Cycle magazine February/March 2022 by Cycling UK

cycle THE MAGAZINE OF CYCLING UK

On test

SONDER COLIBRI IRIS WINTER JACKET CYCLING TROUSERS DUXBACK CAPE & MORE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022

EMERALD ISLE SO FT DAYS , N O HARD BO RD E R Page 44

N PLUS ZERO

Make the most of the bike(s) you own

CITY BIKES

Practical roadsters from Trek & Gazelle

RELAX & COAST

P lu s RIDE THE 86-MILE AVON CYCLEWAY BETTER PHOTOS WITH YOUR PHONE BIKE FINDER: BEST £1,250 DISC ROAD AND MUCH MORE

British seaside breaks with bikes

CONTENTS Features 28 Relax and coast Bike-friendly British seaside breaks

Welcome

32 N Plus Zero How to make the best of the bike(s) you’ve got

40 Phone, camera, action Take better cycling pictures with your mobile phone

44 Right as rain Over the border and under the clouds in Ireland

Products 16 Shop Window New products coming soon(ish)

18 Gear up Components, accessories, and books

54 Hub-geared roadsters Practical city bikes from Trek and Gazelle

Cycle Editor

An all-purpose road bike for under a grand

62 Cycling trousers Warm legs without going all Max Wall

Regulars 04 Freewheeling Bits and pieces from the bike world

07 This is Cycling UK Highway Code campaign victory; what the EXPERIENCE Project means for Kent, Norfolk, and Cornwall; our winter raffle; and more

14 You are Cycling UK

Coronavirus

DAN JOYCE

60 Sonder Colibri Al Tiagra

For updated advice regarding the Covid-19 outbreak, visit: cyclinguk.org/ coronavirus

Paul Fogarty’s blog is ‘3wheels1leg’

25 Letters Your feedback on Cycle and cycling

On the cover

Wishing Bridge, Gap of Dunloe © Backroads/ David Epperson. For tour details & bookings, see backroads.com

38 Weekender 86 miles on the Avon Cycleway

49 Cyclopedia Questions answered, topics explained

65 Travellers’ Tales Cycling UK members’ ride reports

CYCLING UK: Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford, GU2 9JX E: cycling@cyclinguk.org W: cyclinguk.org T: 01483 238300. Cycle promotes the work of Cycling UK. Cycle’s circulation is approx. 51,000. Cycling UK is one of the UK’s largest cycling membership organisations, with approx. 70,500 members and affiliates Patron: Her Majesty the Queen President: Jon Snow Chief Executive: Sarah Mitchell. Cyclists’ Touring Club, a Company Limited by Guarantee, registered in England No 25185, registered as a charity in England and Wales Charity No 1147607 and in Scotland No SC042541. Registered office: Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford, GU2 9JX. CYCLE MAGAZINE: Editor: Dan Joyce E: editor@cyclinguk.org Head of Design: Simon Goddard Advertising: Elly Kiss T: 0203 198 3092 E: elly.kiss@jamespembrokemedia.co.uk Publisher: James Houston. Cycle is published six times per year on behalf of Cycling UK by James Pembroke Media, 90 Walcot Street, Bath, BA1 5BG. T: 01225 337777. Cycle is copyright Cycling UK, James Pembroke Media, and individual contributors. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission from Cycling UK and James Pembroke Media is forbidden. Views expressed in the magazine are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or the policies of Cycling UK. Advertising bookings are subject to availability, the terms and conditions of James Pembroke Media, and final approval by Cycling UK. Printed by: William Gibbons & Sons Ltd, 26 Planetary Road, Willenhall, West Midlands, WV13 3XB T: 01902 730011 F: 01902 865835 Founded in 1878

Top to bottom: Joolze Dymond, Neil Wheadon, Steve Thomas, Ian Proctor/Alamy

Buy the shiny new one. Bin the old one. Never mind that it still works. This new one is 2.7% better, has these swoopy frame profiles, and look, it comes in orange. Everyone likes orange this year; all the reviews say so. Sure it’s expensive, but can you put a price on being 2.7% faster/gnarlier/happier? That’s broadly the message I’ve absorbed from reading the adverts – and some of the reviews – in cycling magazines lately, in order to update a feature on the website (cyclinguk.org/ cycle/guide-cycling-magazines). I’ve embellished my first paragraph, of course. I’ve no idea if orange is popular or not… This isn’t a critique of the bike industry. It’s their job to sell us things. Doing that is harder if the advert says: “Yeah, it’s basically the same as last year’s, but we changed the head angle by half a degree and we’ve got a new font for the lettering on the down tube.” There will always be gloss. It’s the market economy. It’s how the wheels of industry turn. Except those wheels fell off during the pandemic due to supply problems. Next day delivery and instant in-store gratification were, and largely still are, off the table. We couldn’t necessarily get what we wanted. Consumerism took a hit. Happily, cyclists are well placed to weather that minor inconvenience. Bikes aren’t computers: they improve incrementally at best. Last year’s model, last decade’s model – even last century’s model – is likely good enough. So long as we can buy oil, grease, and any truly essential replacement parts, we’re good to go. We’re lucky.

cycle O RLD O F CYCLIN G W L FU ER ND O W E TH D A SH O RT TO UR ARO UN Shop Window

MORE PREVIEWS ON PAGE 16

Bike tech st Fair Bicycle Drop Be rb dropper Paul (right) enabled the club to buy bikes and train ride leaders

You ride

Paul Devlin Former footballer

orn and raised in Erdington, Birmingham, ex-professional footballer Paul Devlin describes himself as being “a typical innercity kid”. After 15 years playing for a variety of clubs including Sheffield United, Notts County, Birmingham City, and the Scotland national team, Paul now runs a community interest group (CIC) and has donated £5,000 to the Road to Recovery Cycling Club based in Solihull. The cycling group helps people recovering from addiction and mental health problems, an issue close to Paul’s heart. “I’ve come across lots of people over the years that have had drinking and addiction problems,” Paul says. “I’m a big believer in healthy body, healthy mind. If I go two or three days without doing anything, I find myself feeling irritable, sluggish, you get that sort of brain fog. I’m not going to say keeping fit is going to solve all your mental health problems but from a personal point of view I do think the two go hand in hand.” The money Paul’s CIC has donated to the group has enabled them to buy a fleet of bikes and train up another seven ride leaders. Paul’s even joining the group on some of their rides. “I’m a newbie,” says Paul, “but I’m really getting into it. I really enjoy it. I wish I’d taken it up years ago.”

ROAD TO RECOVERY Find out more about the Road to Recovery Cycling Club at cyclinguk.org/article/road-to-recovery

Right: Graham Brodie

Event DEVON DIRT

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Really?

POC Consort MTB Dungaree £450 to look like Geoffrey from Rainbow while you ride your mountain bike? Evidently so. Yes, they’re waterproof. Yes, there are advantages to the bib-and-brace versus waist fastening. But you could buy an excellent secondhand bike for the price of these mustard yellow bib overalls. pocsports.com

Classic tech

Madison Flux “Just get a Charge Spoon.” That was long a standard cycling forum answer to the “what saddle?” question. The Spoon’s grooved shape gave good sit-bone support, and it was inexpensive and fairly light. Then it was discontinued. Madison’s Flux (142mm wide, 283g) is a saddle in literally the same mould. £39.99, freewheel.co.uk

Devon Dirt, the annual off-road ride on the edge of Dartmoor, returns on 3 April. Described by organiser Graham Brodie of South Devon CTC as “a fun day out on muddy tracks linked by country lanes” it starts in Ashburton. It’s not a technical challenge and could be ridden on a cyclocross bike. Adult entry is £20, junior £15. Cycling UK members get £5 off. devondirt.co.uk cycle

FE B R UARY / M ARCH 2022

On my bike

Rob Penn

Try This

TRI-VETS RIDES Some Cycling UK groups are once again putting on rides of 100km or 100 miles this summer, aimed at participants aged 50 or over. Taking place every three years since 1928, the rides mostly follow a simple format of an accessible route with a stop for

Author, journalist & TV presenter refreshments. Some will have ride leaders guiding small groups, while others will navigate the route solo or in pairs with a route sheet. Everyone who finishes within a certain time limit can claim a 2022 date bar to add to their Tri-Vets badge. cyclinguk. org/article/tri-vets-2022

Why do you cycle? Multiple reasons but, right now, to stay sane is at the top of the list. How far do you ride each week? In winter, 10s of kms – at home, on an MTB and commuting. In summer, 100s of kms on a road bike around the UK and Europe. Which of your bikes is your favourite? A handmade steel Brian Rourke, the subject of my book It’s All About the Bike. It’s not just my favourite bike, it’s my favourite possession. What do you always take with you? Multi tool, tyre lever, pump, phone, £20 note and (hopefully) a sense of adventure.

Picture this

Photo: Robert Spanning

If your resolution for the year is to get out on your bike more, here’s an incentive. Follow @wearecyclinguk on Instagram and share photos of your cycling overnighters using #12NightsOutIn1Year. We’re giving away bikepacking goodies to each winner, including an Alpkit jacket (worth £92.99), annual subscription to OS Maps, and more. T&Cs: cyclinguk.org/12-nightsout-1-year

Bike hacks

FROZEN FREEHUB PAWLS Winter cold can cause the pawls to freeze in position in your bike’s freehub so there’s no drive. You just pedal air. If it happens on a ride, hot water on the freehub may free them. Even the warm water from your own bladder can do the trick… Too icky? Didn’t work? Fasten the back of the cassette to the spokes with cable ties and pedal home very gently on your now fixed-wheel bike, using the lowest gear available. Send your bike hacks to editor@cyclinguk.org.

Who mends your punctures? Me. I actually enjoy it. It’s raining: bike, public transport, or car? Bike. I live in rural Wales. It’s usually the only option. Lycra or normal clothes? Both If you had £100 to spend on cycling, what would you get? Probably books and maps. I love maps. What’s your favourite cycle journey? It’s a long list, but for brevity: at home, a tour of the Black Mountains; globally, from Kashgar in China to Gilgit in Pakistan, along the Karakoram Highway and over the Khunjerab Pass. What single thing would most improve matters for UK cyclists? Where to start?! Making cycle awareness part of learning to drive and the driving test would be a good thing. Visit Rob’s website: robpenn.net

C Y CL I NGUK . O RG

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Cracking the code After more than ten years of Cycling UK campaigning, the Highway Code has been revised to protect vulnerable road users. Sarah Mitchell celebrates

e were delighted to start 2022 as we mean to go on – with a resounding campaigning success! More than ten years of patient and persistent lobbying by Cycling UK and partners led to the Government’s changes to the Highway Code, announced at the end of January. At last cyclists will benefit from a clear hierarchy of New minimum passing distance responsibility on our roads, protecting the most vulnerable. Other changes include simpler rules at junctions, new rules to tackle close passes, and an adoption of the Dutch Reach technique promoted by Cycling UK to prevent the dreaded car-dooring. The next important step will be to ensure that the Government communicates the update clearly, so that we see the changes reflected in the behaviour of all road users. I’m really proud of our work to deliver this big change for cyclists – work that is true to our history and values as the campaigning organisation for all cyclists. I also want to thank many of you for supporting this and our other campaigning work. But we don’t rest on our laurels at Cycling UK, and so we have a full calendar of campaigns work coming up in 2022. First up is the decision on the judicial review we’ve brought against West Sussex council, which is due around the time this magazine drops through your letterbox. Then, coming up very soon, there will be a cornucopia of local elections across England, Scotland, and Wales, as well as National Assembly elections in Northern Ireland. We’ll be supporting our network of local campaigners to secure commitments from local leaders to support cycling in their manifestos. If you’re keen to ensure that cycling is

Stay connected

facebook.com/CyclingUK

77%

of people support an election issue in your area, do measures in their consider joining local area to our Cycle Advocacy encourage cycling Network (cyclinguk. and walking org/CAN). As the winter skies start to clear, more cyclists and would-be cyclists are coming out of hibernation to join in our cycling projects across England and Scotland. Our Big Bike Revival and Shift projects will be back in action for spring, welcoming many thousands more people onto their rides, and we know our member groups are also busy finalising timetables for a year of rides. Don’t forget to share your upcoming member group event on our website (cyclinguk.org/events). Given our incredible history at Cycling UK, some of our member groups are now more than 100 years old – and still going strong. It’s a great privilege to hear from our groups about their history, so do let us know if your group is celebrating your centenary in 2022. Please drop us a line at publicity@cyclinguk.org. Providing inspiration for your rides, and hot on the heels of the West Kernow Way, we’ll be sharing two new long-distance routes in 2022. As part of the European Regional Development Fund EXPERIENCE project, we’ll be launching routes in Kent in May and Norfolk towards the end of the summer. Both routes are designed with the cyclist tourist in mind, with accommodation and local services mapped alongside the routes – giving you everything you need to plan and enjoy some fantastic cycling in some beautiful parts of the country. So there’s plenty to look forward to in 2022, and I look forward to keeping you posted and seeing many of you (perhaps even in person!) this year.

Twitter @wearecyclinguk

At last cyclists will benefit from a clear hierarchy of responsibility on our roads, protecting the most vulnerable

www.cyclinguk.org

cycling@cyclinguk.org

01483 238301

CY CL I NGUK . O RG

cycle

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£150million

Right: Julie Skelton. Far right: Shoreham-By-Cycle

Scottish Government’s budget for active travel in 2022/23, up from £115.5m in 2020/21.

The new rules highlight the danger of car-dooring

Transport

A NEW CODE

Legal

CYCLE LANE COURT CASE At the time of writing, our judicial review of West Sussex County Council’s decision to remove a popular cycle lane in Shoreham had not been heard in the Crown Court. (It’s due 25-26 Jan.) Thanks to everyone who has helped fund our case. If successful, it will make other councils think twice before ripping up cycling facilities. To find out more and donate, visit cyclinguk.org/cdf

The Highway Code is changing. The challenge now is to make sure all road users are aware of the new rules. Duncan Dollimore reports

fter more than ten years of campaigning by Cycling UK, backed by your incredible support, the Highway Code rules are changing. All road users will benefit, particularly the most vulnerable. The changes are due to come into effect on (or possibly shortly after) 29 January and will apply throughout Britain – but not Northern Ireland, where there’s a separate code. The revisions include: • the introduction of a ‘hierarchy of road users’, recognising that those who pose the greatest risks to others (i.e. drivers of the largest vehicles) have a higher level of responsibility; • simplification of the rules about priority (who gives way to whom) at junctions without traffic signals, so that anyone turning left has to give way to anyone going straight ahead across their path, which should reduce ‘left hook’ collisions; • new rules to tackle dangerous overtaking and ‘close passes’, with a guideline minimum safe passing distance of 1.5 metres; • rules highlighting the dangers of cardooring, and the requirement to look before opening your car door, including a specific recommendation to use the Dutch Reach.

