cycle THE MAGAZINE OF CYCLING UK
On test
LIGHT BLUE PARKSIDE SHIMANO SHOES TIGHT-TYRE TOOLS GRAVEL TYRES & MORE
APRIL/MAY 2022
PUSH BIKES
END TO END GAME
MANIFESTOS FOR MAY’S ELECTIONS
Adventure racing the length of Britain
RIGID RIDES Surly Krampus Jones Plus LWB
HIGHWAY CODE U PDATE D RU LES FO R SAFE R ROADS Page 38
P lu s NORFOLK OFF-ROAD WEEKENDER BIKE FINDER: BEST £3,000 E-BIKE SARDINIA AFTER LOCKDOWN AND MUCH MORE
CONTENTS Features 32 End to End game 2,000km on/off-road from Land’s End to John o’ Groats
Welcome
38 A new code How the Highway Code has changed to protect vulnerable road users
47 Push bikes Campaigning for cycling ahead of May’s elections
50 Sardinian journey
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A post-lockdown ride across the Italian island
Products 18 Shop Window New products coming soon
20 Gear up Components, accessories, and books
60 Rigid rides Surly Krampus and Jones Plus LWB on test
Cycle Editor
£650 roadster with Sturmey-Archer gears
69 Tight-tyre tools Technology for stubborn tyres
Regulars 04 Freewheeling Bits and pieces from the bike world
07 This is Cycling UK
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Cycling UK’s upcoming projects; the new Cantii Way in Kent; Shoreham cycle lane victory; new kit from Stolen Goat; and more
16 You are Cycling UK
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Coronavirus
DAN JOYCE
66 Light Blue Parkside 5spd
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For updated advice regarding the Covid-19 outbreak, visit: cyclinguk.org/ coronavirus
Three Peaks Challenge record holder Saoirse Pottie
29 Letters Your feedback on Cycle and cycling
On the cover
Cyclists in Surrey demonstrably not holding up traffic. Photo by Robert Spanring
44 Weekender 52-mile gravel ride in Norfolk
54 Cyclopedia Questions answered, topics explained
73 Travellers’ Tales Cycling UK members’ ride reports
CYCLING UK: Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford, GU2 9JX E: cycling@cyclinguk.org W: cyclinguk.org T: 01483 238300. Cycle promotes the work of Cycling UK. Cycle’s circulation is approx. 51,000. Cycling UK is one of the UK’s largest cycling membership organisations, with approx. 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: Alamy, Sam Jones, Markus Stitz, Guy Kesteven
While the Highway Code has never endorsed left-hooking cyclists, the new version is unequivocal. Rule H3 tells drivers: “You should not cut across cyclists going ahead when you are turning into or out of a junction just as you would not turn across the path of another motor vehicle… Do not turn at a junction if to do so would cause the cyclist going straight ahead to stop or swerve.” The driver who passed a group of us on a late February club ride was unaware of this – and us. His sudden turn into a driveway was the worst left hook I’ve experienced. Brakes were grabbed. Bikes were swerved. The front rider miraculously avoided diving through one of the nearside windows or sliding under the car’s wheels, instead clipping the rear bumper and coming to a halt. The rest of us managed not to pile into each other. The driver, when he was urgently encouraged to wind down his window, wasn’t defensive or aggressive. He was oblivious. Near misses like this, which we should perhaps call “near hits”, are enough to stop some people cycling. For others, the mere prospect of them is sufficient to stop them even considering riding on the road. So it’s great that Highway Code now spells out how drivers should behave around cyclists and other vulnerable road users, and it’s a testament to your support for Cycling UK’s Highway Code campaign that the changes were made. The next battle is to make drivers aware: of the rules and of the road.
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 18
Bike tech Tektro ED9 groupset Ted (right) was nominated by friend Mick Rendell (left)
You ride
Ted Keeping Went the extra mile
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ewly re-joined Cycling UK member Edward (Ted) Keeping, 87, was recently nominated for a Going the Extra Mile award by his friend, and fellow member, Mick Rendell for being an inspirational lifelong cyclist who still uses his bike for leisure and to help out others whenever he can. Ted has been cycle touring as long as the Queen has been on the throne: in 1953, aged 18, he rode from London to the West Country, having previously ridden to Oxford and back for a day out aged 14. In 1955, he completed his first whole tour of Britain, sleeping out under the stars and only spending £30 on the whole trip. He still has folders, maps and scrapbooks depicting all of the rides and tours he did over the years; some of the maps are hand-drawn and show the roads and villages travelled through. Eventually, his trips would take him all around Europe and as far afield as Peru, Morocco, and North America. Ted says: “I just had this passion for going everywhere.” Happily, he’s still going everywhere by bike, thinking nothing of riding 25 miles to Dover and back to take books to his teacher daughter.
Yet it signed for e-bikes. the name says, is de all sm n tha re Tektro E-Drive 9, as mo ness who values robust vent, with an might suit any rider Ad ft shi cro Mi like . It’s 1×9, . steps between gears e derailleur. Price TBC sette and a steel-cag 11-46t steel-cog cas tektro.eu
Classic tech
Cane Creek Ergo Control Bar Ends The fashion police still don’t like bar ends but they’re a godsend for comfort. They don’t come comfier than these ergonomic, rubber-covered ones from Cane Creek. They bolt onto the end of the bar, turning it into a T-shaped grip. Weight: 179g/pair. £29.99, extrauk.co.uk
NOMINATE A VOLUNTEER Cycling UK recognises inspiring members every year. For details, see cyclinguk.org/article/ going-extra-mile-how-recognise-and-thankoutstanding-volunteers
Right: Robert Spanning
Event NATIONAL CYCLING SHOW
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The National Cycling Show launches at the Birmingham NEC on 18-19 June. With a range of high-profile exhibitors and celebrity speakers, it’s an opportunity to access industry expertise, try new products and even meet some of the Cycling UK team (stand P50). Tickets are just £10 but Cycling UK members can claim theirs for free until 15 April. nationalcyclingshow.com cycle
APR I L/ M AY 20 22
Really?
