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A P R I L / M A Y 2 0 1 8 | CYCLE
38 CW from far left: Cycling UK, Ed Shoote, Steve Thomas
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FROM THE E DITOR SPRING SHOULD finally have sprung by the time you read this. I hope so: I’m riding (or have ridden, depending on when this lands on your doormat) the Cycling UK Two Mills (Wirral) Early Season Challenge Ride on 25 March. No such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing? Yeah, but it will be a lot nicer if we’re not battered by Siberian winds. That was bad enough when the Beast of the East was blowing, when the feels-like temperature around here fell to minus 12. Club rides were cancelled. My cycling horizons shrank to utility rides on a fixed-wheel ‘fraudax’ bike (bit.ly/ cycle-fraudax) and short bike-hikes through woodland snowdrifts with a mountain bike. Yet according to Strava, which 38% of you use (see p12), some of my cycling buddies were smashing out long road rides in the UK, Spain, and somewhere called Watopia. Except they weren’t: they were doing virtual reality rides on Zwift, an ingenious invention that leaves me cold. I’m interested in where my friends have ridden, which Strava shows me. I’m not interested in rides they imagine they’ve done while sweating in their garages. Great training it may be; cycling it isn’t. A bike is transport. If it’s not transporting you anywhere, in a sense it’s not a bike but gym equipment. Getting out and riding when the weather’s poor is tough – although there are rewards, as Ed Shoote shows (p36). Fingers crossed, we can now all get out there again… with a little less fortitude required.
DAN JOYCE Cycle editor
Contents
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EVERY ISSUE
THIS ISSUE
04 B I G P I C T U R E
12 O U R S U R V E Y S A I D …
Cycling UK’s Women’s Festival of Cycling
07 F R O M T H E C H I E F EXECUTIVE Paul Tuohy on championing cycling for all
08 C Y C L E S H O R T S Cycling Development Officer Lesley Easter, Richard Scrase’s windpowered Whike, new Beyond the Green Belt report, fighting the A63 bike ban, and the Big Bike Revival returns
24 S H O P W I N D O W New product previews
26 G E A R Components, accessories, and books reviewed
We asked; 5,300 of you answered
21 A G M A G E N D A & M I N U T E S Motions for Cycling UK’s 2018 Annual General Meeting in Bristol
38 S U M M E R C A N W A I T
Scottish Highlands bikepacking in the off-season
46 P E D A L L I N G D Y N A M I C S
Richard Hallett sifts the arguments on pedalling efficiency
50 C H I N A ’ S S I L T R O A D
2,000km across south west China during road repairs
60 B R I T I S H S T E E L
Handbuilt bikes you can see at Bespoked: Stanforth Skyelander, Sven Pathfinder, and Shand Bahookie
73 F L A T P E D A L S
Four different types of flats reviewed
35 L E T T E R S Your feedback on Cycle and cycling
56 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 Rothiemurchus Forest on the banks of Loch an Eilean, near Aviemore. By Andy McCandlish
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
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 Publishing, 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
Quick releases
Left: Leew (Wikimedia commons)
ENJOY YOUR TRIPSTER
The A63 near Brough, where all cycling would be banned
Cyclists’ rights
BATTLING THE A63 BAN Highways England is seeking to ban cyclists from an A-road in Humberside. Duncan Dollimore explains why Cycling UK is fighting it
I
N LATE JANUARY, without consulting cycling organisations, Highways England quietly applied for a traffic regulation order (TRO) on the A63 in Humberside. If you’d pulled your car over, or stopped while cycling down the slip road, you could have read the A4-size obligatory notice fixed to the sign, but otherwise you’d have been hard pushed to discover that the Government-owned company tasked with responsibility for operating England’s major A-roads planned to ban cyclists from a 15-mile stretch of the A63, east of the North Cave junction. The catalyst for the proposed TRO was probably a degree of annoyance and frustration about the number of time trials on the A63, but this isn’t a ban on racing or other organised events: it’s a complete ban on cycling, not just along the A63 but across many of the junctions. A vicar who lives just south of the A63, whose church lies just to the north, would be unable to cycle from home to work because the TRO also covers the slip roads on and off the A63, which he would ride on to access the bridge across the road. So why is Highways England seeking this order? According to the TRO notice, it’s because cyclists can’t keep up with the
16 C Y C L E APR IL/M AY 2018
motor traffic, though they’re not banning tractors or horse-drawn vehicles. Of course, if that logic is followed, cyclists could be banned from most A-roads and many B-roads. That’s why opposing this order is so important, because banning cyclists from roads for being too slow would set an extremely dangerous precedent. Highways England’s notice is misleading. It states that Hull City Council supports the proposal, when in fact a freedom of information request revealed the Council wasn’t consulted. The casualty figures referred to are absolute numbers, with no rate-based analysis or comparison to motor vehicle casualty rates, or indeed with other roads. The proposed TRO is in breach of Highways England’s own cycling strategy and guidelines. Oh, and the company won’t answer questions about where it got its traffic-count data from, whom it’s consulted, or what its alternative proposals for cyclists are. Highways England hasn’t made it easy for people to object, as it wouldn’t accept email objections. So we set up an online tool for people to email their objections to us. And on 13 March, we delivered over 9,500 written objections to Highways England’s offices in Leeds – by bike, of course.
