double red lines mean ‘no parking at any time’
Q & A
Left: Andy Catlin
Questions answered, subjects explained – Cyclopedia is your bimonthly cycling reference guide In 2018 the Department for Transport gave local councils the authority to install CCTV cameras to increase the policing powers over cycle lanes so as to more readily catch offending motorists. The police can also combat unlawful use of cycle lanes by issuing fines against offenders. The best tactic for keeping the cycle lanes clear in your community may be to petition your local council about the parked cars in them, and suggest they install traffic signs and/or CCTV cameras to monitor the situation. Richard Gaffney
Legal
Cars in bike lanes
Your Experts
Q
What's the law on parked cars in cycle lanes? Could the police prosecute the drivers for obstruction? Do local authorities have the power to enforce clear cycle lanes? Roger Sceats
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Whether a motorist may park or use a cycle lane depends on the cycle lane itself. As per Rule 140 of the Highway Code, a cycle lane marked by a solid white line means that a motor vehicle MUST NOT drive or park in the cycle lane during its times of operation. The time of operation will be designated by nearby signage. If there is no such signage, then motorists are always forbidden from entering the cycle lane. Motorists who drive or obstruct a mandatory cycle lane during its period of operation risk a fine of up to £130. If the cycle lane is marked by a broken white line, it is merely advisory. That means it should be left available for cyclists but may, according to Rule 140 of the Highway Code, be used by other road users when its usage is ‘unavoidable’. The use of advisory cycle lanes may still be regulated by street Cycling UK signs, such as no stopping and/or no Forum parking or double yellow lines. In Need an answer to a that case, drivers can stray into the question right now? advisory cycle lane but cannot park or Try our forum: forum. stop there. cyclinguk.org
DR KATE HATTERSLEY Cycling GP {Health}
RICHARD HALLETT Cycle’s Technical Editor {Technical}
RICHARD GAFFNEY Principal Lawyer, Slater + Gordon Lawyers {Legal}
Technical
Braking bad
Q
The Shimano cantilever brakes on my 1980s tourer have never been great. I tried Tektro CR720 and Avid Shorty Ultimate but neither seemed to fit due to the rims, which are 26mm wide (external). Any ideas? Ian Chambers
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Cantilever brakes can be tuned by adjusting the length of the straddle wire, which alters the ‘pull ratio'. Your brakes use post-mounted blocks, which can be moved through their eye-bolts to alter the orientation of the brake arm when the block reaches the rim. One option would be to move the blocks inwards relative to the arms, rotating the arms outwards and reducing the angle between the straddle cable and the arms. Adjust the system so the cable is at about 85º when the blocks reach the rim. This will increase cable pull. I would also try different blocks, such as the Koolstop blocks tested in Cycle Dec 18/Jan 19. Richard Hallett
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Photographs: Robert Spanring
Biketest
Ride high Roadsters are comfortable and practical urban transport. Victoria Hazael tests a Pashley Princess Sovereign and Gazelle Chamonix C7
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VICTORIA HAZAEL Website Editor Victoria has a bad back so needs to cycle sitting upright at the moment
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oadster, sit-up-and-beg, or Dutch bike? There are various names for a bike designed for slower cycling in an upright position with a swept back handlebar, often a step-through frame, a chainguard, a coat- or skirtguard, and a basket or rack to carry a small load. You don’t spot many in the UK, but roadsters are a common sight on the streets of the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden, all places where there is a culture of everyday cycling. The Pashley Princess Sovereign and the Gazelle Chamonix C7 enable you to glide through the streets rather than race along in Lycra with your head down. That’s important to me at the moment as I’ve injured my lower back and pelvis. Sitting up prevents strains, aches, and pains. The Pashley Sovereign was designed in the 1930s and hasn’t changed all that much since. It is still handmade in the UK, in Stratford upon Avon. Pashley
bikes are often used in period films and TV dramas; keep your eyes peeled and you’ll see some in the latest Mary Poppins film. If you don’t like attention, this is not the bike for you. People stop you in the street to talk to you about it and tell you their mother/aunty/granny used to ride one like yours. A woman even waved me down in the street shouting: “What’s your bike’s name?”. (Hers is Demelza, after her favourite character in Poldark.) And I was invited to a Pashley picnic by a man on a Pashley Guv’nor at the traffic lights. The Gazelle Chamonix C7 is a more modern looking bike, although it is designed by Royal Dutch Gazelle, a company that started in 1892. A few people I met thought it was an e-bike and that I had a motor inside the boxy frame. I have no idea why, since I was cycling very slowly.
Frame and fork The Pashley Princess Sovereign’s lugged steel frame is brazed by hand and painted at the Pashley factory. There’s a steel fork too, and fittings on the frame for a rear rack and a pretty but not very easy-to-use pump. The geometry is classically roadster-ish, with relaxed frame angles and a long wheelbase. It
ROADSTERS
BIKE TEST
First look
Retro style combined with everyday function, but remarkably heavy even for a roadster
If you don’t like attention, this is not the bike for you. People stop you in the street to talk to you about it
Tech Spec
PASHLEY PRINCESS SOVEREIGN 8-SPEED suits cruising around at an easy pace rather than travelling in a hurry. The Gazelle Chamonix C7 frame is TIG-welded, hydroformed aluminium, with a sportier geometry and slightly lower step through. Though nearly 4kg lighter than the Pashley, it’s still a heavy bike. The aluminium fork has head/steerer tube suspension reminiscent of Cannondale’s Headshok system, except that here it’s a simple steel spring offering only around 25mm of travel. I didn’t feel it was necessary as the upright riding position means your weight isn’t on your hands.