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The new rules will be of limited benefit if people aren’t aware of them. That’s why we’ve been urging the government to fund and deliver a long term and widespread public awareness campaign. Many people won’t have read the Highway Code since they passed their driving test. It’s vital that the key changes are clearly explained with simple, accurate, and memorable messages. It’s alarming that, as I write this, the public is finding out about amendments to the Highway Code through opinion pieces in the media that focus on the merits of the changes. The time for that discussion has passed. The changes have legal implications the day they come in; the public deserves to be told what they are, irrespective of whether they agree with them. To maximise its impact, the revised Code needs to be communicated and promoted through a government funded and led campaign. However, as we’ve not yet seen any materials or plans, we’re putting together some content of our own to explain what’s changing. We’ll be asking members and supporters to share this widely on social media and among friends and colleagues. Look out for this material on our Highway Code campaign page. cyclinguk.org/safer-highwaycode-cyclists

The lane served several schools

Road safety

DRIVING BAN DODGERS One in five drivers with 12 or more points on their licence avoids a supposedly automatic driving ban when the court accepts that disqualification would cause ‘exceptional hardship’. One in five! It’s just one of the fatal flaws in our road traffic laws that we’re pressing the government to fix, seven years after they promised to review road traffic offences and penalties. To add your support, visit cyclinguk.org/failing-laws

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RIGHTS OF WAY DELAY Natural Resources Wales has published its report on improving access in Wales, which the Welsh Government committed to do in 2019. Sadly, the report only outlines the options rather than making clear recommendations on how to progress access reform. So we’ll be returning to our Trails for Wales campaign in 2022. cyclinguk.org/ trails-wales-disappointing

Bikers in the Brecon Beacons

Governance

TRUSTEES ON BOARD We would like to welcome the 2022 Cycling UK board. Following the 2021 trustee elections, Christine Gibbons, Andy Macnae, Paul Baker, and Melanie Carroll were successfully re-elected to the 2022-2025 board. They were joined by co-opted trustee Ben Packer. We also welcome Richard May as a new independent member of the Audit & Governance Committee. cyclinguk.org/about/ cycling-uk-board/how-tobecome-a-trustee

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12 cycle routes to tackle in 2022. Read our suggestions: cyclinguk.org/ article/12-cycleroutes-do-2022

Left: Robert Spanning

Wales

The Kent coast should soon see more cycling visitors

Touring

EXPERIENCE THIS

isit Cornwall, Kent or Norfolk this year for your cycling holidays and you could be in for a real experience, thanks to some ground-breaking work Cycling UK is doing in these counties. As part of the European Regional Development Fund’s EXPERIENCE project, we’re creating an environment that welcomes current cyclists and attracts the bike-curious. For the past two years we’ve been putting together a series of routes suitable for all abilities, as well as identifying bases for these cycling trips, such as Penzance in Cornwall, Cromer in Norfolk, and Wye in Kent. From these Cycle Hubs, you’ll ride through some of the iconic locations nearby. We’re also working with these regions’ hospitality sectors to help them understand and accommodate the needs

of pedalling visitors through our Cycle Friendly Accreditation Scheme. Currently we’ve identified two hubs per county. We plan to launch more hubs and more routes over 2022. A large focus of our work will be local businesses through our accreditation scheme. We’ll be providing a starter pack with all the tools and security measures a cycle friendly business could need. If you live in the area and you have a favourite pub or café that could benefit from this, do let them know! We’re also planning to launch two new long-distance touring routes this year. Expect the first in Kent this May and the second in Norfolk by the end of the summer. Find out more at: cyclinguk.org/ experience

Events

BIRTHDAY RIDES With the ongoing pandemic disruption to travel plans and the winding up of the event organiser, CTC Holidays and Tours, there will be no Birthday Rides this summer. We’re looking at ways that member groups might mark the occasion locally on 5 August. In the meantime, those wanting a holiday involving convivial bike rides based in a

No Birthday Rides this August

fixed location could consider registering for the New Forest Cycling Week. Run by Cycling UK volunteers, it takes place from Friday 22 July to Saturday 30 July 2022. newforestrallycc.org.uk/ wp/booking/

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Member benefits

£500

NEW YEAR, NEW GEAR

£100

New bike this Christmas? Protect it with £50 off Yellow Jersey bike insurance and get 15% off security marking kits with Bike Register to help combat bike theft. For a wardrobe update, check out the Stolen Goat X Cycling UK kit. Each item purchased helps fund our campaigning and charitable projects. Visit: stolengoat.com/cycling-uk. For details of all member discounts, see: cyclinguk. org/member-benefits

Raffle

WIN THIS WINTER

New Cycling UK kit, available now

Fundraising

LEAVE A LASTING LEGACY Is this the year you decide to leave a gift in your will to Cycling UK? Many of our members have made the decision to leave a gift to ensure that generations to come experience the joy of cycling. Our chair of trustees, Janet Atherton, is one of those members choosing to support the future of cycling with her will. If you’d like to know more, email fundraising manager James Newman: legacy@cyclinguk.org

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hank you for all your support in 2021. To show our appreciation, we’ve got over 50 prizes for you to win in our Winter Thank You Raffle. Prizes include up to £500 cash, a Madison waterproof jacket, light sets, and more. Here’s what’s up for grabs. • 1st prize: £500 cash • 2nd prize: £100 each for three runners up • 3rd prize: one of ten Madison waterproof jacket (sizes limited) • 4th prize: one of 14 KitBrix packs • 5th prize: one of three Lezyne Zecto light sets • 6th prize: one of five CatEye Volt 500 XC light sets • 7th prize: one of six Pelotan sets (water bottle, cap, cream, stick) • 8th prize: one of ten GT85 bike cleaning sets By taking part in our online raffle, you’ll also help support our important charitable work and campaigning in 2022. Buy some tickets today and encourage friends and family to join in too! If you’d like to support us but don’t want to play the raffle, you can donate via the website: cyclinguk.org/donate.

How to play Enter online at cyclinguk.org/raffle and pay by debit or credit card. Entries must be made by 10am on 21 February 2022. Your raffle tickets will be emailed to you. To cut our administration costs and to maximise your support, the Winter Thank You Raffle is online only. The draw will take place on 22 February 2022. We will contact the winners via email or telephone on the same day. As soon as everyone has been contacted, the winners’ names will be listed on our website. Full terms and conditions can be found at cyclinguk.org/raffle. You must be 16+ to take part. Please gamble responsibly.

10 Ways to make the world better by bike this winter: cyclinguk.org/ article/ten-easy-wayshelp-make-worldbetter-bike-winter

you are

Inspiring cyclist

PAUL FOGARTY

Born with no arms and one leg, Paul returned to cycling just over a year ago on a modified recumbent e-trike. Andrew Gubbins spoke to him

he first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 inspired many people to start cycling again, among them 40-year-old Paul Fogarty. “I had reached that stage where I was probably eating too much, spending all day sat at a desk, and not getting enough exercise,” he said. “I decided it was time to change this, but I had no idea if anyone could help me.” Paul was born with no arms and one leg. He’s used a prosthetic leg since the age of three to walk and to help maintain his independence. He had cycled before: he used an upright trike to get to secondary school and, after turning 18, to the pub when socialising with friends. But he no longer had that. His search for a replacement was spurred by an old friend, Tom Yendell, a foot and mouth artist. Tom had posted some pictures on Facebook of him riding an adapted trike. “If Tom can ride a trike, I must be able to,” Paul told himself. He started doing research online. The most promising option was right on his Telford doorstep: Quest, based just five miles away in Shifnal. “When I came across Quest, I could not believe my luck,” Paul said. “I immediately gave them a call and arranged to meet with managing director Rob Henshaw.” Following an initial assessment, Rob and his colleagues sat down and started by breaking Paul’s needs into five areas: pedalling, steering, braking, gearing, and safety. For the base model, they settled on an ICE Adventure recumbent trike with Shimano STEPS electric assistance. “The electric motor uses sensor inputs from each side,” Rob explained, “so we had to counter that by asking Paul to wear a shoe with a cleat on his good side. That way he can put power through the cranks on the down and up stroke, which tricks the system into thinking there are two legs at work. “We initially set up a harness that fitted around Paul’s shoulders, with loops around the steering uprights to

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Top: A Shimano STEPS motor augments Paul’s pedalling Below: He’s already clocked up more than 1,500 miles

enable him to steer by twisting his shoulders. It wasn’t great but it allowed us to show Paul that things were possible. We later used an articulated camera-mount system to try and ascertain the rough positioning of the steering uprights so that we could then fabricate something. Once we had some uprights by Paul’s shoulders, we could then look at controls such as braking and gear changing. “The gearing is automatic with a manual override operated by Shimano Di2 buttons as Paul has sufficient dexterity to push these. When it came to the braking system, we agreed not to have too many functions on the same side of the body as this would ensure braking could be more spontaneous and not be confused with steering and gear functions. Paul signals his manoeuvres through a wireless control operating LED indicators.” Paul took delivery of his finished trike at the end of 2020. “I cannot explain the feeling of freedom I now have thanks to Rob and the amazing guys at Quest,” he said. “I have already done over 1,500 miles, including the Royal British Legion Poppy Ride, where I raised over £1,000. “The end result is more than I could have ever hoped for. If anyone thinks cycling is not possible, I would urge them to speak to Rob. If I can do it, anyone can”. Paul posts regular updates about his cycling adventures on his Facebook page titled ‘3wheels1leg’. He’s since joined Cycling UK.

More info For more information on the full range of adaptive cycles from Quest, advice on funding or to arrange an assessment: q uest88.com

01952 463050

Recumbent mobility An ICE Adventure trike with Shimano STEPS E6100 electric assistance costs from about £6,800, without other modifications. See icetrikes.co for details for this and other recumbent trikes.

P roduct News

SHOP WINDOW

Supply problems may be dragging on like an unwelcome winter but new products are slowly breaking through the hard ground. Dan Joyce picks a selection The National Cycling Show

See new products in person at Birmingham’s NEC from 18-19 June. nationalcyclingshow. com

This roof-mounted bike carrier is different from other forksupport racks: bike and rack detach from the roof bars as one unit and can be hung on a wall with the optional Storage Mount. pbr.co.uk

Brompton P Line £2,244+

There’s long been a parttitanium Brompton that’s 700g lighter. The new P Line shaves another 850g over a steel 3-speed by using a 4-speed derailleur (similar range). brompton.com

Sealskinz Waterproof Heated Cycle Glove £150 The steep price is per pair, thankfully. As well as being waterproof and well insulated, these winter gloves have a rechargeable batterypowered heating element to keep your hands toasty. sealskinz.com

76 Projects Hi Flow ‘No Clog’ Tubeless Valves £24.50/pair Valve cores eventually gum up with tubeless sealant. These Presta-compatible valves have a wider core enabling faster inflation and, they say, no clogging. 76projects.com

Shimano Dura-Ace R9200 ~£3,600

Shimano’s top-end road groupset has predictably switched to 12-speed. Other features are surprising: it’s Di2 only but now with wireless shifting; and rim brakes are still an option. shimano.com

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Restrap City Loader £149.99

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More online Check out our in-depth reviews of the latest bikes and gear online at:

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More Brompton news: a 20-litre, waterproof front bag from Restrap. It has a roll-top closure, two side pockets big enough for a water bottle, and a removable shoulder strap. restrap.com

Effetto Mariposa Allpine Light £14

Effetto Mariposa already had a plant-based tyre sealant. Their biodegradable range now includes this bike cleaner, a degreaser (Allpine Extra) and chain lubricant, Flowerpower Wax. effettomariposa.eu

Pendle ErgoRack £199.99

cyclinguk.org/cycling-advice

R e v ie w s

Gear up

( ( Put to the test

Is there a product that you think needs reviewing?

Write to: Cycle, PO Box 313, Scarborough, YO12 6WZ editor@cyclinguk.org

COMPONENTS, KIT, AND MEDIA SELECTED AND REVIEWED BY BIKE JOURNALISTS AND CYCLING UK STAFF

Pros & cons

Other options

+ Warm enough for winter + Relaxed fit and good design – Pricy

CASTELLI TRANSITION W JACKET £200

Iris

Incredibly light and well insulating Windstopper jacket with the Castelli style… and price to match.

Spinosa Winter Jacket

castelli-cycling.com

Windproof women’s jacket that’s warm, well designed and fits nicely £179 velovixen.com, i-ris.cc

RIS stands for ‘I Ride In Style’. It’s also the name of this women’s cycle clothing brand’s founder, former Dutch National Road Champion Iris Slappendel. The colour choices across the range are a bold sidestep from the pinks and pastels often used for women’s bike gear. I was a little wary when I saw the design of the Spinosa Winter Jacket online but as soon as it arrived, I was sold. It arrived in recyclable packaging, with no plastic or Sellotape in sight. Sustainability is high on the brand’s priority list, and all kit is designed to last and produced using sustainable materials

DHB WOMEN’S LONG SLEEVE THERMAL JERSEY certified by OEKO-TEX (oeko-tex. com/en/). The jacket is extremely comfortable out riding, both with and without a rucksack. Most importantly, the fit is fantastic. The materials are not too stretchy, so it’s not clingy and uncomfortable like some thicker winter jerseys. The back sits a little lower down the waistline, which prevents it from riding up when you’re on the drops. The three rear pockets give ample room for accessories and are deep enough that I didn’t worry about losing things (as I have before). I would recommend sizing up if you prefer a more

relaxed fit. I tend to take a small but went for a medium in this jacket. I often get quite warm when riding but the thickness of this jacket is perfect. Temperatures have been down to 2-3ºC on my morning commute, and the Spinosa Winter Jacket has kept me comfortable with no need for any additional layers. The fabric on the sleeves and back is a soft but dense fleece material. It wicks sweat away nicely, so you stay warm without feeling sticky. Unlike some jackets, it also fits well and keeps you warm enough off the bike, not just on it. Pip Munday

Cycle’s test promise At Cycle, we are proudly independent. There’s no pressure to please advertisers as we’re funded by your membership. Our product reviews aren’t press releases; they’re written by experienced cyclists after thorough testing. 18

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£40

If you’re not fussed about water resistance, this affordable dhb jersey is a great option for those colder mornings.

dhbsport.com

Verdict

A perfect outer layer for autumnal and crisp winter weather, whether you’re a casual rider, commuter, or serious racer. I’m impressed with the quality and look forward to many more miles wearing this.

GEAR UP

Right: Robert Spanning

REVIEWS

Other options Pros & cons

Carradice

Duxback Rain Poncho

+ Very waterproof + Keeps your knees dry – Not especially visible

Old-school waxed cotton cape that actually keeps you dry in a downpour

WEATHERGOODS IMBRIS RAIN PONCHO £120

£88-£93 carradice.co.uk

robably the most waterproof coat I own is my late father’s wax jacket. It’s over 40 years old, with carefully hand-sewn patches. So long as I don’t forget to proof it now and then, it never lets the rain in. It is, however, too hot for cycling and any form of semivigorous exercise. The waterproofs I use for cycling, meanwhile, are lightweight and breathable but rarely last more than a couple of seasons before they start leaking, despite reproofing. I’ve long been on the look out for that holy grail of waterproofs: something durable that keeps me dry. While searching through the indexes of old CTC Gazettes for mention of the Cape Wrath Fellowship, ahead of its 70th anniversary, every edition mentioned “capes” if not “wrath”.

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The Rough Stuff-Fellowship archives are similar: capes everywhere. I could immediately see the benefit. I finally bit the bullet last autumn and bought the waxed cotton Duxback from Carradice. There is one obvious drawback with a cape: the wind. Accepting that, it is great for keeping you dry. It has that solid Barbour jacket feel, and water rolls off it like the proverbial. Two wrist loops ensure it doesn’t flap from the front, and a belt loop makes sure it doesn’t blow up and leave your midriff exposed. A solid zip with button guard allows an opening to get the cape on while wearing a helmet, while also preventing water entry. The hood doesn’t affect your periphery vision, though you’ll find you’ll need to wear it under your helmet (if you wear one).

The poncho’s positioning over your handlebar will prevent the use of lights or GPS units mounted there. If that doesn’t bother you, then you’ll soon enjoy the benefits of being dry without overheating. Another bonus is that your legwear, especially your knees, won’t suffer as much in the downpour, although you’ll still likely get damp at shin level. If I had one real reservation it would be the dark olive green colour. Despite the wide Scotchlite strip on the back, I am conscious of potentially blending in with the hedgerows as I ride along. Sam Jones

Verdict

Durably made waterproof that will keep the more sedate commuter or tourer dry for years to come. Not cheap, but as the saying goes: buy cheap, buy twice.