Sarah Millest from Derby is the winner of our adventure bike prize draw. Sarah was one of 5,600 people who entered the draw to win a Kinesis Tripster AT, courtesy of Upgrade Bikes, after taking part in our survey of members and supporters. You can find out more about this versatile bike next issue, as we’re getting one for review. Details of the survey can be found on pages 12-13. FILL THAT HOLE (AGAIN)
Since we launched Fill That Hole in 2007, our pothole reporting web tool and app has been very popular. Unfortunately, late last year after an update to Apple iOS, the iPhone version of the app began to crash when potholes were reported. We’re pleased to announce that, thanks to the hard work of our volunteer developers, the app is back up and running. CYCLISTS GO FORTH
The Forth Road Bridge in Scotland has been reopened – for cyclists, pedestrians, buses, and taxis only. The Queensferry Crossing alongside now carries the rest of the traffic (i.e. cars and HGVs) and is due to become a motorway. Staff and supporters of Cycling UK in Scotland attended the opening event. Cycling UK’s Claire Connachan said: ‘With the bridge now closed to almost all motor vehicles, cycling over it is much more enjoyable. With no fumes, vibration or noise to contend with, could the route over the Forth Estuary now be one of the most impressive in Scotland?’
PRODUCT NEWS | SHOP WINDOW
Product news
Bespoked 2018
The UK Handmade Bicycle Show is in Bristol from 20-22 April and you can get 2-for-1 entry. For details, see the British Steel bike test this issue (p60)
SHOP WINDOW EDITOR DAN JOYCE PREVIEWS A SELECTION OF PRODUCTS THAT WERE ON DISPLAY AT BIKE SHOWS EARLIER THIS YEAR
3
6 2 4 C Y C L E APR IL/M AY 2018
LINE TUBELESS TIRE 1 FINISH SEALANT £TBC
Latex-based sealants typically dry into a useless rubbery residue after 3-6 months. This stuff, which uses kevlar fibres in suspension, ‘lasts the life of the tyre’. finishlineusa.com
2
1
DAN JOYCE Cycle editor
2 COTIC ESCAPADE F&F
£499
Priced keener than most road-plus framesets, Cotic’s carbon-forked allrounder still ticks the on-trend boxes: through-axles, flat-mount disc brakes, and clearance for plush 50-584 tyres. cotic.co.uk
SL 460 3 TRELOCK SMARTLOCK
£105.99
5 4
This frame-lock doesn’t use a key or a battery: it locks and unlocks via your Android phone, which is placed against the sensor to power it via induction. trelock.de
4 CROSSHEAD FOLDER
£1,800+
With 20in wheels and a packed size of 685×620×360mm (claimed), this aluminium folder fits trains fine but is aimed at riders who want to go faster or further than Brompton buyers. crosshead.co.uk
5 TRIGGER BELL
£9.99
With this simple, fits-anywhere bell, you don’t have to choose between squeezing your brake levers and pinging loudly to alert pedestrians. triggerbell.com
6 TAILFIN T1
7
£249.99
This 350g, carbon fibre (!) rack attaches via a special axle to frames without conventional fittings, e.g. road bikes. It’s quick release so suits intermittent use. Bags are £89.99 each. tailfin.cc
CUTTLEFISH 7 ALPKIT SEATPACK £TBC
It’s a 9-litre bikepacking seatpack for dropper seatposts, supported by a metal loop that’s sandwiched in the seat clamp. alpkit.com
D E TA I L S WHERE: Scottish Highlands START/FINISH: Aviemore to Dumbarton and Inverness to Pitlochry DISTANCE: 287km and 208km PICTURES: Ed Shoote
SCOT TISH HIGHL ANDS | GRE AT RIDES
Great rides
SUMMER CAN WAIT
Ed used chunkier 650B wheels for this trip
Summer isn’t the only time to enjoy the Scottish Highlands. Ed Shoote crammed a couple of bikepacking adventures into two chilly weekends
F
riday afternoon on the fringes of winter: my phone buzzes to remind me it’s 3pm. How quickly can I manage my Superman-style transformation? I rush into the bathroom as an office worker and emerge moments later in Lycra. My bike is packed and ready to go. It’s time to fly – figuratively. While I regularly catch flights or hop in the car to go and ride my bike somewhere new, this weekend I’m doing things differently. I’m conscious that my carbon footprint looms large, despite travelling solely by bike during the week. So instead of heading for the airport or driving north up the A9, I’m riding to Edinburgh station instead. The train whizzes me north towards Aviemore, and I sit staring through my reflection into the blue twilight deepening over the hills. I’ll need lights this evening.