Specialized S-Works Vent Evo Gravel Shoes “Much like the eyes are the windows to the soul, the S-Works Vent Evo’s ventilated mesh panels are windows to speed and comfort… The increased airflow… will put you in a flow state.” Specialized’s marketing people purple their prose for their FOUR HUNDRED pound shoes. specialized.com
On my bike
Alastair Humphreys
Try this
TANDEM CLUB RALLY Last year the Tandem Club turned 50. With over 3,000 members in this country and abroad, the club is going strong and will belatedly celebrate the anniversary at this year’s National Rally in Corsham, Wilts, from 28 May to 4 June. The club welcomes all tandemists,
so if you wish to join and attend the rally visit the club website: tandemclub.org.uk. As well as rallies, the Tandem Club organises local rides and supports anyone who rides these special bikes. In particular the club welcomes those who ride a tandem because they can’t ride solo.
Bike hacks
GIVE DISC BRAKES THE BUSINESS A business card, or similar size cut from a birthday card etc, can be used to help adjust a disc brake so it doesn’t rub. Remove the wheel. Fold the business card neatly over the rotor. Slot the folded card into the disc calliper. Replace the wheel. Loosen the brake calliper bolts. Squeeze the brake lever and hold it while tightening the calliper bolts. Release the lever. Remove the wheel and card, then replace the wheel. Spin it. All sorted? Send your bike hacks to editor@cyclinguk.org.
Author, adventurer & keynote speaker Why do you cycle? It’s fast, but not too fast to notice the world. It’s slow, but not too slow to cross a county, a country or a continent. How far do you ride each week? In the summer months I try to ride for a few hours a week. In the winter it’s cycling for errands or to the train station. Which of your bikes is your favourite? My Sonder Santiago. I use it in town, on the roads for a burn up, for touring, on off-road bridleways, etc. What do you always take with you when cycling? A smile. My phone with the Beeline navigation app. Who mends your punctures? Me. Anything more complicated, a shop. It’s raining: bike, public transport, or car? Honest answer: car. Sorry!
Picture this... Spring has well and truly sprung, and with it vanishes any last excuses you might have had for not giving Cycling UK’s #12NightsOutIn1Year bikepacking challenge a go! Submit a winning photo of your overnight adventure – such as January’s winner by @going.pottie – to be in with a chance of winning some great gear, an annual subscription to OS Maps and more. T&Cs: cyclinguk.org/12-nights-out1-year
Lycra or normal clothes? Lycra for a road ride. Normal clothes to ride to the shops or around the world. If you had £100 to spend on cycling, what would you get? Books about cycling adventures! What’s your favourite cycle journey? Spending a month cycling around my home county, Yorkshire, and getting to know it so much better than I ever did. What single thing would most improve matters for UK cyclists? For each of us to persuade one person to start cycling to the shops, to work, and for fun. More at alastairhumphreys.com
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Stay in touch CYCLECLIPS: free weekly email newsletter. Sign up at cyclinguk.org/subscribe CAMPAIGN NEWS: monthly campaigns bulletin. Sign up at cyclinguk.org/subscribe-tocycle-campaign-news
Code unread? Most people don’t re-read the Highway Code so this year’s welcome revisions risk going unnoticed. Cycling UK is working to change that, says Sarah Mitchell
Stay connected
facebook.com/CyclingUK
Members and the new board as it develops and have supporters who high hopes for its backed Cycling impact. UK’s Highway Code In the meantime, campaign there is an immediate way for Cycling UK members and supporters to influence your local area and ensure that it becomes more cyclefriendly. This May national elections in Northern Ireland and local elections in Wales, Scotland and England are your chance to have your say. We’d love you to get involved: we’ve produced cycling manifestos and would encourage you to ask your local candidates to adopt these. See page 47 and cyclinguk.org/elections-2022. As the days lengthen and (hopefully!) the weather improves we know that many of you will be turning your attention to your cycling adventures for 2022. That’s why we’ll be launching our newest route, the Cantii Way in Kent, on 26 May (cyclinguk.org/cantii-way-2022). Following on from this there’s our annual celebration of cycling, Bike Week (cyclinguk.org/bikeweek), which takes place from 6-12 June. For seven days we’ll be inspiring local communities to help make the changes they’d like to see through cycling. We encourage you to take part, show how great riding can be, and make a donation so that we can reach even more people and enable everyone to cycle. Another date for your diary should be the National Cycling Show: after two years of covid complications, shows are back – and we’ll be there. Cycling UK members can get a free ticket (cyclinguk.org/MemberBenefit-NCS), so do join us at Birmingham NEC on 18-19 June. Happy cycling this spring, and I look forward to seeing many of you out and about.