More expensive but this Swedish cycling poncho has a handy front pocket. Review at: cyclinguk.org/ weathergoods-imbris

weather goodssweden.com

CARRADICE PROROUTE RAIN CAPE £40 Less than half the price of the Duxback and nearly half the weight, this fluorescent yellow poncho should provide the same excellent coverage if not the same durability.

carradice.co.uk

( (

R e v ie w s

Books

Print queue

Cycle doesn’t feature all books received. Reviewers pick the ones they think you need to know about from the Editor’s shortlist. Send review copies to: Cycle, PO Box 313, Scarborough, YO12 6WZ

CYCLING INSPIRATION WHEN YOU’RE STUCK INSIDE

Big Rides: Great Britain & Ireland

Details

By: Kathy Rogers &

Markus Stitz

Publisher: Vertebrate

Further Adventures in Rough Stuff HISTORY IS A circle, with all things repeated in time. Pick up the second collection of the Rough Stuff-Fellowship’s archives and you’ll see that what’s true for history also applies to cycling. Further Adventures in Rough Stuff portrays a riot of adventurers riding drop-handlebar bikes festooned in saddlebags in places ramblers would fear to tread. But for the skinnier tyres prevalent of the time and the penchant for cycling capes, you could easily mistake them for Details By: Mark Hudson today’s growing bikepacking community. This Publisher: Isola Press second volume from the RSF continues the tales Price: £28/£35 of the oldest off-road cycling group’s members, (softcover/hardcover) which began with 2017’s first volume. ISBN: 9780995488687 The first book stimulated a wave of interest from members, and saw further donations of slides and negatives to this Cycling UK affiliated group. RSF archivist Mark Hudson clearly put the lockdowns to good use, sifting through approximately 70,000 slides and negatives to create another finely curated work. Across several decades, we’re taken through the counties of England, Scotland and Wales in all conditions (Cycling UK and RSF members: please note the archivist’s appeal for any imagery of trips in Northern Ireland that you might have lurking in your loft), as well as on some foreign adventures, including the Alps, Pyrenees, Norway, and the USA. Interspersed among these stunning images are excerpts from the club’s journal. There’s an interesting and, with the benefit of hindsight, amusing, discussion from the Letters to Editors page about the future of mountain bikes, dating back to 1984. This book is equal parts archive Excerpts and inspiration, and I cannot You can read excerpts from recommend it highly enough. some of the books that Cycle has reviewed at cyclinguk.org/cyclebook-excerpts

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Sam Jones

Publishing Price: £20 ISBN: 9781839810725

EVEN CLOSE TO home, you don’t have to travel far to ‘ride beyond the horizon’. Kathy Rogers and Markus Stitz showcase 25 of the best long-distance rides in Great Britain, Ireland, and a slice of France. With routes ranging from 100 to 1,000 miles, the book can be used as inspiration to decide which to explore further. It gives useful information such as what time of year to ride the route, where to sleep, historical facts, and everything in between. Jordan Matthews

Ride: Cycle the World SEEMINGLY TRYING TO bridge the gap between coffee table book and practical guidebook, Ride: Cycle the World offers 100 tantalising routes from all corners of the globe. They

Details

range from the gruelling 7,000-mile Tour

contributors Publisher: DK Eyewitness Travel Price: £20 ISBN: 9780241472279

central France. Realistically, I imagine

By: various

d’Afrique to a gentle 16-mile pootle in most readers will stick to dreaming about which routes to add to their bucket list, rather than actually using the downloadable GPX files for each ride. Steve Metcalfe

Desire, Discrimination, Determination – Black Champions in Cycling

Details

By: Dr Marlon

Moncrieffe

Publisher: Rapha/

BlueTrain Publishing Price: £25 ISBN: 9781912164165

IN PLACES THIS is a sobering exploration of the barriers faced by black cyclists in cycle sport throughout its history. Yet it’s also a celebration of triumph over adversity, and a fantastic overview of trailblazers and talented athletes – ranging from Kittie Knox challenging racism and sexism in the 1890s, to Abdel-Kader Zaaf riding the mid-20th century Tour de France, to Nelson Vails’ journey from bike messenger to track champion in the 1970s. Ellen Holmes

O p inio n

Letters

Get in touch

THIS MONTH BREXIT CONFUSION, LOST WAYS TIMETABLE, EVERYDAY CYCLING, HUB GEAR KNOWHOW, AND MORE

LETTERS are edited for space, clarity and, if necessary, legality. The Editor reads and acknowledges all members’ letters but publishes only a selection and doesn’t enter into correspondence. Feedback for the next issue must arrive by 25 February. Please include your membership number. WRITE TO: Cycle, PO Box 313, Scarborough, YO12 6WZ or email editor@cyclinguk.org

Left: Getty Right: Alamy

Some cyclists have been charged import duties on their own bikes

th Letter of the mon

Bikes across borders

fter retiring in 2020 I had been hoping to do some cycle touring in Europe despite Brexit – but Covid threw those plans in the air! I am still hopeful for 2022, and so the article in Cycle was very helpful. However, a few weeks ago I read in the Independent (Simon Calder’s travel column) of a case where people travelling on the ferry from Portsmouth to Santander were charged import duties on two bikes on arrival! To be fair, they were taking some items in a van for a family member who had moved to Spain, but had bikes so that they could cycle there whilst visiting – absolutely reasonable, I would have thought. I wondered if others arriving on their bikes might have similar issues. What are the rules about import duties – even if you have no intention to import the goods? Is this something Cycling UK might look at in case there is a loophole which might affect others? I’m sure cars arriving at ports aren’t being charged import duties. That would have made the news. Mark Holling There was a sidebar in that article that was dropped for space reasons. It dealt with the issue of taking bikes into Europe. The gist of it was: it shouldn’t be a problem unless customs think you’re going to sell the bike(s), so take proof of purchase if you’re worried. I’m planning to use the sidebar, somewhat expanded, as a short article in a future issue. For those who missed it, the original feature is online: cyclinguk.org/cycling-abroad-brexit

Stay connected

facebook.com/CyclingUK

Win a Green Oil bike care kit worth £64.99 The letter of the month wins an Eco Rider Deluxe set, courtesy of Green Oil. Green Oil’s plant-based lubes and cleaners are fully biodegradable and contain no PTFE. The kit comprises: Green Oil Wet Chain Lube; Ecogrease; Green Clean Bike Cleaner; Clean Chain Degreaser; FSC Drive Chain Brush; two Bike Armour cable-rub protectors; an EcoRag; a reusable plastic tub for water or storage; and some seeds to grow your own food! For details, or to order Green Oil products, visit green-oil.net

Twitter @wearecyclinguk

Passport problem

The advice on passports in Dec/ Jan was over-simplified. “At least six months left on your passport from the day you travel” may not be enough. My brother was denied boarding on an October flight from the UK to Italy even though his passport doesn’t expire until July 2022, i.e. in nine months. The reason is that his passport, like many others, is not a ten year passport but roughly ten years and six months. The outstanding months on the old passport were transferred to the new upon renewal. However, as we are sadly no longer in the EU, Third Country rules apply: ten years is now ten years and not a day more. July minus the carried-over six months is January. It was from January backwards that the “at least six months” was calculated. Colin Deady

Abroad after Brexit

A few further points on this article: 1. You do not need a green card to enter Europe in a vehicle but you do need valid insurance. See gov.uk/ vehicle-insurance/driving-abroad. 2. If travelling through France you need travel insurance that includes repatriation cover for medical reasons;

cycling@cyclinguk.org

editor@cyclinguk.org C YCL I NGUK . O RG

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Below right: Jordan Gibbons/Pannier

LETTERS

YOUR FEEDBACK

an EHIC/GHIC does not include this. See france.fr/en/holiday-prep/ brexit-travel-rules-uk-france. 3. If you are, say, cycle touring, however you arrive, you cannot take any meat or dairy products into the EU. See gov.uk/visit-eu-switzerlandnorway-iceland-liechtenstein. Graham Connell

This solved the timing between crossing the first loop detector and arriving at the lights. The next problem was that the switching delay, once on the bridge, relied on triggering successive loop detectors. If you failed to trigger them you’d meet oncoming traffic! The solution was to make sure I took the centre of the road, crossing the full ‘diamond’ of the loop detector. However, I noticed recently that my complaints have yielded results: there are now PIR detectors at the apex of the bridge. Crawford Lindsay

Everyday cycling

I was very pleased to see the article Help Us Fight For Justice in Cycle, and I have made a donation. But apart from that one article there is nothing else to suggest that cycling is anything but a leisure activity. I have asked many times for Cycling UK to include more on everyday cycling – the type of cycling that happens in Holland and Denmark. So instead of asking for more in Cycle, which clearly is not going to happen, can I suggest Cycling UK starts another magazine on everyday cycling/town cycling/Dutch style cycling? Dick Daniel

Switching gears

I was interested to read about the Kindernay VII in the Dec/Jan issue. However, one of my major reservations in changing to a hub gear is in finding cycle dealers who are able to provide spares and service capability. I experienced timing problems with I would like to suggest that, in a a long, steep, traffic-light-controlled future edition of Cycle, consideration single carriageway crossing of is given to publicising a list a canal and railway on my of dealers who are able cycle commute. I emailed to provide service Obituaries the relevant council facilities, showing Are published department, who were which manufacturers’ online at cyclinguk. able to change the equipment is included. org/obituaries. timings from their desk! John Britton Contact publicity@

Traffic light timing

cyclinguk.org 26

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Leading lights

Affiliate club Active Filey ran a Cycling UK ride leader course on Saturday 18 December, enabling seven club members to become group ride leaders. Bryden Simpson

Lost ways

Great to see coverage of the drive to get our lost ways recorded. As a cyclist and a horse rider, I am actively involved with the BHS programme to record as many bridleways and byways as possible, and I would encourage all cyclists to join that campaign. Free online training in how to use the mapping and recording software, to research a particular route and to submit a correct Definitive Map Modification Order, are all available from the BHS – email access@bhs. org.uk. In addition, funding has been secured from Sport England to reward every proper application with a £100 payment to cover out of pocket expenses. One more point: “no new applications will be accepted after 2026” is accurate but somewhat misleading. The cut-off date (unless we are successful in getting it extended) is 1 January 2026, so really it’s no new applications after 2025. Only four years to go and lots of work to do! Ann Kennedy

th Photo of the mon

CYCLING UK FORUM

Get immediate feedback from other members at forum.cyclinguk.org. Here’s an abridged extract from a recent thread: cyclinguk.org/ ebike-classic E-BIKE FOR A LIFELONG CTC MEMBER L7523: I am not yet ready to hang up my wheels. My machines are classics (Jack Taylor and George Longstaff). The time has come for the e-bike but lifelong cyclists are not the target of the readymade market. Has anyone the answer? emleyman: Why not add a conversion to one of your existing bikes? If you go for a rear hub motor and down tube battery you can keep all your existing drivetrain. stodd: Cytronex do front-wheel conversion kits suitable for lightweight road bikes. They are quite expensive, not as powerful as many, and have fairly small capacity batteries, but may suit what you need.

Nigel: A friend of mine in a similar situation has added an electric motor to one of his ‘classics’. He fitted a bottom bracket motor, which is torque sensing. It has transformed his riding. He is again able to get up hills. richtea99: I went from a bespoke 20+ year-old Campag-laden Mercian tourer to a low-end Orbea Gain e-bike. The Orbea Gain is marketed as a road/race bike but the lower spec alloy ones are more like a tourer. Jdsk: A family member has an Orbea D20. Lovely machine. And I suspect that a lot of people aren’t aware of this type of e-bike… Would a catchy name for this category help? peterb: I thought they were generally called ‘e-road’ bikes.

ROB AINSLEY Rob Ainsley is a cycle route researcher and writer who blogs on e2e.bike, in the hope it makes his seaside trips taxdeductible.

Great Rides

RELAX AND COAST Seaside breaks are always better with bikes. Rob Ainsley explores some of the best parts of Britain for coastal cycling

SE ASIDE CYCLING

A FIRST, NOT LAST, RESORT Sometimes you can link resorts by bike. From Scarborough, often said to be Britain’s first ever seaside resort, you can ride the car-free, 20-mile Cinder Track to one-off harbour gem Whitby. The northern half has wonderful coastal views, though on the bumpy southern half you’ll be watching the surface in front of you. The Way of the Roses, a three- or four-day trans Pennine adventure from Morecambe in Lancashire to Bridlington in Yorkshire, is bookended by smooth, friendly promenades: begin and end your ride with an icecream and a paddle. Wonderful beaches can come in unexpected places. The 185-mile Hebridean Way, down Scotland’s island chain, passes unearthly landscapes with gorgeous-coloured sands that could have come out of the Caribbean... except for the temperature. No resorts here – this is definitely ‘away from it all’ – but the Hebrides are proving very popular just now with tourers looking for an ‘exotic foreign ride’ without the need for a passport or fears of quarantine. Promenade rides can surprise, too. The car-free seafront path at Cleethorpes boasts a Greenwich Meridian, Britain’s smallest pub (the Signal Box), and its biggest fish and chip shop (on the pier). The cycle route at the top of the Wirral peninsula, opposite Liverpool, gives you ten miles of unbroken, relaxed traffic-free seaside cycling from Hoylake to the terminal for the ferry ’cross the Mersey in Birkenhead. Work in some rail-trails to complete the loop to the south, and you can make it an (almost) all

Opposite: Brighton This photo: Llandudno beach, looking west

Opposite: Getty Images. Other photos: Rob Ainsley

ikes and the seaside go together like – well, a bucket and spade. Both are about simplicity, about enjoying nature. About stripping away the stress of everyday life and concentrating on the basics. Cake or icecream? Sunbathe or paddle? Tea or something stronger? Ride to the nature reserve or the waterfront bar? (These aren’t necessarily either-or questions.) Britain didn’t invent the beach holiday but made it available to the masses in the late-1800s heyday of the seaside resort, thanks to railways and paid holidays. Cheap air travel from the 1970s made sunny foreign beaches more tempting, but for obvious reasons the pendulum has swung back towards home lately. British resorts are in vogue again. Wikipedia lists 211 to choose from, so which ones suit us best? Many offer memorable two- or three-wheel experiences. In Wales, almost direct from Barmouth’s beach, a remarkable mile-long, bikes-only wooden bridge runs across the estuary mouth, then turns into a delightful rail-trail to Dolgellau – ideal for a family ride. As is the Camel Trail, another old riverside rail line, heading out from Cornish fishrestaurant hub Padstow to Wadebridge.

G R E AT R I D E S

Do it yourself

All aboard!

The railways helped create the seaside resort and remain an option for getting there with your bike. Good planning helps. Jem and Louise Clines have great tips for solving the ‘train+bikes+kids = holiday’ equation on their blog ecofamilytravel. co.uk/10-tips-takingbicycles-train-kids/. Strings of resorts along a rail line, as on the North Wales and East Kent coasts, offer super train/bike flexibility. But Beeching’s axe was bad news for resorts like Hornsea or Ilfracombe, which lost their lines and now require a car – or long ride – to reach.

car-free circuit – or go and explore Liverpool instead. But what we’re looking for here is the Complete Cyclist’s Seaside Break. That means good relaxing beaches with all the traditional trappings for when it’s a bit too cold to be swimming: donkey rides, amusements, piers and proms, cheap and cheerful food and drink, amiably gaudy lights. It means lots of accommodation options with a limited budget no problem. A good cyclable car-free prom, suitable for kids and occasional riders, with plenty of toilets. Some more ambitious route options inland for the keen day-riders. Easy, bike-friendly rail access – and bike hire options. Fun for all the cycling family. So here’s our pick of Britain’s best cycling resorts, which give all that and more, in spades. Buckets and spades, in fact...

Best for seafront rides PRESTATYN TO COLWYN BAY The North Wales Coast west from Prestatyn to elegant, likeable Llandudno is one long chain of resorts – and you can cycle all 20 miles of it on a glorious car-free seaside promenade, Britain’s longest car-free seaside ride. (Almost all, anyway: there’s a mile of quiet road just outside Llandudno; and, until autumn 2022, halfway along are two mile-long roadworks diversions along paths or quiet roads.) A café, ice-cream or toilet is never more than a few hundred yards away, the views change constantly, and there’s a handy cycle-workshop-hire-café at the Hub in Rhyl, right on the harbour. There are rail stations along the

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SE ASIDE CYCLING

entire route, giving group flexibility. Llandudno’s regal promenade and seaside – now open to cyclists again thanks to a Cycling UK campaign – is one of Britain’s best. Looking for even more? The short stiff climb up to the summit of the Great Orme (or cable-car ride!) gives imperious panoramas, fascinating Conwy is a short ride away, and – for the adventurous – Snowdonia’s epic roads are just to your south.