ALL MAPPED OUT There are so many places to explore by bike in Scotland, thanks to its enlightened outdoor access laws, that it took me a while to decide on my route. I had scanned three spread-out maps for potential gravel tracks linking together two railway stations. Eventually, I reckoned I’d cracked it. I’d
start in Aviemore on Friday evening and hopefully end in Glasgow on Sunday. The maps were folded away, the bike’s bags packed. I always pack and prepare riding gear at least the night before, even for weekend trips. It’s easy to forget small important items like a penknife or toilet paper. So I have a standard list that I can adjust as needed. For this trip, as well as the bivvy bag I always take in case I don’t reach where I’m headed for the night, I was packing a Gore-Tex jacket, warm gloves, boots, and waterproof shorts. It was late autumn – like early spring, a ‘shoulder season’ for bikepacking. Yet a full weekend of cycling in Scotland doesn’t need to be the preserve of long summer days. Spring and autumn avoid the midges. While winter is a magical time to visit the Highlands, it can be too snowbound for trips like the one I was attempting.
Do it yourself
MAKING TRACKS The beauty of using the train is that anyone can access these routes. Remember to book your bike when using Virgin Trains or they may refuse boarding. The routes I did can be ridden in either direction. South-to-north means the prevailing SW wind is favourable, but riding from the north meant I could book the more expensive train to Inverness with certainty. The key train stations for these routes are: Feshie Bridge, Aviemore, and Inverness in the north; and Rannoch Moor, Pitlochry, and Tyndrum or Crianlarich as you head south, approaching Glasgow.
INTO THE NIGHT Aviemore station is deserted when I alight with my bike. It looks Victorian, with lanternshaped lights casting orange glows into the misty darkness beyond the platform. It could easily be the setting for a classic film. I pop over the road to the fish and chip
THERE ARE SO MANY PLACES TO EXPLORE BY BIKE IN SCOTLAND, THANKS TO ITS ENLIGHTENED OUTDOOR ACCESS LAWS CYCL I N G U K . OR G CYCL E 3 9
FE ATURE | PEDALLING
Feature
PE DA L L IN G DY NAM IC S EFFICIENT PEDALLING ISN’T A MATTER OF ‘PEDALLING CIRCLES’; NO ONE REALLY DOES THAT. SO WHAT’S THE ANSWER? RICHARD HALLETT CONSIDERS YOUR OPTIONS 4 6 C Y C L E APR IL/M AY 2018
PEDALLING | FE ATURE
“Ankling has been promoted as desirable since the dawn of cycling”
PEDALLING ST YLE S VARY – I T R E A L LY IS DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS
Main photo: Steve Thomas
O
n the face of it, there is, as recently-retired top British time triallist Michael Hutchinson once averred, ‘just pedalling and getting on with it.’ Propelling a cycle is simply a question of pressing down on the pedals to make progress, surely? Well, yes: press down on the pedals and you will propel the bike forward using a motion that appears to be simplicity itself. Since a conventional bicycle’s pedals travel in a circle, the rider’s feet must do the same as they complete a pedal revolution, and it’s not immediately obvious that there’s a better or worse way to go about it. Since the earliest days of cycling, however, commentators have espoused the idea of an
‘ideal’ pedalling action, which implies that it is possible to pedal in a less-than-ideal manner. And indeed, while the ideal pedalling action is, even today, the subject of debate, the way in which pedals might be pressed less than ideally is easy to spot.