front light is (un)matched with a battery-powered LED rear light. The Gazelle also has a battery rear light, and it’s an odd choice in both cases. While it’s true that you can have a brighter front lamp if you don’t divert some of the power to the rear, the real reason may simply be production efficiencies as there’s no (internal?) rear wiring required. The wheels on the Top: Underneath the handy Pashley are a traditional wicker basket is a lovely dynamo lamp. Oddly, the rear size: 26×1 3/8in, otherwise lamp is battery powered known as 650A. The Bottom: 8-speed gearing helps with the bike's heft, but rims are 590mm in a bigger sprocket to lower all diameter, 6mm bigger the gears would be helpful than 650B/27.5in. It’s an uncommon size, midway between 700C and 26in MTB size. Components Limited tyre choices aside, it’s actually At first glance the Pashley Princess a decent option for a smaller size bike. Sovereign looks like a bike from the The largest size Princess, meanwhile, 1930s and 1940s. On closer inspection, it has ISO 635 wheels (also uncommon!), has a mix of classic and contemporary just like the men’s Roadster Sovereign. components. The sprung leather saddle Puncture repairs don’t normally faze might be a traditional Brooks but the me but the rear wheel on the Pashley chaincase, for example, is plastic. made me worried I’d have to faff about The beautiful, hub-dynamo-powered with my whole toolkit on the roadside to
Price: £875 Sizes: 17.5, 20, or 22in (17.5in tested) Weight: 22.4kg/49.3lb Frame & fork: Lugged & brazed hiten steel frame with fittings for rear rack and pump. Chromemoly steel fork. Wheels: 37-590 Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres, 590×18 alloy rims, 36×3 spokes, Shimano Nexus dynamo front hub, Shimano Nexus 8-speed rear hub. Transmission: rubber-treaded flat pedals, chromed steel cranks, 44t chainring, square taper bottom bracket, 20t sprocket. Shimano Nexus 8-speed Dimensions in millimetres and degrees
560 510 n/a
67.5˚
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shifter and hub. Eight ratios, 31-94in. Braking: Shimano Nexus roller brakes. Steering & seating: Rubber grips, 560×25.4mm steel backswept handlebar, alloy & steel quill stem, 1in threaded headset. Brooks B66s saddle, 25.6mm steel plain seatpost. Equipment: steel mudguards, Pletscher alloy rear rack, plastic chaincase, wicker basket, kickstand, skirt-guard, Axa Solid frame lock, pump, bell, B&M Lumotec front dynamo lamp, Herrmans rear battery lamp. pashley.co.uk
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TRAVELLERS’ TALES
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Share your story We’d love to hear your Travellers’ Tales! Email: cycle@ jamespembrokemedia.co.uk
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(L to R) Peter, Ron, Bob, Ross, and Andy
Northamptonshire
The Northampton Ninety-Nine
Spain
Spanish fire escape
Bob Caldwell rode a century with septuagenarian companions
A ferry engine in flames couldn’t derail Roger Grosvenor’s CTC Cycling Holiday
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n the run up to the CTC ‘Spain End2End’ tour from Santander to Gibraltar in May, we were keeping a weather eye on possible delays. Brexit border checks? No. Roadworks around Portsmouth, where we were sailing from? No. Then, a week before departure, came the news that our ferry to Spain had caught fire! It had been towed into Brest for repairs. Brittany Ferries had no spare capacity, so most of us started checking our insurance policies for cancellation terms. But in very short order, tour leaders Julie and Nic Hodgetts had contacted us all and then spent half a day with their local travel agent, emerging with airline tickets to get us all from four different UK airports to Santander, via Madrid. Most of us had to take our bikes to their house, to be dismantled and packed into their vehicle, then driven across France to meet us at Santander airport. As for costs, it was a case of “Don’t worry – CTC Cycling Holidays’ insurance will take care of that!” After all that, the tour went well, with the hoped-for sunshine and some ‘steady’ climbs en route. Endless plains were punctuated by mostly delightful cities. Evening meals
usually included wine – no objections were raised. The support vehicle was waiting at almost every road junction, and on one hot afternoon was even equipped with a bag of ice blocks ready for insertion into one’s clothing! At one hotel, where the water supply was known to be brackish, 14 large bottles of water magically appeared. That’s attention to detail! Amusement was provided by one rider veering into freshly laid concrete and requiring a thorough wash-down. On arriving at Gibraltar, a retired GP threw herself fully clothed into the sea. Gibraltar’s permanent cloud reminded us that both climate and culture were returning to ‘normal’.
Top: Cantabrian Mountain pass Bottom: Andalusia
DESPITE MOST OF US nudging 80, the Rugby Wednesday Riders still ride each week, as we have done since 1993, usually with our founder, Avril Eyre, who is 85. Our annual 100miler has grown into three separate hundreds, the latest of which was a tour of Northamptonshire: the Northampton 99. We began at Rugby, soon leaving the hilly part of Northamptonshire and arriving at Boycott Farm near Buckingham, where there’s an excellent café. The next stage was to cross the A5, which we managed via an excellent flyover-type cycle path. With that noisy and dangerous dual carriageway behind us, we continued to Weston Underwood for lunch at the Cowper’s Oak. The pub’s name refers to an ancient and long-gone oak, beneath which William Cowper sat composing poetry. After lunch, our ride passed quiet villages like Ravenstone and Stoke Goldington en route to Stoke Bruerne, where there’s another lovely café at the Waterways Museum. We arrived in Rugby at about seven o’clock, all with a mileage comfortably in three figures. The following day was spent poring over maps to see what improvements could be incorporated for next year.
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