Best for smiles BLACKPOOL One evening in late summer each year, Blackpool’s Ride the Lights closes its seafront roads to traffic and turns it over to thousands of cyclists to enjoy the famous Illuminations being switched on. But thanks to its 12-mile promenade cycle path – mostly very wide, sometimes ‘dual-carriageway’, always smooth and car-free, past innumerable cafés and toilets – from Starr Gate to Fleetwood, it’s a place you can relish by bike all year round. (They even invite you to push your bike to the end of the piers.) Pretentious and arty it ain’t – think fish and chips, donkey rides, roller-coasters and one of Britain’s biggest Wetherspoons – but even if the weather is chilly, there’s usually a Lancashire warmth and humour to any encounter. As proved, indeed, by the (cyclable) ‘Comedy Carpet’ afoot the famous Tower, celebrating the county’s comic tradition.

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Clockwise from top left: Margate’s seafront path is part of a largely off-road route between Whitstable and Broadstairs. Blackpool: you can take your bike along the piers but only if you push it. Bournemouth’s seafront cycle path is very good but is closed to cycling from 10am-6pm in July and August

Best for beaches BOURNEMOUTH For invitingly golden sands and balmy weather, the south coast is the beach-fancier’s choice. And fine Bournemouth is in the middle of a ten-mile stretch of car-free prom ride from Sandbanks (with its chain ferry for the beautiful Isle of Purbeck) to Hengistbury’s nature reserve. There are caveats: there’s no cycling on the prom during the day in July and August, and there’s a 10mph limit outside of that. But then this is a place best dawdled, past bright beach huts, endless places to eat and drink, the odd ‘chine’ (lush ravine), and plenty of loos. Thanks to the inexpensive local app-based ‘Beryl Bike’ scheme, renting wheels by the hour or day is easy. (If you’re used to urban schemes, the sight of a docking ‘station’ on the beach might amuse.) There’s more conventional bike hire available too. Poole harbour, a short ride away, offers yet more car-free waterside cycling, and a Victorian cycle-racing track!

Best for inland jaunts HUNSTANTON The prom path from Heacham to Hunstanton is only a mile or two; the ride to the railhead at Kings Lynn, a little longer. However, where Hunstanton scores isn’t just its unusual (for southeast England) experience of watching the sun set over the water,

SE ASIDE CYCLING

The cyclable path between Hunstanton and Heacham in Norfolk. Sea to the west!

G R E AT R I D E S

Fact file

Classic Coast Rides Devon Coast to Coast: Gentle, scenic southwest crossing from Ilfracombe to Plymouth (100 miles) cycle.travel/route/ devon_c2c/guide

Dunwich Dynamo:

Annual mass ride through a summer night from London to the sea (120 miles) facebook.com/groups/ DunwichDynamo/

London to Brighton:

Annual charity ride or anytime day-trip challenge (55 miles) londonbrightoncycle. co.uk

* Way of the Roses:

Best for new-wave seaside MARGATE Kent’s north coast is a real mixed bag of shellfish. You can cycle mostly off-road for 20 miles along the bracing seaside, from Whitstable with its fresh-seafood shacks, via Herne Bay and Margate, round Foreland Point to Broadstairs and Ramsgate. Surfaces vary and the functional, brown concrete paths aren’t always pretty. But riding here is always interesting – and rejuvenated ‘nouvelle plage’ Margate these days is as interesting as anywhere. ‘Culture-led regeneration’ entices visitors coming by train from London: the Turner Contemporary Gallery is here plus arty boutiques, but the retro seaside town is still going strong too. A few decent bike routes (e.g. Crab and Winkle Way), plus good train connections, make the area good for touring: Sandwich, Canterbury, even Dover and Folkestone

are within easy day trips. NCN Route 1 all the way to London is a thrilling Thames-side adventure.

Best for bohemian chic BRIGHTON Just over an hour from London by train is Brighton, an unapologetic and lively mix of class, kitsch, grittiness, alternative-chic, and naturist beaches. It sits halfway along ten miles of super promenade riding from Shoreham to Peacehaven. Bike hire is easy, and the local rental scheme BTN Bikeshare gives easy ad hoc access. The boutiquefilled centre isn’t always easy to ride around, though decent Sustrans paths can get you out of the centre surprisingly painlessly to places like the magnificent Devil’s Dyke, Ditchling Beacon (the notorious climb on the London to Brighton cycle ride), the Seven Sisters, and Wilmington’s Long Man. If the South Downs climbs don’t entice, familyfriendly NCN Route 2 runs along that prom, dead flat all the way west to Worthing, from where you can get the train back.

More info Cycling UK is promoting cycle tourism in three coastal counties – Cornwall, Norfolk, and Kent – through the EU-funded EXPERIENCE project. See page 10 for more details or visit: cyclinguk.org/experience

Coast and Castles:

Newcastle to Berwick via beaches, history and thrilling scenery (100 miles) cycle.travel/ route/coast_and_ castles

East Neuk 50: Kirkcaldy to Dundee via quirky fishing villages and St Andrews (50 miles) eastneuk50.org

North Coast 500:

An odyssey around Scotland’s northern fringes, but some busy roads (500 miles) northcoast500.com

Below: Robert Spanring

thanks to it facing west. Or its pleasant but modest trad-seaside vibe, funfair and all. It’s the rides inland. Quiet lanes over gentle hills, rarely steep enough to warrant changing gear but creating views that change regularly, take you to delightful (often upscale) villages and views. Spiffy Burnham Market, aka ‘Chelsea-on-Sea’; glorious Holkham Park and Sandringham; the quiet beaches around Wells; Cromer; Castle Acre; the easy off-road Peddar’s Way; the strange timeslip pilgrimage shrine at Walsingham... There are day-rides galore here.

Popular delight from Morecambe to Bridlington (170 miles) cycle.travel/route/ way_of_the_roses C2C: Original coast-to-coast, from Workington/ Whitehaven to Newcastle/Sunderland (120 miles) cycle.travel/ route/c2c

N PLUS ZERO Feature

DAN JOYCE

N+0=4 for Dan. It would take a very special bike to get that down to one

NOT IN STOCK? NOT AFFORDABLE? NOT NECESSARY? MAYBE IT’S TIME TO FORGET THAT NEW BIKE AND MAKE THE BEST OF WHAT WE’VE GOT. DAN JOYCE ELABORATES

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N+0

F E ATU R E

cratching that new bike itch is more difficult these days. There are a few reasons why it might be time to abandon N+1, cycling forums’ favourite formula for “the correct number of bikes to own”, in which N equals the number of bikes you currently own. Chief among them is supply. In brief: there was a pandemic bike boom; factories making essential components shut their doors; and there was, and is, a global shipping crisis… which was compounded by a logjam in the Suez Canal. So bike shops are emptier and due dates for new models and parts keep getting pushed back. “That’s the story of the day for everyone at the moment,” the marketing manager at one big bike company told me last July, after confessing that he wouldn’t be able to supply a test bike I’d been chasing for a year. “I had a nightmare getting

parts for the UK Olympians riding our bikes. [It’s now] November for chains alone!” The second reason is rising prices. Think the prices seem high for the bikes reviewed in Cycle? They are! The Bicycle Association recently published a report, ‘Growth Beyond the Boom: Key Drivers of the UK Cycling Market in 2021’. One of its findings was that the average price of (non-electric) bikes sold in the UK had risen by 36% since 2019. Partly that’s customers buying the more readily available expensive models. Partly it’s business costs such as shipping: the price of a container from the Far East to Europe was $1,250 in September 2020, before the shortage hit, and then $22,000 in November 2021 (source: Cycling Industry News). That’s an increase of over $20,000! Given that a container holds about 250 bikes, it’s $80 or so on top of the price of every bike. In the UK, Brexit hasn’t helped

pricing or, in some cases, availability. Sterling fell significantly against the Euro and, crucially, the US dollar after the Leave vote in 2016, making imports such as bikes more expensive. On top of that, there are now import duties on items from Europe. The Guardian has a good summary (bit.ly/cycle-brexitguardian), and there’s a long-running thread of Cycling UK members’ experiences on the forum (cyclinguk. org/post-brexit-buying). The third reason to ditch the N+1 formula is simply to avoid buying something we don’t need, a consumerism issue the climate crisis has thrown into sharp relief. Bikes are a drop in the rising ocean compared to cars or fast fashion but there’s still a real cost in resources. The most environmentally friendly bike is the one you already own. Which brings us back to N+0. Or, to put it another way: mending and making do.

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Photo: Joolze Dymond

Mend and make do: Real Yellow Jersey winner Caitlin Barlett teaches cycle maintenance

F E ATU R E

N+0

DAN’S REFURBISHED BROMPTON My much-mended

than the hub, rim, and

21-year-old Brompton

spokes separately,

is my most neglected

so I added that – and

bike. When I get back

a front wheel – to

from business trips on

my Compton Cycles

it late at night, I tend

online order. I chose a

to forget about it until

13t sprocket and a 44t

I next need it.

chainring for a 55in

So I wasn’t greatly

hills, high enough to

although ‘rideable’, it

pedal at 15mph.

needed: new chain

Lining up the single

tensioner jockey

sprocket on a 2-speed

wheels; a new chain,

hub with a 3-speed

sprocket, chainring,

tensioner required a

and right-hand crank

2.5mm spacer either

(earlier Bromptons

side. I’d forgotten to

didn’t have removable

buy a circlip but the

chainrings); a new rear

one from the old

light; new pedals; new

3-speed hub fitted.

brake blocks; and new

Rather than buy

rims, which after 21

a Brompton folding

years were very worn.

pedal (£47), I bought

Since I was

£12.98 delivered. I

decided to convert

spent about £340

it from a 3-speed to

altogether, a saving

a singlespeed. My

of around £1,000 on a

Brompton journeys

similar new Brompton. The old bike rides

or three miles at a

better than ever – that

time, for which one

lovely singlespeed

gear is fine, and it

silence! – and is

would save weight.

palpably easier to

You lift a folded

carry. It was 11.98kg.

Brompton a lot.

It’s now 11.15kg. That’s

It wasn’t much

a bigger weight

more expensive

saving than you get

to buy a Brompton

from a titanium fork

1/2-speed rear wheel

and rear triangle.

cycle

This was bad enough. Additionally, shipping container prices soared

a pair from Decathlon:

overhauling it, I

seldom exceed two

gear: low enough for

surprised to find that,

FE B R UARY / M ARCH 2022

REASSESS: YOUR BIKE CAN DO MORE Magazines, websites, and adverts sometimes imply that you need a specific bike for a certain kind of riding. You don’t. A particular bike or type of bike may do a given job better but you don’t have to have the ‘right’ one. Granted, some bikes are less versatile than others. I’ve been mountain biking on an 80in fixie with 28mm tyres. It was entertaining and challenging but not something I’d want to repeat. I’ve done a 10-mile time trial on a Sinclair A-bike for a laugh. While I didn’t, remarkably, come last, I’d never do that again either. Most situations aren’t so black and white. You can ride all or most of that bridleway on your road bike with 25mm tyres – with a bit of care. You can do a sportive or club ride on your mountain bike – with a bit more effort and ideally different tyres. You can tour on anything so long as it’s comfortable, has low enough gears for you, and will carry your essential luggage. Back in 2017, I wrote about using one bike for everything (cyclinguk.org/ article/can-you-just-have-one-bike-doeseverything). That was N=1 rather than N+0

but the conclusion is relevant. Namely: the Genesis Longitude I rode was better in some roles than others but it didn’t actually prevent me doing any cycling I wanted or needed to do. One bike really did do everything. Sub-optimal cycling beats not cycling every time.

REFURBISH: FIX AND FETTLE Cherish the bike you own. It’s easy to be distracted by the siren call of the shiny and new. Yet the fact that there’s a new bike that’s better than your old one doesn’t make your bike any worse than it was when you bought it. And when you bought it, you probably relished riding it. Recapturing that warm glow is partly mind games. Think back on past rides. Consider the fact that, assuming your bike can tackle the task at hand, the principal limiting factor for fun or performance isn’t the bike but you. Let’s say a road bike costing several thousand pounds could make you a few percent faster for the same effort. That still leaves 97% of the total room for improvement down to you. Your bike isn’t holding you back – not much. There are practical things you can do to make yourself feel better about your old

F E ATU R E

Near left & far left: Alamy

N+0

SAM’S REPURPOSED SURLY Back in early 2020,

Cycles had some

that I needed/wanted

secondhand flared

a nippier bike than

Genetic Digest

my sturdy Surly Disc

handlebars he sold

Trucker. I’d drunk the

for a song, which I

gravel bike Kool-Aid,

wrapped in some

while at the same

fun yellow tape from

grown enamoured

VeloDuo. Outside

with the randonneur

of the tyres, my

style of riding.

biggest and most

The idea of an

Surging sales and limited supplies left shops looking spartan

a Rawland Cycles

with on-road zip,

Rando V3 rack, which

and which could also

I had to order in from

take a light load, was

the US as the UK was

intoxicating. When

flat out of front racks.

the pandemic struck,

I bodged a rear rack

however, those dream

mount to take my

bikes sold out. So I

dynamo light on the

decided to upgrade

front rack, and my

my existing bike. I

‘gravelandonneur’

already had a clear

was complete.

could do. I swapped my

ADVERTS IMPLY THAT YOU NEED A SPECIFIC KIND OF BIKE FOR A CERTAIN KIND OF RIDING. YOU DON’T

brakes that are squeal-free and wellmodulated, and bearings that are welladjusted and smooth. When a bike is kept running sweetly it is, in the only way that really matters, as good as new. Cycle maintenance is a readily learnable skill. It’s technology that anyone can, literally, grasp. All you need is patience, a bike workstand (a £50-£70 one from Decathlon or Halfords will suffice), and a collection of tools that you can supplement as you go along. There are guides to some of the simpler jobs on the Cycling UK website (cyclinguk. org/article/simple-bike-maintenanceguides). For more advanced stuff, invest in a good manual like Zinn and the Art of Road/Mountain Bike Maintenance (delete as appropriate), buy an app such as The Bicycle Maintenance Guide (bicyclemaintenanceguide.com), or watch some free YouTube videos. Don’t want to get your hands dirty? Your local bike shop will oblige. One complication now is that many replacement parts are as difficult to obtain as new bikes. Supply problems have hit groupsets hardest. Are you set on replacing like for like or are you happy to compromise with a component from

difficult purchase was

off-road capable bike

idea in mind of what I

bike. Some are cosmetic, such as making your bike look better. I like a bike with what Grant Petersen of Rivendell Bicycle Works calls ‘beausage’ – a portmanteau of ‘beauty’ and ‘usage’, which means the former comes from the latter. In other words, a well-used bike with some scuffs and scars looks better than a pristine, unridden bike. But if you prefer a polished bike, shine that frame! Want perfect paintwork? Get a respray (cyclinguk.org/ cycle/back-best). Don’t like looking down at worn bar tape? Replace it. The more your bike meets your ideas of how a bike should look, the more you’ll like it. Showing your bike some love isn’t just about cleaning – or, as it might be, not. It’s also about maintenance, which isn’t the same thing: a bike can look tatty and work brilliantly. Every cyclist appreciates the quiet susurration of a well-kept drivetrain,

Dave at Pilgrim

I’d made up my mind

All in all I probably spent ~£250, which is a lot but still cheaper

26×2.0 Schwalbe

than a new bike. In

Mondials – on

its new guise, I’ve

editor Dan Joyce’s

tackled King Alfred’s

recommendation

Way, ridden rough-

– for Rene Herse’s

stuff through Dorset,

26×1.8 Naches

Surrey, Sardinia, and

Pass tyres (stocked

Tuscany, and made

by Sven Cycles). I

countless visits to

immediately noticed

the shops and work.

the difference. My

It’s given the bike a

bike had never flown

new lease of life, and

so well… or been so

while I still yearn for

puncture-prone. Flats

something altogether

aside, I had the zip I’d

different, it’s sure

been looking for.

been fun!