FEEL THE FORCE Circular pedalling is well-adapted to harnessing human leg power. There have been countless efforts to find a more efficient drive system, many using complex linkages to produce a linear or ‘arcuate’ pedal path in the hope of finding more power or efficiency, but without success. In every arena of human-powered transport, circular pedalling has, so far, proved the most effective transmission. Nevertheless, those inventors of alternative transmissions
have a point, which is that leg power is most effective when pushing the foot in a straight line away from the hip. Inevitably, given the geometry of circular pedalling, this offers a limited window of opportunity in which force can be effectively applied to a pedal. ‘Effectively’ means applied at a tangent, or perpendicular, to the crank. Instrumented pedals constructed to measure the direction and amplitude of applied force first appeared in the late 19th century; modern versions using sophisticated electronics arrived in the early 1990s. They make it possible to separate the tangential and radial components of pedalling: force applied at 90° to the crank arm, which contributes entirely to turning the crank and producing motive torque; and force applied radially along the length of the crank, effectively compressing or extending it. Radial force has an energy cost due to the muscle contraction that generates it but does not help to turn the pedals and therefore does nothing to propel the cycle. It is ‘ineffective’ effort. Combining radial and tangential forces produces a resultant force. Viewed from the drive side, the pedal force ‘clock diagram’ for a typical trained cyclist shows that force is largely applied in a direct line originating from the hip. It also shows that the pedal load is tangential at around 2 o’clock, radial at around 7 o’clock, and a bit of both (in varying amounts) in between – and that maximum pedal load tends to be applied at around half-past four. On this evidence, most cyclists tend to push hardest on the pedals once they are at or below horizontal, and therefore to expend a lot of ineffective effort. It’s not quite that simple; the pedal load can be further broken down into muscular and fundamental components, the latter caused by the inertia of the limbs as the pedals rotate, but there is a progressively smaller tangential component as the pedal descends past horizontal. The aim of the various actions touted as contributing to the supposedly ideal action is generally either to increase the tangential
CYCL I N G U K . OR G CYCL E 4 7
Q&A | EXPERT ADVICE
Expert advice
MEET THE EXPERTS
YOUR TECHNICAL, LEGAL, AND HEALTH QUESTIONS ANSWERED. THIS ISSUE: MUDDY ROADS, WHEEL TRUING, ROLLER BRAKES, BAD HIPS, AND MORE
D R M AT T B R O O K S Cycling GP {Health}
?
Question of the month
Left: Graham Turner / Alamy
RICHARD HALLETT Cycle’s Technical Editor {Technical}
Farmers must remove or warn about mud
Legal
MUD ON THE ROAD
Q
I recently fell off my road bike on a country lane after riding into a large stretch of wet mud leading from a farmer’s field. It was all over the road so I couldn’t avoid it. I’m more or less okay, but I’ve written off the bike’s left-hand STI. One of my clubmates took a photo of the scene with his mobile phone. Aren’t farmers meant to clear up stuff like this? It didn’t look like it had just happened, as the shape of the tractor’s tyre tracks wasn’t well defined, and there had been heavy overnight rain before our morning club ride. Is there anything I can do? Name & address supplied
5 6 C Y C L E APR IL/M AY 2018
A
Mud on the road is a common occurrence, especially on country roads surrounding farms. This can be especially hazardous to cyclists and motorbike riders. The initial hurdle individuals may face is identifying which farmer left the mud on the road. This may be easier to determine if there is a nearby farm/field. Many farmers require the use of public roads to transport produce, equipment and other materials. Councils and Local Authorities routinely encourage farmers to clean up any mud/ obstructions caused by their vehicles and livestock, or to place adequate, authorised signs to notify other road users of the danger. Not doing so because it is economically inconvenient is not a reasonable defence in law. This is due to the fact that if any person without lawful authority or excuse deposits matter onto the highway, and that matter causes an interruption or a danger to other road users, that person is guilty of an offence under Section 148 and Section 161 of the Highways Act 1980. The consequences could
RICHARD GAFFNEY Principal Lawyer, Slater + Gordon Lawyers {Legal}