Twitter @wearecyclinguk
Right: Robert Spanning
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hat good is a change in the rules if no one knows about them? Following our campaigning win on the Highway Code earlier this year we’ve been busy highlighting the facts about the changes to road users far and wide, as well as pushing the Department for Transport to invest in highquality information campaigns. Two abreast is explicitly endorsed Many of you enjoyed our simple illustrations, our frequently-asked-questions, and our short and clear film about the new Highway Code (all of which you can view at cyclinguk.org/highwaycode). Thanks to you, our members, we were successful in this campaign after many years, and thanks also to many of you for helping spread the word about the changes to your friends and family. At Cycling UK we are determined to introduce more people to the joys of cycling each year. That’s why we are really delighted to have secured continued funding for our behaviour change projects in Scotland from Transport Scotland, and in England from the Department for Transport. In the last year alone these projects worked with tens of thousands of people across disadvantaged communities, and they are central to our mission of getting millions more people cycling. Find out more about our behaviour change work here: cyclinguk.org/community-outreach. Our members regularly tell us about poor-quality cycle lanes, and we know that road design is important in encouraging people to cycle across the UK. So we welcome the creation of Active Travel England. This new body, headed up in the interim by former professional cyclist Chris Boardman, will set out and enforce good and consistent design standards in infrastructure in all our towns and cities. We’ll be supporting
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Following our campaigning win on the Highway Code, we’ve been busy highlighting the changes to road users far and wide
www.cyclinguk.org
cycling@cyclinguk.org
01483 238301
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Right: Andy Catlin. Far right: Joolze Dymond
Views of Cycling UK’s video on teaching a child to ride. bit.ly/ youtube-teachchild-ride
Play Together on Pedals is back in Scotland for 2022
Communities
Events
BACK TOGETHER FOR BIKE WEEK Group rides are back. We couldn’t be more excited about coming together to celebrate the one week in the calendar dedicated to cycling. This year we’re asking everyone to support cycling within their local communities by donating to our campaign work, so we can help more people across the UK, or by hosting a ride to inspire others to discover their area by bike. cyclinguk.org/bikeweek
ON THEIR BIKES This year Cycling UK is again delivering a range of inperson programmes to help people start and keep cycling. Tiia Jaakola reports
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s we wrap up one financial year and look ahead to the next, we’re pleased to announce that we’ll continue delivering on some of our most important projects. Cycle for Health, Cycling UK’s referral programme to improve health and wellbeing, has been given the green light in West Yorkshire. Created as part of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s CityConnect programme, it supports adults with poor mental or physical health, offering them a route into regular activity. The 12-week programme to develop skills and confidence is a great example of how a targeted initiative can create positive behaviour change in areas with income and health inequalities. Cycling UK’s Community Cycle Clubs across England have also been granted further funding from Sport England. Our clubs run in all sorts of places – including workplaces, youth groups, and places of worship – and encourage millions more people to cycle. The clubs help people come together and get on their bikes for whatever reason they wish, connecting with their communities while enjoying being active. We’re also currently in talks with the Department for
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Transport about continuing our work on Big Bike Revival for 2022. Cycling UK projects in Scotland are focused on reducing inequalities, increasing access to bikes, encouraging people to cycle for short, local journeys, and supporting more people to experience the joy of riding a bike. Shift is set to continue in Scotland in 2022-3. The scheme will be open to community-focused organisations and businesses, who will have the opportunity to apply for funding up to £1,500 to run programmes designed to get more people cycling for short journeys. Our Rural Connections programme will continue to deliver in seven locations across Scotland, reaching our most remote communities, and our Play Together on Pedals programme will encourage even more pre-school children to progress from balance bikes to pedalling. Cycling UK’s network of bothies will continue to engage with local communities to champion everyday cycling and walking, and to support individuals to be more active, more often. We’re grateful to Transport Scotland and a range of local authorities, public agencies, and Smarter Choices, Smarter Places for funding and support.
Get together this Bike Week
Governance
AGM & TRUSTEE ELECTIONS The 2022 Cycling UK AGM will take place on Friday 9 September. We are now calling for motions, the deadline for which is 2 May 2022. For details on the process, visit cyclinguk.org/ agm-2022. AGM voting papers will be sent with the Aug/Sep issue. The Oct/Nov issue will include voting papers for prospective Cycling UK trustees, with details on standing in June/ July. cyclinguk.org/about/ cycling-uk-board/how-tobecome-a-trustee
Audax
LONDONEDINBURGHLONDON London-Edinburgh-London, the UK’s answer to ParisBrest-Paris, takes place every four years. It’s a feat of planning and execution by Audax UK, and it relies on an army of volunteers who gather for a few days in August. Could you help out? For details, visit cyclinguk.org/article/ volunteers-needed-londonedinburgh-london
Volunteers at an LEL control
Groups
AGM TIME FOR MEMBER GROUPS Keep your eyes peeled for notifications from your local Cycling UK Member Group about this year’s round of AGMs. These meetings are a great way to get involved with your local group and meet other members. This year, many groups will have in-person meetings, although some will still be online. If you would like to attend your nearest AGM but haven’t heard from your local group, email groups@ cyclinguk.org or call us on 01483 238308.
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2026
New 146-mile route through Kent will be ready to ride in May
Deadline dropped for adding historic rights of way to maps in England: cyclinguk. org/2026scrapped
Left: Robert Spanning Far left: Olaf Storbeck Below: Joolze Dymond
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Routes
CANTII WAY
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ollowing the success of the West Kernow Way bikepacking trail in Cornwall, which we launched last September, Cycling UK is creating two new long-distance routes in Kent and Norfolk this year. You won’t have to wait long for the Cantii Way, a 146-mile loop around east Kent – it will be ready to ride at the end of May. Taking its name from the Celtic tribe that inhabited the area during the Iron Age, the route combines coastal towns and dramatic chalk cliffs with the rolling hills of the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Parts of the trail use our North Downs Way riders’ route (cyclinguk.org/northdownsway). The Cantii Way follows traffic-free cycle
paths and quiet roads, and will be suitable for touring and hybrid bikes. It’s perfect for a leisurely trip, with lots to discover along the way, ranging from remnants of military defences to vibrant art trails and eco-friendly farms. The ‘garden of England’ is also a haven for food and drink connoisseurs. The Cantii Way has been created as part of the European Regional Development Fund EXPERIENCE project, which aims to develop sustainable year-round tourism activities in Kent, Norfolk and Cornwall. The route will be released at the end of May, with GPX files available to download, an online guide and an interactive map. More information at: cyclinguk.org/cantii-way-2022.