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F E ATU R E

N+0

Above: Cleaning nonmoving parts? Optional Top right: Any bike can haul loads with a trailer Bottom right: E-bike kits are widely available

a different groupset? Compatibility can be a minefield, so ask on forums like Cycling UK’s ‘Bikes & bits – Technical section’ if you’re unsure. If you’re seeking must-have parts, the Cycling UK forum is also a useful source for swaps or trades (cyclinguk.org/small-ads). Ebay is useful too, both for used parts and new components you can’t track down locally.

a fixed-wheel commuter or time trial bike (don’t forget that front brake!) but it won’t ever make a good off-road bike or tourer. Conversely, a hardtail mountain bike, tourer, hybrid, or gravel bike can be re-specced to fill a wide variety of roles. It’s impossible to look at all the adaptations you might make. Here’s a selection.

REPURPOSE: OLD DOG, NEW TRICKS

EASY WINS

The scope of any bike isn’t set in stone. You can change components to make it fit a different role better. Maybe not quite as well as a bike specifically designed for that job but well enough for your purposes. The more specialised the bike – and, in particular, the tighter its frame clearances and the fewer fittings it has – the fewer your options. A track bike might become

• Tyres. The first things to change. There will be something faster rolling or more puncture resistant in a similar width to what’s on your bike, and probably something grippier off-road if you need that. I like Rene Herse tyres (and Schwalbe’s discontinued Marathon Supreme) for tarmac-going gravel bikes, and Schwalbe Durano Plus for commuterised road bikes and fixies. • Riding position. A different handlebar of the same general type is a straight swap. A shorter and/or more upright stem and a seatpost with more layback may be all it takes to improve ride comfort. • Lower gearing. SunRace makes 11-40 (and larger) Shimano-compatible cassettes in 9-, 10- and 11-speed. Add a gear hanger extender, possibly a longer B-screw for

A HARDTAIL MOUNTAIN BIKE, TOURER, HYBRID, OR GRAVEL BIKE CAN FILL A WIDE VARIETY OF ROLES 36

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FE B R UARY / M ARCH 2022

your derailleur, some extra chain links, and you’re done. • Better brakes. Replace the cables. Consider switching to compressionless cable outers (e.g. Gusset XL Linear). Fit different brake pads. Semi-metallic pads are good all-rounders for discs, for which larger rotors (frame/fork allowing) also improve stopping power. Kool-Stop Salmon rim brake blocks (cyclinguk.org/ article/kool-stop-salmon-rim-brakeblocks) are great for sidepull, cantilever, or V-brakes. • No pannier rack mounts? Use bikepacking bags (cyclinguk.org/article/ group-test-seatpost-bags-bikepacking) or a big traditional saddlebag from the likes of Carradice. • Lack of mudguard clearance and fittings? SKS Raceblade Long mudguards work well enough for road bikes. Ditto Crud’s Roadracer Mk3. Mudhugger’s Rear Gravel Hugger is a good option for gravel or adventure bikes going off-road. • Load hauling. Most bikes can tow a cargo trailer full of groceries or a child trailer. Just check the hitch options and make sure you have low enough gears and good enough brakes for the additional weight you’ll be hauling.

N+0

MORE COMPLEX CONVERSIONS • Flat bar to drop bar. To keep the reach manageable, you’ll need a stem about 4cm shorter. You’ll need different controls but can keep your derailleurs. Microshift (microshift.com) makes bar-end and thumb-shifters for lots of mountain bike and road derailleurs. A Jtek ShiftMate adapter is another option. Assuming you have cable brakes, you’ll likely need linear-pull drop-bar levers such as Tektro’s RL520. If you have hydraulics, TRP’s brakeonly Hylex RS levers are a simple solution. • Drop bar to flat bar. Most people don’t

FLAT BAR TO DROP BAR? TO KEEP THE REACH MANAGEABLE, YOU’LL NEED A STEM ABOUT 4CM SHORTER

seem to mind the shorter reach. If you do, try a stem 2-4cm longer. Thanks to sporty hybrids, you can readily buy flat-bar short-pull brake levers (e.g. Sora, Tiagra) and flat-bar road shifters (ditto). • Geometry changes. Angle headsets (e.g. by Cane Creek or Superstar Components) enable you to slacken a bike’s head tube angle by 0.5 to 2º to increase the trail. The effective seat tube angle is easier to change: just switch from an inline seatpost to one with layback (or vice-versa) and/or move the saddle fore/ aft in the clamp. • Lack of frame clearance for bigger tyres. You can’t go wider than the frame and fork allow, but you can switch to tubeless tyres to utilise lower pressures. If you’re riding off-road like this and bashing rims, try tyre inserts (e.g. CushCore), which are available for cyclocross or gravel tyres down to 33mm. • Electric assistance. Retrofit kits are

F E ATU R E

widely available and can be fitted by a competent home mechanic. See cyclinguk.org/article/electrify-your-bike for more. Alternatively, many suppliers will install a retro-fit kit for you, for a fee. • A ‘folding’ frame. You can make an existing steel frame separable with the addition of S&S Bicycle Torque Couplings. It can then travel as luggage on trains and planes. Expect to pay from around £600 for this. Total up the cost of any conversions before getting started. It may make more sense to buy a new frame and transfer the components, or even to buy a completely new bike (if you can find one!). How does that square with N+0? Easy: one in, one out. Sell your old bike or old frame, or donate it to a bike recycling centre. Some of Cycling UK’s Big Bike Revival partners in England recycle bikes. See cyclinguk. org/bigbikerevival and make contact with the centre before visiting.

YOUR BIKES

JOHN BARNES’S DIY FOLDING E-CARGO BIKE

THOMAS MCALPINE’S SECONDHAND HYBRID

DAVID ROSSALL’S TRIKE

I cut the top and down tubes and added a low

The bike was secondhand to me and required

(2×5). I was riding an audax when I put the

front to make a Long John style cargo bike.

attention. I removed rust patches on the frameset

drive wheel down a huge pothole, which

For more details, see ‘Folding Long John’ on

and varnished it. Then I replaced a faulty crank,

broke the driveshaft housing. A planned

YouTube (bit.ly/cycle-DIYecargo-video). It

the stem, and the headset with new components.

repair at Trykit turned into an opportunity to

folds in half for storage and the possibility of

Wheels and a melodious bell came from my

modernise and a have a complete rebuild.

transporting it on a train. I use it for shopping

previous bike. I added mudguards and latterly

It now has 9-speed Ergopower shifters and

and transporting waste to the town’s recycling

dynamo lighting for winter riding.

a frame respray, although the wheels, bars/

centre, and for any other short journey which

It was rewarding to spend time and care

It was originally a one-wheel-drive 10-speed

stem, chainset, and saddle are unchanged.

returning it to working condition. It’s the first

There are structural reasons that make

It rides fine but is more difficult to get

time I’ve repaired and renovated a bike, learning

Shimano cassettes more suited to trike

around cycle path barriers because of its

new skills while being able to reduce, reuse, and

use than Campag ones, but I wanted Ergos

length. It didn’t require any special parts,

recycle. If I was faced with only having one bike in

and Campag derailleurs so I’m using a JTek

except for the Bafang crank motor that I

the future, this would be top of my list. It’s my main

ShiftMate to convert. I use the trike mainly

bought from Brighton Bikes. The mudguards

transport. I use it for shopping trips, commuting

for audax rides, and as a change from riding

are made from worn tyres. It cost me about

to work, touring, and day trips out. It is capable on

bikes. I don’t like to think about how much it

£200 in welding gas and consumables, £150 in

the road and on unpaved bridleways and paths. It

cost. With the complete respray and so on, I

steel tubing, and £900 for the motor.

cost me about £120.

think it was near £1,000.

requires a load to be transported.

C YCL I NGUK . O RG

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Top to bottom: Over the bridge at Woollard. Duckpond at Olveston. On the Bristol-Bath Cycleway. Crossing Ingleston Common

Weekender

Avon calling The Avon Cycleway is a loop around Bristol on lanes and cycle paths. Neil Wheadon rode it with some fellow tandemists last summer

NEIL WHEADON Neil is a former chair of the Tandem Club and until recently was a tour leader for CTC Cycling Holidays. He’s writtten more about the Avon Cycleway at: bikexplore.co.uk/ Articles-of-Interest/ Avon-Cycleway

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reated in 1989, the Avon Cycleway is a signed 86-mile ride around the cycle-friendly city of Bristol that can be easily completed over a weekend. The county of Avon no longer exists but some great infrastructure remains, including dedicated cycle paths and signed quiet lanes. The ride is circular so can be started at any point. This guide presumes you begin at Bitton Station but you could just as easily start from Yate, Nailsea, or Can you ride Pensford. The route is fairly gentle throughout. tandem? Heading clockwise, you have an easy start Could you spare time on the Bristol-Bath Cycleway, followed by to pilot a tandem some lumpy climbs in the Mendip area around for visually-impaired Pensford. After crossing the Somerset Levels stokers? Visit cyclinguk. to Clevedon, a lovely route takes you through org/volunteer the Gordano Valley, which is popular with local cyclists. You join a cycle path over the Avonmouth Bridge before winding through north Bristol on paths that avoid the hurly-burly of the city. Then it’s north along the wide Severn Valley, and east through the attractive town of Thornbury to the delightful open pastures of Ingleston Common. After Yate, the route follows the old railway paths that run along the east side of Bristol back to Bitton Station.

FE B R UARY / M ARCH 2022

AVO N C YC L E WAY

WEEKENDER

Weekend ride

AVON CALLING Route name: Avon Cycleway. Start/finish: Avon Valley Railway at Bitton Station (ST670703). Maps: OS Landranger 172 Bristol & Bath. Ride length: 138km/86 miles. Climbing: 833 metres. Bike type: Any, including tandems. Ride level: Regular in one day, beginner in two. GPX file: cyclinguk.org/avoncycleway

BRISTOL-BATH CYCLEWAY This flagship cycle path started the whole Sustrans movement. Tarmacked throughout and flat, it’s now used for more than a million cycle journeys every year. In the past, it carried coal trucks to the coast and to the Midland Railway.

Pensford A little blighted by the A37, this delightful village has a pub, a memorial to Acker Bilk the clarinettist, and a magnificent viaduct (last used in 1968), which straddles the valley. The cycleway passes through the heart of this former coal mining village.

Stanton Drew Stone Circle England’s third largest collection of standing stones: 26 in a 113-metre circle. For just £1 you can walk around them. Head right into Stanton Drew and follow the signs. See bit.ly/cyclestantondrew.

Clevedon The route tracks the eastern outskirts but this seaside town is worth a detour. Ornamental gardens and a Grade 1 listed pier enhance the seafront. Slightly inland, the architecture of many of the houses is unusual and beautiful.

Thornbury This attractive town is one of the larger ones en route. It has several cafés, a museum, and many shops so is a good place for a break. The centre is signed right at a T-junction. If you pass the large church on the left-hand side, head back into town again.

INGLESTON COMMON You will cycle across both Ingleston and Hawkesbury Commons. Largely unchanged for millennia, these wide open spaces with no fencing are traditional grazing areas for livestock. The road through has just had a fresh coating of tarmac so is really smooth.

Map © OpenStreetMap, produced with Inkatlas.com. Photos by Neil Wheadon & Alamy

4 Start/ Finish The Tandem Club This ride was written as part of a celebration of the Tandem Club’s 50th birthday. More details at: tandem-club.org.uk

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Feature

PHONE , CAM ER A , ACTION The best camera is the one you don’t forget to bring – such as the phone in your pocket. Steve Thomas explains how to use it better

STEVE THOMAS Cycling journalist & photographer Steve usually shoots with a proper camera but will use whatever’s at hand. His website is thesoftsaddle.com

F E ATU R E

PH OTO G R A PH Y

IMPROVE YOUR PICTURES

CAMERA APPS

Above: Look for opportunities to frame your shot Below: Phones can struggle in dim light, but try to avoid using the flash

s much as some photographers may scoff at the concept of mobile phone photography, if you know what you’re doing and take your time then you can create excellent images with any recent model of smartphone. Even five-year-old devices are more than capable of producing great pictures, and of a resolution that is often more than enough for professional use and print reproduction. As for Instagram and social media use, and even for many websites, the image will often be displayed little bigger than a matchbox. Few will notice the lack of the fine-art level of detail afforded by a bigger camera. Phones lack the big sensors of dedicated cameras, with their wide dynamic ranges, their aperture choices, and multiple focal length options. But for ease of use and versatility they simply cannot be beaten as image capturing devices, especially when you’re out for a ride.

SHOOT, DON’T SNAP The first step in taking better phone pictures is to use your mobile like you would a camera. Slow down and get your breath. Clean the lens. Hold the phone steady with both hands. Compose the image and then grab your focus by touching the screen. Choose the exposure to retain the highlight detail. This is usually achieved by touching on a grey

or mid-tone area of the screen, often the sky, until the exposure is more or less even, then holding to lock it. On most phones sliding your finger left or right across the screen also alters the exposure. (Manual control apps are also available.) High dynamic range (HDR) mode on newer phones is good at handling these contrasting light situations. If possible, try to avoid extreme lighting – such as big white skies along with darkly shaded areas. Lighting is very important. Try to keep the sun behind you or, better still, threequarters head on to the subject. Early morning and evening light is the best for any photography, so use it if you can. Newer phones are much better at dealing with low light situations than older models, but they still lag behind a bigger-sensor camera. Shooting in the dark or indoors will not produce good results on a phone; even bigger cameras struggle here. The flash on phones is best only used to fill in shadows in very bright sunlight, such as close-ups of riders’ faces under peaked helmets, not to light a full scene. So it’s best turned off 99% of the time. Avoid using the digital zoom option too. Apart from on a few higher-end new phones, it simply crops into the scene and reduces the image resolution. Many phones now come with multiple cameras and focal lengths. If you want to take the best pictures with your phone, these are worth their extra cost. Their wide-

Photos: Steve Thomas

Dedicated camera apps give you more manual control over your photography so you can nail exposures more accurately. My favourite is Filmic Firstlight, available for iOS and Android, priced £6.99.

POST-PROCESSING APPS You can manipulate the image for artistic reasons, or to make it feel more like what you saw – Photoshopping it, essentially. Snapseed is a great, easy-to-use app. It’s free for iOS and Android.

ACCESSORIES To get yourself in a photo, you’ll need a mini tripod with a clamp, e.g. a Gorillapod (joby.com). Bluetooth triggers cost from around £2 up. Shoot in burst mode with the higher-resolution rear camera.

EDIT, CULL, AND BACK UP Don’t let your images clog up your phone’s memory. Be ruthless. Only keep your best images, then back them up. Sifting your photos will help you become more selective and will show you what works best.

KEEP PRACTISING Practice makes the biggest difference. Learn the technical functions of your phone and the apps. Experiment with composition and lighting until you find what works for you.

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F E ATU R E

PH OTO G R A PH Y

Film your trips

Phones can do that too. For tips on how, visit cyclinguk. org/filming

SEND US YOUR PHOTOS • Cycle magazine. When you’re sending one or two photos to go with a Travellers’ Tales submission or a letter to Cycle, an email attachment is fine. Be careful that your email program doesn’t automatically downsize the image. For more details, read the submission guidelines at: cyclinguk.org/ article/cycling-guide/be-partcycle-magazine

Clockwise from top left: Postprocessing can make radical changes. You’ll need a tripod to get yourself in shot too. Pan with moving subjects

• Instagram. To share your bikepacking photos with us on Instagram for our #12nightsoutin1year competition, just use that as a hashtag when you post the image on your own Instagram account. • Cycling UK’s photo library. To submit photos for Cycling UK’s photo library (for free use across the organisation), contact publicity@cyclinguk. org.