range from a fine to imprisonment. If it appears that the farmer isn’t going to clean up the mess any time soon, one option you could pursue is to report the danger to your local Highways Authority. Under Section 149 of the Highways Act 1980, the Highways Authority has the power to clean up the road and recover expenses from the parties responsible. This may be dealt with quickly, depending on the type of road that has the obstruction. Busier roads will receive more attention because the risk of an incident occurring is much higher. If the farmer fails to remove the mud in a reasonable time after this notification, the Highways Authority itself may be liable for any damage/injury. You may also be able to pursue a civil claim against the farmer concerned – particularly where you have suffered a significant injury. In this instance, thank goodness you appear to have suffered mainly damage to your bike. In the last issue of Cycle (Feb/Mar 18, p60), I set out how to proceed in such circumstances. Richard Gaffney
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BIKETEST | BRITISH STEEL
Bike test
BRITISH STEEL
DAN JOYCE Cycle editor
Handbuilt bikes are enjoying something of a renaissance. Dan Joyce tests a Stanforth Skyelander, Sven Pathfinder, and Shand Bahookie
T
HE MARKET FOR enthusiasts’ bicycles is dominated by aluminium and carbon machines made in the Far East – bikes that are modish, competitively priced, and relatively lightweight. Against this backdrop, a (probably) heavier and more expensive steel bike that’s handbuilt in the UK is a hard sell. Yet if you’re not racing, a one kilo difference in the frame weight is something you’ll be aware of primarily when you pick the bike up, not so much when you’re actually riding it. It’s 1-2% of your bike-plus-rider weight. That comparatively small weight saving often means sacrificing other things, such as comfort, durability, or practicality. It’s not all about the weight. A steel frame, and more especially a steel fork, can have different ride quality from oversized aluminium and super-stiff carbon. Steel is a resilient material that can be designed to flex a little. It’s durable. When it does fail, it lets you down gently. Since steel is inherently strong and stiff, its frame tubes are skinnier, which makes for good looking bikes. And it can be built with a brazing torch by a guy in a shed rather than in an autoclave by a corporation. That’s a benefit not so much because the bike can be tailored to your size – the majority of us will comfortably fit mass-produced, off-the-peg bikes, given careful contact-point placement – but because it can be tailored to your preferences. You can have a bike that isn’t mainstream. Choose different geometry. Choose versatility. Choose more frame fittings and clearances large enough for bigger tyres and/or mudguards… The ultimate non-mainstream bike inhabits a niche of one: it’s bespoke to you. The
6 0 C Y C L E APRIL/M AY 2018
three on test here aren’t custom bikes in that sense. They’re handbuilt but they’re off-the-peg designs. All three builders offer à la carte options when it comes to the specification, however, and you can have customised sizing/geometry/fittings if you wish. So I guess we should call them, as Sven Cycles does, semi-custom bikes. The builders of all three test bikes, and many more, will be at Bespoked, the UK Handmade Bicycle Show. That takes place at Brunel’s Old Station, next to Bristol Temple Meads, from 20-22 April. The normal ticket prices are £20 for one day and £30 for all three days. Cycling UK members can get two-
Bespoked is an ideal opportunity to liaise with framebuilders
for-one tickets, either online at bit.ly/cyclebespoked241 (enter the code CUK24118), or on the door with a valid membership card. For more details about Bespoked, visit bespoked. cc. I’ll maybe see you there, as I’m one of the judges.
MORE REVIEWS ON THE WEBSITE We’re adding more bike reviews online. Visit cyclinguk.org/cycling-advice
BRITISH STEEL | BIKETEST
Below: The 48-3626 chainset provides better touring gears than a road triple
Tech Spec
Touring bike
STANFOR TH SK YE L ANDE R
S
TANFORTH BIKES’ FIRST model was the Kibo, an expedition bike named after Kilimanjaro’s peak and reminiscent of the Saracen mountain bikes that Richard and Nick Crane took up there in 1984. Saracen Cycles was owned by Simon Stanforth’s father and uncle, and Simon heard the Cranes’ exploits firsthand as a boy. The Kibo has been joined by a classic tourer, the Skyelander, and a sports tourer, the Stanforth Conway. There are two versions of Skyelander: 700C, which I picked, and 650B.