Access
PARKS AND RIDING More than two years after the National Landscapes review, the government has finally published its proposals for how to transform England’s National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There is so much potential for making rural roads safer and more welcoming, and for opening up more traffic-free
Consultation could boost rural cycling
trails – but we need you to help make it happen. We’ve created a guide to help you respond to the consultation, which runs until 9 April. cyclinguk.org/article/ more-cycling-and-less-trafficenglands-national-parks
this is Removal of cycle lane by West Sussex County Council ruled illegal
Rail
BIKES BACK ON EUROSTAR Eurostar has not carried any oversized luggage during the pandemic, but Cycling UK has learned that the cross-channel rail service will start taking bikes again this summer. See cyclinguk. org/eurostar. With our input, they plan to introduce a more streamlined booking service. Cycling UK members get a £5 discount on boxed cycle carriage with Eurostar: cyclinguk. org/member-benefits
Legal
SHOREHAM VICTORY
Eurostar to take boxed bikes again
Transport
WALES ROADS REVIEW Wales has reaffirmed its commitment to creating alternatives to driving as its Roads Review Panel unveiled criteria for new road building, which includes creating more opportunities for cycling and walking. Gwenda Owen, Cycling UK’s engagement officer in Wales, welcomed the news. cyclinguk.org/news/ wales-reaffirmscommitment-creatingalternatives-driving
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t shouldn’t be down to charities like Cycling UK to hold councils to account, making sure they don’t ignore government guidance on cycling and walking schemes. However, thanks to the incredible support of our members and our Cyclists’ Defence Fund, we’re able to take the gloves off and go to court when we need to. That’s what we did with West Sussex County Council court last year. Twelve months later, a week before the trial and after spending a fortune defending its decision, the council finally admitted acting unlawfully when deciding to remove a popular cycle lane along Upper Shoreham Road in Shoreham. It had applied for and received government funding to install the cycle lane, put the lane in, and then decided to remove it five weeks later, despite evidence that the lane was well used. The decision flew in the face of government statutory guidance designed to support active travel schemes. The final court order clearly sets out that the council failed to take the guidance into account and acted unlawfully in removing the cycle lane, and has to pay Cycling UK £25,000 costs. So, a legal win, but what did this achieve? Well, the case was always about far more than one cycle lane, because when we took this on
numerous councils were paying lip service to the government guidance, and it was vital to show that there are consequences for councils who treat active travel as an optional extra rather than something they have to prioritise. This case concerned guidance in England, and of course funding, guidance and legal options vary across the UK, but it still sends a message to councils everywhere. We’re seeing the various governments in the UK invest more in active travel, though nowhere near enough, but at a local level the commitment to deliver, to get there with cycling and make it happen, varies hugely. That’s why our manifestos for the elections this May call for more action locally. See page 47. Thank you to the thousands of you who donated to our CDF appeal.
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Employed adults in Scotland who biked to work in 2020: cyclinguk. org/statistics
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£11,000+ Insurance
COVERED FOR E-BIKING
Right: Joolze Dymond
If you’re tempted to go electric, don’t forget that your Cycling UK membership covers e-bikes too. Providing your cycle has pedals and only has electrical assistance, you’re covered by our third-party liability insurance and legal assistance. Meanwhile, if you’re planning a cycling getaway you can get covered for less with 15% off Yellow Jersey’s cycling travel insurance.
Member benefits apply to e-biking
Affiliation
CYCLING SUPPORT FOR BUSINESSES For employers keen to invest in the health and wellbeing of their workforce, our new business affiliation provides public liability insurance for organised cycle rides and events. Affiliation brings your organisation into Cycling UK’s community, with help and support in building workplace cycling groups and publicising rides. To affiliate your business, call 01483 238301 or visit cyclinguk.org/ businessaffiliation
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Money raised from our winter raffle. Thanks to all who played and congratulations to cyclinguk.org/raffle/ winners
New kit is available: Heritage (left), Contemporary (right)
Shop
GET KITTED OUT
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he Cycling UK x Stolen Goat kit collection is now in stock. You helped us to pick the designs and Stolen Goat have brought them to life. The collection features two styles: the Heritage kit, which has a clean, classic look; and the Contemporary kit, which features modern geometric lines. The Bodyline short-sleeved jerseys are for everyday adventures and summer weekend rides. Made from a lightweight, premium fabric with four-way stretch, these jerseys pair eye-catching style with ride-all-day comfort. As well as three rear pockets, there’s a fourth water-resistant zipped pocket for valuables. The Orkaan long-sleeved jerseys are for
changeable weather during spring and autumn rides. Water-resistant yet breathable, with a cosy temperature-regulating lining and a comfortable fit, these jerseys will keep you warm but not too warm. And when the mercury drops, there’s our Climb and Conquer winter jacket. Designed to keep you warm and dry in even the harshest of winter conditions, these jackets are made from an insulating, windproof, waterproof fabric. Pair with the matching accessories and you’ve got a Cycling UK kit collection that will keep you riding in style all year round. Purchasing it also helps fund our charitable and campaigning projects. stolengoat.com/cycling-uk
Events
SAVE ON SHOW TICKETS Members get 25% off tickets to The Cycle Show and the London e-Bike Festival at Alexandra Palace on 22-24 April. Claim your cheaper ticket at cyclinguk.org/ member-benefits. While you’re on the site, you can browse our other amazing discounts on kit, gear and accessories, like 20%
Check out new e-bikes this April
off Hiplok bike locks and Muc-off cleaning products, helping you keep the bike safe and sparkling this spring.