• Volunteering. If you’d like to become a volunteer photographer for Cycling UK, visit cyclinguk.org/volunteer

angle cameras are great for big landscapes with a rider in it, and also for shooting point-of-view photos from the saddle. When capturing an image, don’t just take one shot. Try a few compositions and different exposures, as you would (or should) with a regular camera. If it’s an action shot, hold down the shutter button to use burst mode, then choose the best image later.

COMPOSITION Composition should be approached in the same way as with any camera. Keep in mind that you will not have aperture control for depth of field to blur backgrounds. However, if your subject is very close to the camera and the background is way off, you will still achieve some depth of field. You can add in

IF IT’S AN ACTION SHOT, HOLD DOWN THE SHUTTER BUTTON TO USE BURST MODE 42

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FE B R UARY /M ARCH 2022

lens blur later using a post-processing app such as Snapseed. Good composition is what separates a great image from a casual snap. Think about the scene and take time to frame it. The old photographic ‘rule of thirds’ can be helpful. For a cycling image, that generally means not having the rider dead centre. Instead, try to divide your screen so that the rider is in one third of it, and try to keep the sky and ground in roughly equal proportions. It’s always good to try to show the cyclist riding into or out of a scene with ‘leading lines’ rather than directly head on or from behind. If you can show a trail or road leading into a scene and the rider coming in or out of that, that’s ideal. It draws you into the image and gives you a sense of being there. It’s also worth turning your phone upright for some shots. Vertical images have a different feel. It’s known as portrait format for good reason: it works well when you want a closer image of a rider. Portrait format images are also more popular on Instagram Stories.

You can shoot great close-up images with a phone. Always use burst mode, and remember that you don’t always need to see all of the rider – perhaps just part of the bike riding in or out of a scene, such as a water splash or through colourful undergrowth. Try the flash for these pictures, as it will freeze the water droplets or draw attention to the subject.

ACTION SHOTS Mobile phones usually have superb autofocus and tracking, which makes them good for action images. Even so, try to touch and lock pre-focus before shooting and, if they’re moving across your scene rather than towards or away from you, pan with the subject. When panning, keep the movement smooth. Before you shoot like this, check what is either side of your frame to avoid obstructions. Go out and experiment. The more images you shoot, the better you’ll become. Take a look at photos online that inspire you and try to recapture them. You will be amazed what’s possible with the right skills and a little extra input.

Details Where: Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland Start/finish: Belfast Distance: 310km Photos: Ian Proctor/Alamy & Clive Parker

Road cyclist (not Clive) on Big Collin hill, near Ballymena, County Antrim

EMERALD ISLE

G R E AT R I D E S

CLIVE PARKER Clive is a lifelong cyclist who sees a bike as simply a good way to get from A to B – and back, usually

Great Rides

RIGHT AS RAIN Warm welcomes offset the weather when Clive Parker took a border-crossing tour through the north of the island of Ireland

sudden downpour made me dash for the nearest tree for cover. Through the noise of the rain I heard a man in a nearby doorway shouting. “Come and shelter in the house!” he was saying. I made a dash for it. He asked where I was going, so I told him the name of my B&B. “It’s 300 metres up the road. I’ll phone them to tell them you’re here,” he replied. When the rain eased, I plodded up to Cullentra B&B. Olive, the owner, wasted no time in getting me to strip off, put everything in the washing machine, and jump into a hot bath. I was in no mood to argue. I’d left the ferry terminal at Larne that morning in good spirits, cycling along the Antrim coast. We’d had the driest summer in Scotland since records began so rain hadn’t occurred to me, even though my Irish experiences have always included it.

DAMP DAY, DRY STOUT I had plenty of time to enjoy the scenery, taking a minor road that runs through Carncastle and Glenarm. It’s slightly inland from the A2 main road and has super views of the sea. My destination was Cushendall, a picturesque seaside town. The heavens had opened as I approached it. It was still raining in the evening. Olive offered to drive me into the village for a meal; the B&B is a couple of miles from it. I was glad for the lift and had a lovely meal and, of course, a pint of Guinness – which always tastes better in Ireland! In the morning, with a full set of dry clothes, I set off along the peaceful Glendun Scenic Route to Ballymoney. The town isn’t named after cash; money is an anglicisation of the Gaelic word monaidh

Do it yourself

Ferries to Northern Ireland Cairnryan to Larne with P&O (poferries. com) cost £47 one way for me and the bike. Journey time two hours, sailings every four hours. Unfortunately, you aren’t allowed to wheel your bike onto the ferry. I had to remove the panniers and wheels to squeeze it into a small van to take it and me onto the ferry.

Belfast to Cairnryan with Stena Line (stenaline.co.uk) was £36 one-way for me and the bike. Journey time two-and-a-half hours, sailings every four hours. Cycling onto the lorry deck was easy, and I stowed the bike in a small cabin.

Liverpool to Belfast with Stena Line costs £34 one-way for one person and a bike; a cabin is extra. Journey time eight hours, two daily sailings.

(‘moor’), which I’d passed over to get there. I went to Ballymoney to see a suspension bridge over the railway, which was built in 2012 to take a footpath and cycle route across the Belfast-Derry line, avoiding a level crossing. It’s an impressive bridge, having a snaking 230-metre deck suspended from a giant steel parabolic arch. Good to see the Northern Ireland Assembly taking cycle routes so seriously.

THE POST-BREXIT BORDER From Ballymoney my next stop was Derry, also known as Londonderry. The Art House B&B on Lawrence Hill is a pair of Victorian brick townhouses, lovingly restored by their new owner. For me the attraction was being able to use the kitchen, which enabled me to chat to some of the regulars who stay there during the week when working at the nearby hospital. I left Derry on a minor road leading to the border with the Republic at a hamlet called Soppog. There had been much talk of the status of the border postBrexit. Hard border, soft border, and protocol were well-used words in the media. As I approached, I wondered what I’d find, recalling the The Troubles when the border could be difficult to cross. No problem. The only signs of a border were a different shade of tarmac and a small sign indicating the speed limit in kilometres per hour. I was in County Donegal. I freewheeled down to Buncrana, where a car ferry took me across Lough Swilly. I needed my certificate of vaccination to get into a café but luckily I had researched that and wasn’t caught out. (Do check before travelling, in case the rules have changed again.)

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EMERALD ISLE

This photo: Carncastle Road, Antrim coast Below: Car ferry on Lough Swilly

G R E AT R I D E S

Fact File:

Right as rain Distance: 310km. Route: From Larne west along the coast into Donegal, then back through Tyrone to Derry/Londonderry for the train to Belfast. Conditions: Quiet minor roads. In Ireland it rains on many days but not all day. Transport: P&O ferry from Cairnryan-Larne. Northern Ireland Railways Derry-Belfast. Stena Line ferry from Belfast-Cairnryan.

Accommodation:

Delightful, traffic-free minor roads led me through places with charming names like Coolboy towards Letterkenny. I’d booked a room at a B&B in Ballymacool. It was another place where guests could use the kitchen.

SLÁINTE! The first surprise was an electric cable coming in through the kitchen window. The second was finding lots of unlabelled cans of beer in the fridge. Puzzle two was solved when the owner came home from work. He worked at a brewery and the cans of beer were rejects, as they’d been dented. We could help ourselves. A Belgian couple staying at the B&B solved puzzle number one: they’d travelled in an electric car from Belgium and were charging it. They were happy to join in the unexpected beer-fest, and we all recharged our own batteries with the Irish hospitality offered to us. The minor road from Letterkenny to Castlederg in County Tyrone took me over the border again. A number of times, in fact. The border was created relatively recently through the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, which led to the creation of Northern Ireland.The only way I knew which country I was in was the style of road markings and the metric or imperial speed limit signs. No stops, no checks, nothing. My phone sometimes showed Vodafone UK when I was in the Republic and Vodafone IE when I was in Northern Ireland. Castlederg had a fantastic Greek restaurant, and also an ex-RUC station that was up for sale. It would make a good film set, I thought.

BACK TO BELFAST After a night in the Derg Arms Hotel, I crossed the border another half-dozen or so times to get to Lifford, County Donegal. Vodafone were still confused as to which country I was in. I cycled past Deeleview B&B without seeing the sign. Fortunately, Seamus the owner was looking out for me and chased after me in his car so I didn’t go too far out of my way. What a welcome! From Lifford a disused railway follows the Foyle northwards. Derelict and overgrown in the Republic, in Northern Ireland it becomes a marvellous cycleway. It took me neatly to Waterside Railway Station and the train to Belfast. No cycle reservations needed on NIR, so I boarded the next train and sat back to enjoy the views of the Foyle estuary and the coast. After a night in Belfast I headed for the Stena Line ferry to Cairnryan. Don’t rely on Google Maps to cycle to the Stena terminal in Belfast docks: some roads are only permissible to HGVs! It was, at least, easy to ride the bike onto the ferry and take it to a place for safe-keeping – a contrast to my outward experience on P&O, where I had to cram my bike into a little van to get from the terminal to the ship. Despite the rain, it was a wonderful trip.

B&B prices ranged from £40 to £85 for one. Bike: Ridgeback Voyage Maps: Ordnance Survey of Ireland (osi. ie) and Ordnance Survey Northern Ireland (mapshop.nidirect.gov. uk). In border areas, the maps of either country cover both sides accurately. I’m glad I had: Good waterproofs!

Next time I would: Check the distance from my hotel to the Stena Line Belfast terminal. It was tight!

More info Find out how cyclists in Northern Ireland view the twin challenges of Covid-19 and Brexit. Visit the website: cyclinguk.org/article/cycling-without-bordersnorthern-ireland

Advice

CYCLOPEDIA Right: Robert Spanring

Right: Alamy

Questions answered, subjects explained – Cyclopedia is your bimonthly cycling reference guide A knee replacement shouldn’t keep you off the bike too long

Clean and degrease or just wipe off excess oil?

Technical

An unclean chain

Q & A

Health

New knee trouble

I had a total knee replacement in my left leg ten weeks ago. I can pedal a cheap bicycle exercise machine with short cranks. On my Raleigh Pioneer, I cannot pedal at all. I am keen to get back cycling. Keiron Curtis

A good recovery from joint replacement takes effort. You should have some supervision from a physiotherapist who understands your goals. Around a month after surgery you can use a static bike on low resistance. Pedalling backwards initially will help you regain the full range of movement. Once you can flex the knee more than 90 degrees you should have a smooth rotation. You will then need to build up power in your muscles, which will have wasted during the time of inactivity. This needs gradually increased resistance, and it may be this is why you find your road bike hard to pedal. It's unlikely that your cranks are now too long. My hunch is that you haven’t built up enough strength yet and need to work harder indoors before you venture Coronavirus outside. You might try an e-bike or For up-to-date ride only level routes for a while. cyclists’ advice Keep at it! It will probably take regarding Covid-19, several months. visit: cyclinguk.org/ Dr Kate Brodie coronavirus

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Your Experts

FE B R UARY / M ARCH 2022

On my 8-speed commuter bike I use wet lube. Apart from wiping the chain after oiling, I rarely bother to clean it – saving time and resources. I realise I am sacrificing wear but the chain costs only £6 and I don’t ride offroad. Is it only worth regular cleaning if you have an expensive drivetrain? Mark James

A DR KATE BRODIE Retired GP {Health}

RICHARD HALLETT Cycle’s Technical Editor {Technical}

RICHARD GAFFNEY Principal Lawyer, Slater + Gordon Lawyers {Legal}

‘Worth’ in this context is arguably more of a philosophical than a practical discussion. There are numerous reasons to clean a chain, from maximising its service life through to the pleasure of riding with a clean, well-maintained transmission. The latter is more efficient than if dirty and/or poorly-lubricated, and less likely to leave an indelible mark if it touches clothing or upholstery, neither of which may matter for a commuting bike that never sees the inside of a car. Whether it’s worth spending much time on cleaning a chain in the hope of saving money by extending its life will depend on how you value that time. It’s easy enough to spend several hours on cleaning a chain that runs for a couple of thousand miles. Clearly this will vary depending on the replacement cost of the chain – and the chainrings and sprockets, which tend to wear with it. Perhaps paradoxically, I clean the transmission on my ‘fast’ road bike, which rarely gets ridden in the rain, much more frequently than on either of my commuting machines, which are used in all weathers. Richard Hallett

Q&A

Pothole depth affects the urgency of repair

Technical

Gravel bike conversion

CYCLO PE D IA

Pedals with pins help keep feet in place but beware bare shins

Q Legal

Pothole inaction

An overtaking driver forced me to ride over this pothole. I reported it on the highway authority’s website but was told that it is not at a level which it is causing a safety issue for users. As such they would not be carrying out immediate repairs. Is the safety of cyclists not considered? Danfoto, via the Cycling UK Forum

Under s.41(1) of the Highways Act 1980, the highway authority – the county council in this case – has a duty to ‘maintain’ the public highway. The highway authority also has a common law duty to repair defects when the ‘fabric’ of the road is disrupted or disturbed. The road is required to be repaired to a condition that is reasonably passable for ordinary traffic. While there is a national level that is to be adhered to, each highway authority has guidelines for best practice when maintaining the roads. These will determine at what point a road is considered to be in a ‘dangerous condition’ which requires maintenance, how often roads are inspected, and how quickly repairs should happen. While the pothole that you reported may be considered by the highway authority as an inconvenience for cyclists, it seems that they consider that the defect is not significant enough to prevent the ordinary passing of all traffic without danger. If an accident were to occur, whether or not it should have been repaired would be a matter for the court to decide. You can report the pothole using Cycling UK’s Fill that Hole app or website (fillthathole.org.uk). Richard Gaffney

I have a Thorn XTC 26in touring bike with a flat handlebar, cantilever brakes, and a 3×9 Shimano SLX/Deore drivetrain. I want to change this to a 1×10 or 1×11 setup for a little offroad gravel riding, some light touring, and occasional road rides. Any advice would be much appreciated. Phil Allen

Given the cost of replacement, and also that the existing transmission is suitable for your riding goals, you might ask yourself what advantage you expect the 1× transmission to offer. In addition to the crankset, rear mech, and cassette you’ll also need a shifter and possibly new bottom bracket bearings. Then, if you do opt for the 1× setup, you need to ensure it gives you a gearing range wide enough for your requirements. Richard Hallett Dan Joyce adds: See also Sam Jones's repurposed (but still 3×9) Surly tourer on p35. But if you do decide to make the switch, I’d suggest 1×9 Microshift Advent (cyclinguk.org/cycle-magazine/reviewmicroshift-advent) as it’s inexpensive and works well. You’ll need: CS-H093 cassette (£30), the SL-M9195-R trigger shifter (£20), and the RD-M6195M derailleur (£50). You’ll also need a 104BCD narrow-wide chainring; try 36t. Prices range from under a tenner (eBay) to around £35-£45 (RaceFace, Hope, etc). Your existing chain will work if it’s in reasonable condition.

Technical

Grippy pedals

At 85, I cannot ride at present because I cannot keep my feet on the pedals. They slide sideways off the pedals. I have had a foot disorder since birth, which prevents me from wearing cycling shoes with cleats. I have tried Restrap pedal straps but cannot get my feet off the pedals quickly enough when stopping. Can you suggest an alternative? David Webb

The simplest answer is to find a pair of pedals with a grippy surface that will locate the shoe sole securely, such as the DMR V12 pictured (in white to show the pins better, but other colours are available). These provide a large, supportive pedalling platform suitable for almost any shoe, although the pins that provide the grip can inflict injury in the event of slippage. Another possibility is to attach a large diameter washer or similar to the outside edge of a pedal wide enough for the sole of the shoe, so that the washer projects upwards from the pedal surface in such a way as to prevent the shoe sliding off sideways. This should be readily achieved at low cost using inexpensive pedals such as ETC’s Resin MTB design. Richard Hallett

Get in touch

Microshift Advent: one of the cheapest 1× options

EMAIL your technical, health, or legal questions to editor@cyclinguk.org or write to Cyclopedia, Cycle, PO Box 313, Scarborough, YO12 6WZ. We regret that Cycle magazine cannot answer unpublished queries. But don’t forget that Cycling UK operates a free-to-members advice line for personal injury claims, TEL: 0330 107 1789.