FRAME & FORK The Skyelander frame comes in five nominal sizes: 20-24 inches in 1in increments. Either the 21in or 22in would have fitted me fine, given an appropriate length stem. But since all frames are made to order, Simon asked me to specify a reach (the horizontal distance from the bottom bracket to the top of the head tube) and stack (the vertical distance from the bottom bracket to the top of the head tube) that I would find comfortable. Had I made a trip to Brighton, I could have been measured for the bike for free. Simon also wanted to know my weight (64kg) and the kind of riding I’d be doing on the bike (mostly on road with a couple of small panniers), because he selects the tube gauges to suit. Normally that selection is from
650
Dimensions in millimetres and degrees
Reynolds 631 for the main tubes and 525 for the stays. The test bike uses 853 and 725 instead, an optional upgrade that costs £180. With stack, reach, and tubesets decided, Simon sent me a geometry diagram. ‘My’ Skyelander frame ended up 13mm taller (stack) and 3mm shorter (reach) than a typical 22in frame. While I might have adjusted the handlebar position more than that by moving, flipping, or switching the stem, these small frame geometry tweaks incurred no extra charges. Simon and I agreed that he would leave the fork steerer long. I then cut it to size and fitted a new star nut when it arrived, a better solution than a too-short steerer. The frameset has the fittings – and, in this case, the equipment – you want for touring, although I removed the front rack for the test as I didn’t need it. There’s room in both frame and fork for 35mm tyres and mudguards or perhaps 45mm without. However, there wasn’t a lot of room between the front mudguard and my size eight feet, which rubbed against each other on the tightest turns. It didn’t cause any trouble, and it’s true that the test bike is 3mm shorter than normal, but if I were buying rather than reviewing I’d have specified either: a 71° head angle and a 55mm fork offset; or a 10mm shorter stem and a 10mm longer top tube. Either of these changes would have increased the front-centres distance. To be
555
830
73˚
51
450
601 72˚
60
63
565
702
170 287 1035
135 622 33
S TA N F O R T H SKYELANDER PRICE: £2,550 as supplied (frame & fork from £950) SIZES: 20, 21, 22, 23, 24in or custom WEIGHT: 13.33kg (inc pedals, without front rack) FRAME & FORK: Reynolds 853 steel frame, lugged and brazed, with 725 stays and fittings for rack, mudguard, three bottles. Reynolds 631 fork, lugged and brazed, with fittings for lowrider rack and mudguard WHEELS: 35-622 Schwalbe Marathon Racer tyres, 622-19 Rigida Sputnik rims, 36 ×3 spokes, Shimano Deore XT hubs TRANSMISSION: VP Touring pedals (swapped for Shimano M520 SPD), 170mm Shimano Deore XT M771 triple 9-speed chainset, 48-36-26 chainrings, Shimano SM-BB70 Hollowtech bottom bracket, Shimano HG53 9-speed chain, Shimano HG500 10-speed 11-32 cassette (later exchanged). Dura Ace 9-speed bar-end shifters, Shimano Deore front derailleur, Deore XT M771 9-speed rear. 30 ratios, 22-121in BRAKING: Dia Compe 287V aero brake levers, Shimano Deore XT V-brakes STEERING & SEATING: Profile Design Drive cushioned tape, 420×26.0mm Nitto Dirt Drop RM-013 touring handlebar, 80mm×7° threadless stem, Tange Seiki J27 1 1/8in threadless headset. Brooks Cambium B17 saddle, 27.2×300mm Zoom seatpost EQUIPMENT: Tubus Cargo rear rack, Tubus Tara lowrider front rack (removed for test), SKS Chromoplastic mudguards, two bottle cages stanforthbikes.co.uk
CYCL I N G U K . OR G CYCL E 6 1
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F L AT PEDA L S | G R O U P T E S T
Group test
FLAT PEDALS
RICHARD HALLETT Technical Editor
Don’t get too attached to your clipless pedals: flats can work well too. Richard Hallett reviews four types S TR A P CHANNELS
PE DA L WA S H E R S
Pedals may have channels cast or moulded into the body to guide and locate toe straps.
Not usually supplied with pedals, pedal washers reduce the possibility of damage to the cranks and are vital when using pedals with full-width spanner flats.
PL ATF O R M AREA Bigger is better, up to a point, as this spreads pressure from the shoe pressing on the pedal over a wider area, reducing foot fatigue.
M
GRIP
AXLE DESIGN
Shoes can easily slip off flat pedals. Teeth or pins projecting from the pedal surface reduce the likelihood of slippage but inevitably increase the risk of injury if the foot does slip off – or when pushing the cycle.