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Left: On the road on Rannoch Moor, Scotland Right: Saoirse (right) with Cass (left) and Emily (centre)
Record breaker
SAOIRSE POTTIE Last summer, Saoirse and two friends broke the women’s group record for the National Three Peaks cycling challenge. Tiia Jaakola spoke to her
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rowing up in Ireland with a horse-dealer mum, Saoirse Pottie had always spent time in nature and with animals. When she moved to the UK to study zoology, there was a gap in her life where horse riding used to be. She commuted by bike but needed a Eureka moment before really committing to a different kind of saddle. Saoirse’s first bikepacking trip was spontaneous, and it drove home how cycling ticked all her boxes for adventure. In between seasonal jobs, and trying to save money, she couldn’t afford the flights to Amsterdam for a holiday so decided to try cycling there with a friend. “We bought some highly unsuitable bikes off Gumtree for £45 each. A week later we were in Amsterdam. My mind was completely blown that we had cycled across four countries – I’d never cycled more than 5km before,” she said. When Saoirse discovered that two close friends and former co-workers, Cass Stuttard and Emily Cowper-Coles, had also recently bought bikes, bikepacking together seemed like the perfect excuse to meet up. It spiralled. Since then they’ve gone on ever more ambitious rides together, with the Three Peaks Challenge just the latest. So why this challenge, where hikers climb the three highest peaks of the UK – Snowdon (1,085m), Scafell Pike (978m) and Ben Nevis (1,345m) – with the added twist of cycling the 720km in between? Saoirse said that when researching the trip, they discovered they could beat the prevailing women’s record if they managed it in three days – and ‘three women,
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three peaks, three days’ had an irresistible symmetry to it. But there were going to be challenges, ranging from torrential rain and headwinds, to gear malfunction and the mental barriers that come with sleep deprivation. Did she ever feel like they weren’t going to make it? “Strangely, no. The days leading up to the start of the challenge, I was so nervous I could barely eat and I was riddled with self-doubt. But once I was there, starting at the bottom of Snowdon, the concept felt simple – we just had to put one foot in front of the other and eventually we would make it to the end.” The first hour back on your bike in the morning after having only slept for a few hours is tough, Saoirse said. “But getting to the start line is the hardest part, and if you’ve had the courage to do that then you’re already halfway there.” When I asked her about her favourite terrain, Saoirse said off-road, going where cars can’t: “There are so many amazing trails to explore in the UK,” she added. And while she has always adventured with others, this year she wants to become more self-reliant. “I have learned so much by pushing myself out of my comfort zone and I want to keep stretching those boundaries. So I have entered a couple of bikepacking events and races this year, with the goal of learning something new.” She is also making plans to tour Africa, from Kilimanjaro to Cape Town, with fellow peaks adventurer Cass.
Bikepacking throughout the year #12nightsoutin1year is Cycling UK’s yearlong bikepacking challenge, encouraging everyone to step out of their comfort zone and explore their local area with an overnight stay outdoors. Saoirse is the January winner of the accompanying photo competition, with the winning snap taken during a group ride and camp-out she organised in the New Forest. See p5.
More info Read more about Saoirse’s Three Peaks Challenge on the Cycling UK website: cyclinguk.org/article/ three-women-three-peaksone-world-record
P roduct News
SHOP WINDOW Bike shows are back. Can groupsets be far behind? Dan Joyce casts his eye over a selection of new and upcoming products
Show time
The National Cycling Show is at Birmingham’s NEC on 18-19 June. For details see page 4 or visit nationalcyclingshow. com
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or £49 Need to keep your camera handy on a ride? Ashdown’s strap also connects (with a Fidlock magnetic buckle) across your chest, keeping it stable like a courier bag. Padded straps are £10 extra. ashdownbags.com
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Islabikes Joni 20 & 24 £899.99
Designed for riders with disproportionate dwarfism, Islabikes’ 20in and 24in wheel hybrids are now available. They feature a low step-over, short cranks, and short levers. The Joni 20 weighs 9.2kg, the 24 is 10.1kg. islabikes.co.uk
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Tyre Glider £9.99 We missed this from our review of tight tyre tools (p69) but it looks interesting. There’s a video on the website showing how it works. tyreglider.co.uk
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Sea to Summit Telos TR2 Bikepack $649
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The Telos TR2 tent gets a bikepacking makeover. Poles are shortened to 12in for portability, it packs into dry-bags, and there are attachment points to fix it to your bike. seatosummit.co.uk
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Raleigh Motus Grand Tour Hub
£2,799 The new version of Raleigh’s top-end Boschpowered e-bike has been commuterised with a 7-speed hub gear option and a battery (500Wh) that’s hidden in the frame. raleigh.co.uk
Tern Doghouse Mini £335
Made up of three parts – the Soft Crate Mini (£90), Clubhouse Mini (£155), and Dog Roof Mini (£90) – this fits a Tern GSD or HSD and carries one dog weighing up to 13.5kg, who is tethered inside. ternbicycles.com
Ashdown 3-Point Camera Strap £39
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Rapha Trail Hip Pack £60
Bumbags are evidently back for mountain bikers (and gravel riders). This one has a 3L volume, a drawcord for securing a jacket, and two side pockets big enough for water bottles. rapha.cc
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More online Check out our in-depth reviews of the latest bikes and gear online at: cyclinguk.org/cycling-advice
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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
+ Supportive last + Stiff sole – Slightly short straps
DHB DORICA MTB SHOE £70.00
Shimano
XC1 shoes Comfortable recessed-cleat shoes at a sensible price £89.99 shimano.com
S
himano’s cycling shoes invariably offer sound performance and a comfortable fit at an affordable price. The XC1 is no exception. Pleasantly styled, in a choice of black or white, the shoes fitted my feet snugly and without pressure at any point, while the glass fibrereinforced midsole is stiff enough for vigorous pedalling. As with any MTB shoe, the moulded rubber outsole bears large blocks designed to provide traction in muddy conditions. There’s no provision for the screwin toe studs found on some highend MTB or cyclocross shoes, but the forefoot section does have a
pair of small blocks spaced well away from those further back to give plenty of mud clearance. Indeed, the entire outsole is sparingly provisioned with blocks, which besides enhancing grip has the desirable effect of keeping weight down. The two-bolt pedal cleat is, as ever, recessed between the two most substantial tread blocks under the mid-foot. The nylon midsole, which provides the shoe’s stiffness, has much smaller, diamond-shaped, weight-relieving cutaways on the foot-side surface than its predecessor design. This reduces (to nil, going by the riding experience) the tendency for
the sole of the foot to bulge into the cutaways under the force of pedalling, which can cause discomfort at pressure points. The curvature of the midsole’s upper surface, which supports the foot, features Shimano’s ‘Dynalast’ concept; the upward curve of the toe section is neither too great nor too small to promote a ‘smoother, more energy-efficient upstroke’. It feels comfortable… Liberally perforated, the upper is a synthetic leather composite material of considerable stiffness when new, although this softens quickly in use. In any case, the excellent fit of the last means the shoe’s initial overall stiffness simply means it provides exceptional support when pedalling. While fine for walking around off the bike, it is a bit too stiff for extended pedestrian activity. Closure is by three hookand-loop straps, which pass over an integrated ‘tongue’ on the opposing side and are offset laterally in an effort to reduce pressure at the foot’s highest point. Weight (size 42): 334g/shoe. Richard Hallett
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. 20
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Lace-up shoe with chunky, reinforced nylon MTB sole for two-bolt cleats, and a perforated synthetic upper. Weight: 330g per shoe.
wiggle.co.uk
GIRO RUMBLE VR MTB SHOES £99.99 Another lace-up MTB shoe, the grippy Vibram outsole gives it better walkability than most cycling footwear. Weight: 425g per shoe.
giro.com
Verdict
Lightweight, stiff, snug and supportive, and with a smart, understated appearance, the XC1 ticks many boxes for the performanceminded cyclist on road and off.