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CYCLOPEDIA

r e d n i f Bike Which bike should I buy? Ask us at cyclinguk.org/bikefinder

Disc-braked road bike For: Alan Sheldon, aged 75, from Bedford Bike needs: I’ve been using a basic hybrid for exercise during lockdowns. I’d now like a road bike to allow me to increase my mileage and fun. Must have: A good range of gears to allow my old legs to cope with hills, disc brakes, and enough space for my 6ft 2in frame. Must not have: It does not have to be super-lightweight or have aggressive geometry. Budget: up to £1,250 Alan Sheldon

Liz Colebrook Congratulations on getting back in the saddle! My recommendation is the Boardman ADV 8.9 in XL (£1,100, boardmanbikes.com). It tips the scales at around 10.3kg with a triple-butted aluminium frame, carbon fork, and ‘adventure’ wheelset. With the £150 remaining, I’d add lightweight mudguards and potentially upgrade the pedals and saddle. The frame geometry will suit your departure from a flat bar without too much extra forward lean. Tubeless-ready Schwalbe 700×38 G-One tyres are ideal for our weather-weary roads, and should make for a compliant ride even off road. We can lose some flexibility in our spines over time, so I suggest the shop ‘flips’ your handlebar stem to raise the front end a little. I’d also suggest a gel pad set under the handlebar tape to absorb road shock (e.g. Fizik Bar Gel, £17.99). The 46cm handlebar is the ‘short and shallow’ style where the distance to the drops and reach forward are both reduced. There’s a flare to the bar as well, so your hands are a little wider on the drops; the added stability is reassuring on descents. When riding on the brake hoods, Shimano’s hydraulic set-up makes braking less effort, and the integrated ‘paddle’ style gear shifters are also very light action. So they suit older hands. This leads nicely to your request for lower gearing: the range is super wide (24-118"), thanks to a 2×10 transmission with an appropriate-length (175mm) 48-32 crankset and an 11-36 cassette. Altogether, this mix should deliver plenty of enjoyment per mile.

BOARDMAN ADV 8.9 £1,100

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Dan Joyce Most disc-brake road bikes have the ‘aggressive’ geometry you don’t want, with a steep seat angle that tips you forward onto a handlebar that’s low down due to the combination of a short head tube and a carbon fork. They also have relatively high gears. You need a bike whose largest rear sprocket is smaller than the smallest chainring (i.e. under 27"). Gravel bikes can make better general purpose road bikes than road bikes. The Boardman ADV 8.9 that Liz describes is one we both picked, having written our initial responses independently. I’d swap the tyres – perhaps for 700×35C Rene Herse Bon Jon Pass (£80 each!) – and, like Liz, fit mudguards. Alternatively, some ‘endurance’ road bikes could be suitable. They tend to have taller head tubes and slightly shallower frame angles. The Sonder Colibri on p60 (£999, alpkit.com) is a good example; you’d want the XL size in this. To lower the gearing, fit a SunRace MX3 11-40 cassette (£79.99), a Wolf Tooth Roadlink (£23), and some extra chain links. The Spa Cycles Aubisque (currently £1,150, spacycles.co.uk) ticks all your boxes with no modifications required. Being steel it is heavier, but you say that doesn’t bother you. See cyclinguk. org/cycle-magazine/bike-test-four-season-road-bikes for our review. The Aubisque comes with a triple or double chainset. Either can be bought with smaller chainrings, such as a 46-3424 triple or a 42-26 double, which I think you’d appreciate. You’d likely want the 60cm model (out of stock) but might fit the 57cm.

SPA CYCLES AUBISQUE £1,150

BIKE TEST

ROADSTERS

Biketest

RICHARD PEACE Richard is a cycling journalist and author. His books include Electric Bicycles and The Ultimate C2C Guide

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FE B R UARY /MARCH 2022

Hub-geared roadsters For short-distance daily transport, it’s hard to beat a roadster for get-on-and-go convenience. Richard Peace reviews models from Gazelle and Trek

he term roadster is often used interchangeably with city bike, Dutch bike, or even opafiets and omafiets (grandfather bike and grandmother bike in Dutch). Whichever term you choose, certain design traits are universal: practicality, low maintenance, comfort, and durability. This tends to make them a few kilograms heavier and a bit slower than bikes that cycling enthusiasts favour. That’s not important. What matters is that you can hop on them in whatever clothes you’re wearing and know they will be reliable and easy to use for everyday tasks such as shopping and commuting. The Gazelle Esprit T3 is a genuine Dutch roadster, made in the Netherlands by a company that specialises in such bikes. The vast majority of its non-electric models feature hub dynamos and/ or hub gears, two classic roadster features. Trek is an American company better known for its road and mountain bikes. Despite this, the Loft

7i EQ Step-Over has broadly similar equipment to the Gazelle Esprit T3, with dynamo-powered lights, hub gearing, a chainguard, mudguards, and a rear rack. The main spec difference is Trek’s choice of rim brakes over the Gazelle’s roller brakes.

Frame and fork Both bikes have an aluminium frame and a steel fork, although they look quite different. The Gazelle’s funky modern look with varied tube profiles contrasts to the traditional round tubing on the Trek, which is in keeping with its retro feel. As you would expect from highquality manufacturers, welds are neat and strong and the matt black paintwork on both bikes is silkily smooth. Much of the Gazelle’s cabling is

ROADSTERS

BIKE TEST

First look

Underneath the modern styling it’s a traditional Dutch roadster: heavy, comfortable, and practical

The Gazelle is super stable – a great attribute in traffic when you have one hand off the handlebar to signal

Tech Spec

GAZELLE ESPRIT T3

internally routed, as is the step-over height of the dynamo wiring within the frame is also higher. If front fork and main frame. you’re much shorter than The head tube is specially male average, you might shaped to accommodate a struggle to get either of frame-integrated front LED. these diamond frame bikes It looks stylish and gives to fit you. The Trek only the lamp some protection comes in medium (50.4cm) too. The front LED can and large (55.4cm) sizes. be relocated to sit on the The Gazelle comes in small front of an optional, metal (49cm), medium (54cm) basket-style front rack and large (59cm) sizes. (load rating 5kg, £54.95), There are stepwhich uses the light through versions of both housing on the frame for bikes, which do have Top: The front lamp housing on the head tube can also be mounting. A front basket smaller frame options. used to mount a basket-style is a practical choice for a Additionally, all Loft front rack city bike, as you can just models feature what Bottom: Despite the chaincase, hub gear, and roller drop your shoulder bag in Trek calls ‘Flat Foot brake, rear wheel removal is it and pedal off. Technology’: the seat relatively straightforward By contrast, the Trek’s tube is behind the bottom cables run externally, bracket, so its effective though on this black frame they are angle is significantly shallower than barely visible. While frame integrated the geometry figures suggest. In effect, cables are neater, some might prefer it brings the saddle a bit closer to the external cables for easier maintenance. ground whilst maintaining the same You could fit a low-rider rack to the distance to the pedals. Trek as the fork has extra eyelets at Components the dropouts, although there aren’t any Disc brakes are relatively common halfway up the fork legs so you’ll need at this price point, so it’s perhaps to clamp the rack there. surprising that neither bike has them. I tested medium-sized versions of The Gazelle has roller brakes, in both bikes. The Gazelle sits you in a keeping with its low-maintenancemore upright position, although the

sprocket. Shimano Nexus 3-speed hub with twistgrip shifter. 3 ratios, 43-80in. Braking: Shimano roller brakes front and rear (BR-C3000F and BR-IM31) Steering & seating: Widek Aerowing grips, Comfort curved aluminium bars, Gazelle Nero quill stem, threaded headset. Selle Royal saddle, 27.2mm aluminium seatpost. Equipment: Alloy rear rack (front rack optional extra), enclosed plastic chainguard, plastic mudguards, AXA Solid Plus wheel lock with optional cable extra, front and rear LED lights powered by Shimano 2.4W front hub dynamo. gazellebikes.com

Price: £599 Sizes: Small (49cm), medium (54cm, tested), large (59cm) Weight: 18.9kg/41.7lb Frame & fork: Aluminium frame with rear facing dropouts and fittings for roller brake, rear rack, mudguard, and front lamp/rack. Steel fork with fittings for roller brake and mudguard. Wheels: 42-622 Continental Ride City tyres, Ryde Dutch rims with 36H 2-cross spoking (13g rear, 14g front), Shimano Nexus 3 rear hub, Shimano dyno hub. Transmission: Plastic platform pedals, 38T chainset, square tape bottom bracket, KMC Z410 RB chain, 18T

Dimensions in millimetres and degrees

588 560 71˚

867 55

130

445

643 70˚

515

719

170 303

622

1080

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BIKE TEST

First look

A lighter weight roadster with rim brakes and a cruiserstyle handlebar, it still ticks the boxes for practicality

The Trek's seat tube is behind the bottom bracket, so its effective angle is significantly shallower

Tech Spec

TREK LOFT 7I EQ STEP-OVER above-all-else approach. the Nexus 7 rear hub is Roller brakes are heavier one of those jobs that and have a little less bite always seems to cry out than discs, but they are for an extra pair of hands. long-lasting and need only I found that the Nexus 7 the occasional greasing by gear required the indexing way of attention. to be spot on for clean The Trek has long-reach lower gear changes. If dual-pivot sidepull brakes, you do have to refit the presumably a weightrear wheel, it’s also a little saving choice. They’re more awkward to centre simple and work okay it in the frame and to get but both the pads and the chain tension just right (eventually) wheel rims because the Trek doesn’t will wear out so they’re have chain tugs like the Top: While the Nexus 7 hub not a low-maintenance Gazelle does. has a decent range, a bigger choice. Given its higher The Gazelle’s rack is rear sprocket would give a more useful set of ratios price point, I feel that rated at 27kg, underscoring Bottom: Sidepull brakes save hydraulic discs would its heavy-duty, weight and money but discs would be nicer have suited the Trek more. workmanlike credentials, The Gazelle has a while the Trek’s will 3-speed Shimano Nexus carry 18kg. Note that the hub, the Trek a 7-speed one. If you can Gazelle’s rack uses larger gauge tubing live with the reduced hill climbing (14.3mm) which may not take older style ability of the Nexus 3-speed, it’s a great pannier fixings with narrow hooks. The low maintenance system. Its bell crank Trek's rack has 10mm tubing, which mechanism means that indexing is should accommodate any pannier. uncomplicated, and it detaches easily Both of the Gazelle’s lights are if you need to change a rear flat. (The dynamo powered, and the rear is nicely roller brake is a little more fiddly but protected from damage by the rack. The still fairly straightforward once you Trek’s dynamo powers only the front have the knack.) It shifts crisply and light; the rear is battery powered and with minimal effort. rather exposed on the rear mudguard. By contrast, removing the cable from However, the Trek’s front lamp is

sprocket. Shimano Nexus 7-speed hub and twistgrip shifter. 7 ratios, 38-93in. Braking: Lee Chi RC-483 long-reach dual-pivot callipers with alloy levers Steering & seating: Electra faux leather grips, 580×25.4mm Electra custom bend alloy bar, quill stem, threaded headset. Sprung saddle, 27.2mm alloy seatpost. Equipment: Aluminium rear rack, steel chainguard (partial), front Spanninga Brio LED dynamo lamp, rear battery-powered Spanninga Pixeo LED lamp. electra.trekbikes. com

Price £875 Sizes: Medium (tested) and Large Weight: 15.7kg/34.6lb Frame and fork: 6061-T6 aluminium frame with forwardfacing dropouts and fittings for rack, mudguard, two bottles. Steel fork with mudguard fittings. Wheels: 35-622 Innova tyres, double-wall alloy 32 hole rims with 14g spokes, Shimano Nexus 7 rear hub, Shimano front dyno hub. Transmission: Alloy platform pedals, 44t chainset, sealed cartridge square taper bottom bracket, KMC Z7 chain, 20t rear Dimensions in millimetres and degrees

645 585 72˚

760 47

483

602 71˚

486

696

170 272

130 622

1068

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ROADSTERS

Above: The Gazelle’s dynamo rear lamp Near right: The Trek’s rear is battery powered Top right: Its (better) hub feeds just the front Bottom right: This rear roller brake lacks bite

brighter and better illuminates unlit roads. It’s powered by a 3W dynamo (the Gazelle’s is rated at 2.4W), and all that power goes to the front lamp. Both dynamo setups are inexpensive but entirely practical systems. The Gazelle is a heavier and more heavyduty bike than the Trek, and that applies to most of the equipment on the bike too. Even the kickstand is sturdier – it will easily handle fully-loaded parking. The Gazelle’s mudguards and chainguard are an exception: they’re plastic, whereas the Trek’s are steel.

The ride Both bikes provide a comfortable, easygoing ride in city traffic – easygoing, that is, as long as there aren’t too many steep hills. The gearing of both bikes suits flatter terrain, especially the 3-speed Gazelle. (A 7-speed version is available.) I didn’t use either bike’s top gear much but often wanted a lower one. The simplest way to get that would be to fit a larger rear sprocket (and some extra chain links). The Gazelle is super stable – a great attribute in busy city traffic when you have one hand off the handlebar to signal. The Trek is still a nice stable-handling town bike but has less trail and reacts more to smaller movements of the handlebar.

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Other options

PASHLEY PRINCESS SOVEREIGN £845-£945 Classic vintage look with high quality, low-maintenance features and either 5-speed or 8-speed hub gears.

pashley.co.uk

Neither bike has powerful brakes. The Shimano IM31 rear roller brake on the Gazelle feels weak. The beefier-looking front roller brake (BR-C3000F) is much better, and it’s modulated to stop it locking up so you can haul hard on the lever when you need to. I’d still like a better rear roller brake (something Gazelle say is an option) but once you get used them they’re about as effective as the dual-pivot rim brakes of the Trek, with the added benefit of ultra-low maintenance. In terms of ride comfort, it’s a draw. The Trek has a large sprung saddle that soaks up vibration well but the Gazelle has a more comfortable handlebar position and wider tyres.

Verdict

THE LIGHT BLUE PARKSIDE 5-SPEED £649.99

Aluminium framed, steel forked roadster with 5-speed Sturmey Archer hub and V-brakes. Review next issue.

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While both bikes share the same remit of easy city riding, they are actually quite distinct. If you value low maintenance above low weight, then the Gazelle Esprit T3 is very good value and should give many years of service. The Trek Loft 7i EQ will need a little more attention as time passes (especially those brakes) but it’s still low-maintenance compared to most bikes. It’s not as keenly priced as the Gazelle but is around 3kg lighter. That alone may make it worth splashing the extra cash on for some riders.