The standard 9/16in pedal thread (left-hand on the left-hand pedal) stops at a shoulder on the axle. On low cost models, the axle spanner flats may cut across the shoulder, creating an edge than can damage a an aluminium crank.
OST PERFORMANCE CYCLISTS ride with their feet attached to the pedals, hoping to keep the foot correctly positioned over the pedal axle, to prevent it slipping off under hard effort, and conceivably to allow the rider to pull up on the pedal upstroke. Where convenience outweighs performance, however, flat pedals are the way forward. Flatties let you just get on and ride – in what ever footwear you fancy. This makes them the obvious choice for many cycling activities, such as short-distance commuting, bike share
schemes, or riding to the pub. For touring, there’s no need to carry off-bike footwear. When mountain biking, it’s easier to bail out on difficult singletrack. Flatties allow self-selected foot placement on the pedal. Some cyclists might choose a position that’s less efficient. But experienced cyclists can find a comfortable, efficient foot position and heel angle without having to worry about the niceties of cleat adjustment. It’s worth noting that, even with the most supportive pedals, footwear with stiffer soles makes for more comfortable pedalling.
Reflecting on flats Another advantage of flats is that it’s usually easier to fit the pedal reflectors required by law after dark. See cyclinguk.org/cyclistslibrary/regulations/ lighting-regulations
CYCL I N G U K . OR G CYCL E 7 3
Travellers’ tales
Devon Dirt photos: Graham Brodie
Some Canadian rivers become winter trails
Old-school off-road riding on Dartmoor
THE DE VON DIRT Julia Browne headed into the Dartmoor hills with big tyres and modest ambitions
T
he previous year’s Devon Dirt had been fun but hard work: 30 miles on my partner’s fat bike, trying to stay with a group who were faster and fitter… and not on fat bikes. As the 2017 version was a figure-of-eight loop, I checked whether it would be cheating to ride just the first loop and stop. Organiser Graham Brodie was agreeable, and so first-timer Meg Hepworth and I put in our entries quick. This time I had my own fat bike, so Meg borrowed my partner’s. At least neither of us would have a bike advantage over the other! For me, the biggest appeal of the Devon Dirt is that it’s ‘proper’ riding. The focus is on stitching together bridleways, green lanes, rough woodland tracks, and moorland trails with short tarmac
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8 2 C Y C L E APR IL/M AY 2018
Julia (r) & friend Shani
stretches, lots of climbing, and great scenery. Dartmoor isn’t short on scenery, and on a sunny spring day, trekking on a bike is an excellent way to appreciate it. The fat bikes were fine. It was a bit more work getting them uphill on roads, but they were so sure-footed, stable, and forgiving on the rough stuff. If you have the gearing and the legs, they’ll climb anything. We made the right call to ride only the first, 17-mile loop, however. We’d already climbed just over 2,000ft and were dead last coming in to the lunch stop – only partly because we kept stopping to take photos. The Dirt is emphatically not a race, fortunately! Every year, I wear the T-shirt and aching legs with pride. The 2018 Devon Dirt is on 8 April and is part of the Cycling UK Challenge Ride Series. See devondirt.co.uk.
Riding on ice KEN PRESTON TOOK A SPIN ALONG A COUPLE OF FROZEN RIVERS IN CANADA
Y
esterday was a beautiful winter day in Winnipeg: –7°C, with little wind. So I went for a ride. For several years now, our city has been building winter skating and walking trails on the two major rivers that pass through the city, the Red and the Assinaboine. These trails start at Forks, where the two rivers meet. Every year, the trails vary in length depending on the temperature and the water levels at the time of freezing. This winter, we had a very cold December and early January, which with low water levels on the Assinaboine have made for some lovely trails. Cycling on these icy trails is wonderful. You get a view of the city that one does not normally get. You see people skating, walking, running, and of course cycling. Many of the cyclists use fat bikes, but if you stick to the skating trails it’s not really necessary. I use a converted singlespeed, a Trek mountain bike with two-inch studded tyres. The trail down both rivers is about 6km. This year, the Forks staff hope to have the length close to 9km once it’s finished. The trails are adorned with spruce trees and warming huts. The huts change from year to year, the designs chosen by an international competition. Yesterday they were building a pop-up restaurant on the frozen river, so there will be an even wider choice of post-ride food and drink than usual.
Warming huts dot the frozen route