REVIEWS
GEAR UP
Pros & cons + Comfortable + Durable – Only one size
Other options
SCHWALBE MARATHON PLUS £38.99
The classic long-distance, slow-rolling but punctureresistant tyre. In 650B guise (40-584 or 27.5×1.5in) it weighs 920g.
schwalbe.com
Rivendell Bicycle Works
Fatty Rumpkin Green Folding Tyre Indented tread works well on road and (when dry) off it £26.99 planetx.co.uk
F
eaturing a distinctive ‘inverted’ tread pattern, the Fatty Rumpkin is not only an affordable and longlasting 650B/27.5in road tyre but an interesting holdover from the early days of the modern 650B revival. Manufactured in Japan by Panaracer, the tyre was originally made for Rivendell
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Bicycle Works in the US in the mid-noughties. Despite the arrival of newer, lighter and faster 650B tyres, it still offers an all-round performance impressive enough to make it a sound choice today. There’s only one size option: 650×41B, which inflates to about 40mm wide on a 23mm rim. It’s not designed for tubeless use. The thick tread ‘cap’ features cylindrical indents of three sizes. The largest of these, along the tyre centre line, have a block along the centre almost flush with the surface of the cap to give the tyre a continuous running strip when travelling in a straight line. It’s a clever way to minimise the effect on rolling of a deep, and long-lasting tread, while the depressions keep the weight of the tyre to a respectable 480g.
The ride is comfortable to the point of plushness without feeling overly sluggish. It’s not as fast-rolling as, say, Schwalbe’s now-discontinued 40-584 G-One Speed TLE, but is much quicker than heavy-duty rubber such as Continental’s Ride Tour. While the Fatty Rumpkin grips well on dry and soaking wet roads, it is less effective on greasy asphalt – I fell off – where it feels more like a slick. Taken off-road, it performs impressively on gravel and dry dirt but the indents fill quickly with wet mud. Given the depth of the tread cap, the weight indicates a lightweight, supple carcass. This is reflected in the Fatty’s fair turn of speed but makes the tyre more susceptible to sidewall cuts. The Force Field is a visually identical version of the tyre with reinforced sidewalls and a 140g weight penalty for those who prioritise puncture resistance over speed and ride comfort. Both versions have a folding bead, although the heavier tyre is said to be too rigid to fold easily. At well under £30, the lighter Rumpkin is less expensive than the obvious competition and, if slightly slower, should last a lot, lot longer. Richard Hallett
CONTINENTAL RIDE TOUR £21.95 Wire-bead heavyweight with tremendous longevity and flat resistance and a suitably stolid ride. The 42-584 (27.5×1.6) version weighs 720g.
conti-tyres.co.uk
Verdict
Whether seen as fast and comfortable for such a sturdy tyre or tough and durable given its surprising lack of excess weight, the Fatty Rumpkin is real all-rounder of a 650B road tyre and a low-cost option for the long distance allroads rider.
REVIEWS
GEAR UP
Endura
Hummvee Zip-Off Trouser II
Other options Pros & cons
Take two garments into the shower?
+ Good value + Versatile - A little bulky as trousers
£69.99 endurasport.com
E
ndura’s Hummvee range includes the Trouser II (£54.99) and the Short II (£59.99, including liner short). The Zip-Off Trouser II is a combination of both. The trousers unzip just above the knees to become shorts. Endura pitch these zipoff trousers as a solution for commuters and mountain bikers riding in variable temperature conditions, like leg warmers for cyclists who don’t wear lycra. They missed namechecking tourers and bikepackers, who might want the morning and evening warmth of trousers without the pack size of an extra garment. While they’re obviously bike wear – to the extent that they’d look odd in an office – they look fine in touring/outdoor settings. You can keep your shoes on when you switch between trousers and shorts. The lower legs have zips up the sides to give a bigger opening for the
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feet. The zips above the knees, meanwhile, are colour coded so you won’t accidentally fasten the right lower leg to the left shorts leg or vice versa. The lower legs have velcro ankle tabs and calf strips to limit flapping and drivetrain interference while cycling. This works well for mountain biking, transport cycling, or touring – anywhere that aerodynamics isn’t a big concern. On a road bike the legs are still baggy enough to catch the breeze. There’s no stretch in the nylon anywhere but the waist, and the fit is fairly generous. With a 31in waist, I found the size S roomy. The Hummvee Zip-Off is compatible with Endura’s Clickfast liner so you can have a padded undershort if you want. I found them comfortable enough without. You sit on a durable seam-free panel, and the wide elasticated waist and stretch panel just below it provide an unrestrictive fit that doesn’t
expose your lower back. There’s a button fastening at the waist – much better than a press-stud – and a webbing belt. I’ve found Endura clothing in general to be hard wearing and well stitched. So far these trousers bear out that view. The ripstop nylon fabric is showing no signs of wear. They’re not waterproof but do have a water repellent finish to keep the worst off. Like most non-lycra legwear, they’re well supplied with pockets: two zipped hand pockets, a zipped thigh pocket, and two large, Velcro-fastened rear pockets each big enough for an OS map. Sizes: S-XXL. Dan Joyce
Verdict
Fully featured cycling trousers that double as shorts. They’re cheaper than separate items and take up less space in your luggage. On changeable day rides, the zip-offs will fit in jersey pockets.