BIKE TEST

DISC ROAD BIKE

Dimensions in millimetres and degrees

660 570 73.5˚

795 50

420

620 72.5˚

540

690

172.5 281 1032

142 622 34

Tech Spec

SONDER COLIBRI AL TIAGRA

Biketest

Sonder Colibri Al Tiagra A £1k road bike with a Tiagra drivetrain, a full carbon fork, and practical features many rivals lack. Dan Joyce tested it

Other options

olibri is a pass in tube, which demands (and the Ecuadorean gets) a shorter stem; and Andes. It’s more fork offset. There’s no gravelly in parts – like toe-overlap with my size 8s, this endurance road bike even with a mudguard. named after it, which has a The Colibri’s wheels flared drop bar, extra frame are tubeless compatible, fittings, wider (32mm) tyres although the WTB tyres Above: Lots of road bikes have with tread on the shoulders, aren’t. No matter: I’d soon flat-mount discs and thruand bigger clearances replace them. There are fast axles. Fewer have rack and around those tyres. road tyres available in 32mm (concealed) mudguard mounts Sonder’s marketing now, such as Continental’s suggests it might be used GP5000 S TR and Schwalbe’s for adventure racing. I’d say club riding, Pro One TLE. Longer term, it would be audaxes, sportives, fast commuting, and tempting to upgrade the wheels as well. maybe light touring or bikepacking. The They’re not bad but, at £140 and 1,960g aluminium frame and full-carbon fork (stripped down) for the pair, they balance will take tyres up 36mm – or 32mm with the budget better than the scales. mudguards, for which there are mounts. This mid-pandemic test bike had a The head and seat tube angles are couple of non-stock parts: a 105 front mech typical of a road bike yet it’s no wannabe in place of Tiagra; and unbranded flatracer. The head tube is taller. The bike is mount disc brakes rather than Tektro C550. longer: longer chainstays; a longer top It’s nice to see even Tiagra on a £1,000

SPA CYCLES STEEL AUDAX £1,125

CUBE NUROAD £999

Steel audax bike with carbon fork & 105 double or triple gears. Fits 28mm tyres with mudguards. Weight: ~10.2kg.

Gravel bike with clearances for 40mm tyres & guards, full carbon fork, 2×8 Claris drivetrain, and Tektro C510 discs. Weight: 10.8kg.

spacycles.co.uk

cube.eu

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FE B R UARY / MARCH 2022

Price: £999 (frameset £399) Sizes: S-XL Weight: 9.89kg/ 21.76lb (L, no pedals) Frame & fork: Butted 6061 aluminium frame with 68mm BSA BB, 142×12mm dropouts, and fittings for rear rack, mudguard, 3 bottles. Carbon fork with tapered steerer, 100×12mm dropouts & mudguard fittings. Wheels: 32-66 WTB Expanse tyres, Sonder Nova I19 Aero Wheels (19mm internal width rims; 24×1 (f) and 28×2 (r) bladed SS spokes; Sonder Nova hubs). Transmission: Shimano Tiagra

4700 chainset with 172.5mm cranks and 50-34t chainrings, Shimano BB52 bottom bracket, Shimano Tiagra HG500 10-speed 1132 cassette. Shimano Tiagra 4700 shifters, 105 front mech, Tiagra 4700 GS rear. 20 ratios, 29-124in. Braking: Tiagra levers, unbranded flat mount callipers, 160mm 6-bolt rotors. Steering & seating: 31.8×400/460mm Sonder Spitfire bar, 85mm Sonder Storc stem, FSA Orbit C-40-ACB headset. Sonder Zone saddle, 27.2×400mm Sonder seatpost. alpkit.com

disc-brake bike these days, although I’d want something lower than 34/32 if I were climbing an Andean pass with luggage, or even a Welsh one. The brakes were adequate – once I’d fitted thin washers under the rear calliper so I could freely align it. Its mounts weren’t faced perfectly. The Colibri is nice to ride, principally because it’s a sub-10kg bike that doesn’t tip you forward onto a low handlebar vibrated by carpel-tunnel-inducing skinny tyres. It could take you far, in comfort, on most roads. Just check the sizing. At 5ft 10in, the L was a better fit for me than the M.

Verdict

A versatile and good value disc road bike. Its taller head tube, longer frame, and wider tyres let you enjoy rather than endure the miles. Some might take it bikepacking. I’d tweak the spec, swapping out the handlebar and tyres, and use it as a four-season club-ride bike.

GROUPTEST

CYCLING TROUSERS

Details

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Polyamide fabric such as nylon mixed with a small amount (6-12%) of elastane (aka Lycra or spandex), so they’re lightweight, slightly stretchy, and quick drying. Some have a DWR coating for shower resistance. All are crease resistant and are machine washable at 30ºC.

Grouptest

Cycling trousers

I DAN JOYCE Editor Dan does own padded Lycra shorts (and skinsuits) but only uses them for turbo training or racing. For everything else, it’s ‘normal’ shorts and trousers

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FE B R UARY / MARCH 2022

Seat

Don’t expect padding. Do expect a design that doesn’t put thick seams between your sensitive parts and the saddle. All these trousers have flat seams. Some have a gusset, an extra diamond-shaped panel.

Max Wall tights aren’t the only option for keeping your legs warm in chillier weather. Dan Joyce reviews four pairs of cycling trousers f you don’t want to go full roadie and pull on a pair of tights when it’s too cold for shorts, the good news is that the choice in cycling trousers is growing. It’s probably being driven by mountain bikers, for whom trail trousers are now a default winter option, and by urban cyclists, who in the English-speaking world often commute on bikes that aren’t best suited to everyday clothes. Trousers aren’t as aerodynamic as tights, of course, and few come with a seat pad. Does that matter? If it does to you, you’ll need padded underwear or Lycra shorts underneath them. Yet trousers are airier than tights, have pockets, and look normal off the bike. How normal varies. In Vuelta Skelter, Tim Moore describes his stretch-fabric trousers as “shiny and shapeless, not so much Rory McIlroy striding down the eighteenth as Angela Merkel approaching a lectern.” The trousers reviewed here are cycling specific. You can save money by buying lightweight walking trousers instead. I’ve done countless miles in a pair of Craghoppers Kiwi Pro II trousers that cost less than £30. (The Kiwi Pro shorts are equally good value.)

Material

Lower legs

Darts and/or extra fabric at the knee can provide better articulation. Trouser cuffs can be kept away from the chain by:

skinny-fit or tapered legs; elasticated cuffs; a velcro strap; or a pressstud or button. Cycle clips shouldn’t really be required.

Features

Look for a button at the waist not just a press-stud, which can pop open under pressure. Expect belt loops, some pockets (with zips for high value contents), and a cut that’s higher at the back to prevent bare skin. Some have hi-viz inside the right trouser cuff; you’re meant to roll up the leg. Mountain bike trousers may have room for knee pads. These don’t.

Style

Commuters will want normal-looking trousers, tourers something that passes muster. Roadies and mountain bikers changing post-ride might not be bothered.

4 2 1

CYCLING TROUSERS

GROUPTEST

Verdict The Altura Esker trousers are great on the bike, thanks to a pedalling-friendly close cut, but stand out off it. Best as MTB or road gear you’ll change out of. The Chrome Brannan ‘pants’ are everyday trousers you put on in the morning and don’t feel the need to change when you get on or off your bike. I liked them for mountain biking as well as transport cycling. I didn’t like the design or cut of the Madison Roam trousers. They’re the kind of just-incase trousers I might stick in a pannier, hoping I didn’t actually need them. The Rapha Technical Trousers are like a lighter-weight version of the Chromes: bike-friendly trousers you can wear all day. They’re more comfortable still and better suit longer, more energetic rides.

Women’s trousers

Read Sophie Gordon’s review of cycling trousers for women: cyclinguk.org/womencycling-trousers

More online

For more reviews of bikes, kit and components, as well as how-to guides, visit...

Altura 1Trouser 2Chrome Esker Men’s Trail Brannan Pant

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Madison 3 Roam men’s stretch pants

Rapha 4 Technical Trousers

THE WORD ‘TRAIL’ tells you what these trousers are meant for: mountain biking. They work equally well on a road bike, however. They hug your ankles thanks to stretchier panels in the tapered legs. Similar panels at the high-backed waist mean they fit snugly without a belt. They’re not waterproof but do have a DWR coating for light showers or trail/road spray. There’s only one pocket – on the thigh – so they’re less practical off the bike, and they’re obviously bike gear. Colour: ‘black’ (grey). Sizes: men’s S-XXL (S tested); women’s 8-18.

DESCRIBED AS “THE ultimate city riding pant”, these trousers use a heavier-weight nylon/ spandex fabric, which should make them more durable – somewhat mitigating the price. It also makes them hotter despite a couple of discreet vents in the crotch. The legs are straight cut but the fabric isn’t flappy and didn’t end up in the chain, even off-road. I wouldn’t do long rides in these; I did wear them all day. Colour: black. Sizes: men’s 28-38in waist, 32in or 34in leg (30×32 tested). For women, Chrome’s Madrona 5 Pocket Pant (£126) is very similar.

ON PAPER, MADISON’S Roam trousers tick all the boxes at a price £15 lower than the next cheapest tested. Lightweight, stretch fabric with a DWR coating? Check. Three zipped pockets, elasticated cuffs, fairly comfortable, and some reflective piping? Again, check. But I didn’t like the press-stud waist fastening, and the shapeless cut is definitely more Merkel than McIlroy – even allowing that I should have requested size S, not M. Colours: black or ‘navy haze’. Sizes: men’s S-XL (M tested), women’s 8-16.

THESE FEEL LIKE long-leg versions of Rapha’s Randonnee Shorts, which I really rate. Primarily for city riding, they have four pockets (three zipped) and are smart enough for the office. I happily wore them for road rides too, although the relaxed cut and lightweight fabric require a cycle clip or rolled-up leg. They’re good on the bike and the most comfortable trousers I’ve ever worn off it. The non-stretch waist requires a belt unless you’re lucky with sizing. Various colours. Sizes: 28-36in waist, 30-34in leg (men’s only); 30×32 tested.

Simple, well-cut cycling trousers that are less practical off the bike

Well-made casual trousers that are comfy on the bike and off

Only adequate. Not the best cut for cycling or off-bike activities

Comfortable, stylish trousers for commuting or touring

£147, chromeindustries.com

£75 altura.co.uk

£59.99 freewheel.co.uk

£110 rapha.cc

C Y CL I NGUK . O RG

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H O L I DAY S & D I R EC TO RY

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TRAVELLERS’ TALES

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No rush: Somerset in October Cycle routes plus scenery

Europe

Austria’s Lake District With touring in Europe back on the agenda, Joan Bridge-Taylor headed to Salzburg

hen restrictions on foreign travel were lifted, the only question was: where to go? Germany and Austria are ideal. They have great natural beauty, low traffic, and good cycle paths everywhere. It’s a perfect destination for the young and fit, or families with children, or oldies who want to potter and enjoy the scenery. Being retired, my partner Robin and I drove our caravan to Salzburg, the start and finishing point for a group cycle tour. Most of the areas we passed through on our way would make wonderful holiday centres themselves: Metz (marvellous cathedral), Nancy (stunning architecture), Strasbourg (ditto), the Alsace (the prettiest villages in Europe), Freiburg (great for public transport and active travel), and the Black Forest (clocks). We managed to cycle every day on the trip down, but knew we would never keep up with our fitter friends as we both have heart conditions. We cheated on the long rides by taking ferries, trains, and buses to reduce the miles. We had time to savour the views and talk to people along the way. We

even attended an afternoon wedding reception in a restaurant, and danced at their ball in shorts and cycling shoes! In the evenings we swapped stories with our friends, joined them for dinner, and shared bottles of wine. At one hotel Rob mended and then played their broken piano. Our route around the Austrian Lakes took in Mondsee, Attersee, Traunsee, Grundlsee, Hallstatt (for a rest-day tour of the underground salt mines), Bad Ischl, and Wolfgangsee. All the lakeside villages were crowded with coach trippers and all the woodlands around had near-deserted, beautifullymarked cycle and walking paths. We did miss one turning when we were by ourselves, which resulted in us climbing nearly 2,000 feet, me falling off, dragging our bikes over a mound of scree, passing a herd of cows with traditional bells, then arriving at our hotel as the sun was behind the mountains. That’s cycling for you: sometimes there are unexpected challenges. The cycle touring part of our holiday over, we picked up the caravan and sauntered home.

England

Slow cycling in Somerset A relaxed staycation was an epiphany for St John Livesey DURING THE TEN years of my metamorphosis into a MAMIL, I’ve done the Fred Whitton, climbed Alpe d’Huez, even managed London to Sheffield in a day (194 miles). I have cycle toured, riding the Coast to Coast and down the Rhine. But last October I discovered something different. Airbnb suggested a cottage in Somerset as a last minute staycation. My wife Catherine and I went there with bikes, walking boots, and the intention of doing as little as possible. To fill the days, we took in some local sights: stately homes, secondhand bookshops, and cider makers. As they weren’t far apart we cycled, taking our time. Slow cycling: the difference between a brisk walk and a leisurely stroll. It was a revelation. Hills were a breeze. Elsewhere we freewheeled. We developed an alternative Strava, with kudos for stopping to admire a view/let a car pass/ pick a blackberry. We even wore normal clothes, eliciting smiles and “good mornings” from the people we passed. And Somerset was perfect. Country lanes and picture-postcard villages much like the Cotswolds but, being further from London, quieter. We will still cycle tour, and this Saturday I will be out with my mates grinding up hills and hurtling down them. But I’m glad I’ve discovered that there’s more than one way to enjoy two wheels.

C YC L I NGUK . O RG

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TRAVELLERS’ TALES

Magdalen Tower in the background

England

Exploring Oxford At the summit of the Col de l’Iseran in July 1949

French Alps

Post-war CTC touring Now in her 90s, Val Higgs looks back to the CTC tours that she and other HQ staff led in 1949

hen I read that CTC Holidays and Tours had been wound up, it started me reminiscing. But my memories were of decades earlier – to the first organised tours arranged by CTC after World War II. In 1949 I was working as a shorthand-typist secretary at CTC’s then headquarters at Craven Hill in West London, when it was decided that the time was appropriate to start organising group tours to the Continent. All bookings with hotels had to be made by post – in the hope that somebody would understand English! Each hotel received a typed letter together with a return-addressed envelope and an international reply coupon to cover postage. I was working for Bill Stiles, then CTC Assistant Secretary, who was in charge of the Travel Department, so this was part of my job. In hindsight, I wonder how at the time (when we still had food rationing at home) they were able to cater for large parties of hungry cyclists – but they most certainly

Stay connected 66

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did. And we were always made very welcome. Those first post-war tours (there were four) were to the French Alps, and all were led by members of the CTC headquarters staff. As the years went by the choice of destination widened and other leaders were appointed. I led ten tours to various areas between 1949 and 1958. Now, in my nineties, I look back on a different world – a world where many country roads and mountain passes were only rough surfaced but, more particularly, a world where the roads were almost traffic free. A world without mobile phones to help you if you were in trouble. Looking at my old photographs of the 1949 tour, I am struck by the clothing and shoes worn by the cyclists – in complete contrast to the wonderful sportswear available these days. Clothing rationing ended only in May of that year. Thank you for stirring my memories of those long-ago days and the many friendships made.

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Gareth Evans spent an autumn day in the city and its surroundings MAGDALEN TOWER, PINNACLED and crocketed above High Street, seems less dramatic than I remember. Below the parapet of the bridge over the Cherwell, a young man at last controls a punt in which his companion sits. Tourists and students pass, and I hear snatches of German. From Bicester, I have ridden through chilly murk, first across flat land, ploughed earth stretching to distant hedges, then over the low hills south of pretty, stone-cottagey Islip. Oxford bills itself as a cycling city, but the last part of the journey to this point has been fraught with traffic. The air was thick with fumes. The cycle routes were inconsistent: dying out; crossing crazily at junctions; and occupied by trees and signposts. I watch other cyclists. They are all sorts, but incline towards the sit-up-and-beg or the mountain bike. Mostly they know where they are going, which I do not. I take the inevitable grinning selfie and then storm Headington Hill with the aid of my discreet hub motor. At a subway under the A40, a young man tries to squeeze his bike round a barrier just in front of an oncoming woman with a pushchair, loses balance, and looks a fool. I wait, exchanging eye-rolls with the woman. Soon I am between fields and woods in the weak sunshine this September day. The scent of freshly-spread muck and the sight of wheeling red kites cheers my way back to the car.

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Cycle magazine February/March 2022

Articles inside

Sonder Colibri Al Tiagra

Hub-geared roadsters

Cyclopedia

Relax and coast

Right as rain

N Plus Zero

Weekender

You are Cycling UK

Freewheeling

Letters