ENDURA HUMMVEE 3/4 SHORT II WITH LINER £65.99 Three-quarter length shorts seem to be less popular these days but they keep your knees warm and work well with long socks for colder conditions.
endurasport.com
CRAGHOPPERS KIWI PRO II CONVERTIBLE TROUSERS £60 Stretch-fabric walking trousers with zip-off legs. They should be comfortable on the bike: I’ve done thousands of miles in Kiwi Pro Shorts.
craghoppers.com
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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
Bikepacking
Details
By: Stefan Amato Publisher: Gestalten Price: £35 ISBN: 9783967040135
Iberia WHILE COVID LOCKDOWN halted many of our cycling tours, Julian found himself in Portugal at the beginning of the pandemic so decided to do what any worldwide cycling writer would: ride through Portugal and central Spain to Barcelona. Julian’s got form, having held the world record for a circumnavigation by bicycle – riding 18,049 miles through 20 countries in 169 days. Julian’s laissez-faire travelling style adds authenticity. Many of us plan for months, pack and repack carefully selected kit, spec, fettle and Details bed in our choice of trusted bicycle companion; By: Julian Sayerer Julian’s selected second-hand bike, christened Publisher: Fox, Finch Miles, was chosen as the least bad option days & Tepper before the start in Lisbon. Price: £9.99 ISBN: 9780993046773 For his route and overnight roadside camping spots he follows his nose. This introduces us to unpolished Spanish interior towns and villages unseen by tourists, and shows that a tour’s unpredictable nature can be as much of an adventure as the route itself, with real lives observed through interactions with locals in bars and cafés. This is not a guidebook: you’ll find no maps nor hotel reviews. Instead, it is a charming ‘pedalling philosophy.’ Anyone who’s spent long hours alone in the saddle cycling from point to point will recognise Julian’s musings of daily life happening around him, blending political and historic context with comparisons with his own worldwide cycle travels. No subject is off limit. Julian’s advice on selecting the perfect hue of orange from those seen growing at the roadside shows a level of Excerpts detail only afforded to one who has You can read excerpts from no deadline, allowing their mind to some of the books that Cycle has get lost in the moment. reviewed at cyclinguk.org/cyclebook-excerpts Matt Mallinder
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GOOD BOOKS, LIKE good cooking, are all about the right balance of ingredients. Bikepacking’s editor, Stefano Amato, has cooked up a feast. The menu of 40 cycling adventures around the world, all along paths less travelled, are equal parts inspiration and frustration as you try to decide which you might like to do first. For sides there are hand-drawn maps and illustrations from the editor, which complement the picture-led prose of the cycling adventures from the book’s global list of contributors. A good book to give as a gift – possibly to yourself. Sam Jones
1001 Cycling Tips THIS GLOSSY BOOK has 1001 tips, pearls of wisdom, and nuggets of inspiration that should inform and amuse any rider, however many miles they’ve pedalled. However, it’s probably aimed at people getting the biking bug as it’s like having
Details
By: Hannah Reynolds Publisher: Vertebrate
Publishing Price: £20 ISBN: 9781839811098
an experienced friend providing sage advice on every eventuality and cycling situation. Everything you need to know, from spanners to Strava, cycling lingo to cyclocross, is condensed into this easyto-read guide. Jim Densham
Wheels of Fortune
Details
By: Chris Fieldsend Publisher:
Independent Publishing Network Price: £9.99 ISBN: 9781800499775
MOST PEOPLE WOULD find the prospect of cycling 14,000 miles (23,000km) around ten Canadian provinces and 26 US states over one year daunting. Not writer Chris Fieldsend and his partner Ties Benguedda. Wheels of Fortune celebrates the sense of freedom bikepacking brings, while acknowledging the bumps in the road along the way. This book is filled with entertaining anecdotes – from tornadoes and alligator encounters to random acts of kindness from locals and fellow travellers. It includes useful maps, route descriptions and bikepacking tips for those ready for their own journeys. Joanne Clark
O p inio n
Letters
Get in touch
THIS MONTH SECONDHAND BIKES, FROZEN DRIVETRAINS, EASY CHAIN CARE, POST-WAR TOURING, 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 29 April. Please include your membership number. WRITE TO: Cycle, PO Box 313, Scarborough, YO12 6WZ or email editor@cyclinguk.org
Max bought this hybrid for £45, then spent less than £35 fixing it up
Frozen freewheels
Thank you for the tip about frozen freehub pawls in Feb/Mar issue. Last week my mountain bike freehub failed catastrophically 20 miles from home in the South Downs National Park. No amount of hot water or wee was going to fix this problem. It was the cable ties through the cassette and round the spokes trick that saved the day and a 20-mile walk. Rob Hill
th Letter of the mon
N plus zero
I
really enjoyed reading the article regarding “N plus zero” in your Feb/Mar issue. Shiny bike syndrome is something we can all suffer from. In 2016 I spent over £500 on a new bike, the first new bike for me in more than 12 years. It was a well known and supposedly quality brand. It turned out to be rubbish: over the course of a year I replaced all of the drivetrain, all of the brake and gear cables (the originals snapped), and most of the spokes in the rear wheel. It no longer resembles the bike I bought, and my son now has it. Last October I picked up a tired Claud Butler Nexus, which I spotted on an online selling forum for £45. I replaced some components and converted it from a quill to a threadless stem. This was not expensive. All of the parts were supplied by a discount retailer (Bankrupt Bike Parts). I now have an utterly reliable, nippy and comfortable bike for less than £80. In the times we are in when cash is likely to be stretched, it makes sense to give your bike a second look or check the small ads and dig out the tools before replacing it with this year’s model. Happy hunting! Max Bigham
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
Seventy years ago I had a paper round, requiring the use of my bike in all weathers. Occasionally the freewheel froze, threatening to make me late for school. In desperation I once bought a twopenny box of matches, struck a bundle of about ten together, applied the flame to the freewheel, and was soon on my way. As was once said about the derailleur: simple, brutal – but it worked! Bob Caldwell
Chain letter
Regarding the letter from Mark James titled “An unclean chain” in Cyclopedia in the Feb/Mar issue of Cycle: I would advise that the chain quality makes more difference than any cleaning regime.
cycling@cyclinguk.org
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LETTERS
YOUR FEEDBACK
In real-world testing over several years, we have found there to be a big difference in wear rates between cheap and more expensive chains. The brand of chain does not seem to make a huge difference; the model of chain within each brand’s range does. For example, we have found that the Shimano HG71, Sram PC870 and KMC X8.93 can all achieve approximately twice the mileage of an HG41, PC830 or Z8. In contrast, we have struggled to observe very much difference in wear rates between a clean and dirty chain on a commuting bike. We normally advise commuting customers to give their chain a quick wipe with a rag before applying new oil, but no more in-depth cleaning than that. Jake Voelcker, Bristol Bicycles
Post-war touring
th Photo of the mon
Real cycling
Tool station
In the foothills northwest of Marbella in a region called La Quinta there is a wide range of tracks for mountain bikes. At the approach of one of these I came across this device to assist riders. The box provides a pump and a range of tools. What a great way for the local administration to support cycling! My road bike is resting against the box as this was the end of my ride – the track was too rough for this style of machine. To get this far I rode up a very steep road on my bike, past luxury apartments. The sign said it was 13% but at 7kph in 34/27 it felt steeper! Derek Mitchell
Being somewhat long in the tooth myself, Val Higgs’ article in Travellers’ Tales evoked memories of post-war start-up cycling – 1946 for me. But what about legendary CTC tour leader Bob Kemp, whom I am sure Val was well acquainted with? Bob was I’m writing to add my support to the actually taking a tour (in Switzerland, I call for articles on everyday cycling. think) when war was declared. More please! My husband and I Eileen and I went on several of always cycle in normal clothes when his tours in the ’70s up to his last riding locally. It gives the impression one in 1982 (Austrian Byways). Bob’s that cycling is an everyday part of life. organisational ability and detailed When shopping we put on a coat and itineraries were outstanding. He shoes and get on the bike – no need to usually included a bit of rough-stuff. think further. One memorable occasion in the I’m glad that the new Highway Code Dolomites was from Misurina over changes give cyclists more protection, the Paternsattel (2,457m) to the Drei hopefully reinforcing what should Zinnen hut. An unforgettable journey! have been the norm anyway: that we Another one was in Switzerland from all look out for each other. As for the Leukerbad in the Rhône Valley over usual moan from motorists – the Gemmi Pass to Kandersteg. “They’re not taxed/insured” The bikes went up in the – nobody said that in cable car. It was out of this Obituaries the ’40s and ’50s when world. Are published virtually everybody There will never be online at cyclinguk. cycled. his like again. org/obituaries. Carol Attewell Peter Holyoake Contact publicity@
Everyday cycling
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Years ago I read a poem in Cycling World magazine by Brian Forster. It included the line: “She may not ride in time trials or do many miles each day, but she is just as much a cyclist and long may it stay that way.” This image of my daughter Emily cycling in St Peter’s Park, Little Eaton, Derbyshire, reminded me of it. Michael Wallis
CYCLING UK FORUM
Get immediate feedback from other members at forum.cyclinguk.org. Here’s an abridged extract from a recent thread: cyclinguk.org/ uphill-vs-headwind UPHILL VERSUS AGAINST THE WIND simonhill: Is the effort you put into cycling uphill the same as that for cycling against the wind? It sounds like a simple yes, but is it? Jdsk: The dependence of power on speed is very different: for climbing it’s proportional to speed but for air resistance it’s proportional to the cube of (air) speed. peetee: In my twenties at 9 1/2 stone the odds were definitely stacked against me into the wind. Now in my fifties, 12 stone and less fit to boot, it’s pretty even. jb: Hills come to an end in less time than it feels and usually with a downhill on’t other side. Riding into the wind can, and usually does, last for three quarters of the ride. nirakaro: Getting up a
challenging hill gives you bragging rights; riding against the wind is harder to quantify, and talking about it just sounds like whingeing. ossie: I don’t mind spinning up a hill but a headwind is just miserable, especially when touring with panniers. My absolute worst case was beating into a northwesterly gale from Rotterdam up to the ferry at the Hook. thirdcrank: A big difference is that hills are dependable where the wind isn’t. Riding up a hill is money in the bank, or at least pedalling effort converted to potential energy. Wind speed and direction are largely a matter of luck, geomannie: Just back from battling for 20 miles into a 20mph headwind. Give me a hill any day!
Great Rides
END TO
This photo: Mark Beaumont descends into Gleann Mór, part of the Alladale Wilderness Reserve
GBDURO
G R E AT R I D E S
Details Where: Length of Britain Start/finish: Land’s End to John o’ Groats Distance: 1,969km (Markus: 1,001km) Photos: Markus Stitz
END GAME GBDURO is a 2,000km adventure race from Land’s End to John o’ Groats. Markus Stitz filmed it in 2021, following the event by bike and train
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GBDURO
Orrin Dam is in a wild glen about 20 miles northwest of Inverness
D MARKUS STITZ Adventure cyclist Markus is the founder of Bikepacking Scotland and works with tourism organisations to create new routes north of the border
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uring the pandemic we’ve all had to find our cycling fun closer to home. Mark Beaumont and I began doing weekly gravel rides just outside Edinburgh. We’d both cycled around the world before this: Mark setting records in 2008 (194 days) and 2017 (79 days); me on a singlespeed in 2016. As well as being a much-needed escape, our weekly rides inspired the creation of some city-accessible gravel routes titled Explore Your Boundaries. On one of these, Mark mentioned that he had been invited by Komoot to take part in GBDURO, racing 2,000km across the length of Britain from Land’s End to John o’ Groats. While Mark’s record of successful expeditions is impressive, it didn’t include a self-supported bikepacking race. I had followed GBDURO, which is organised by the Racing Collective, since the first edition in 2019. Australian pro racer Lachlan Morton won that, setting a course record of 4 days, 15 hours and 44 minutes. He also made the event known with a documentary, which has since attracted more than half a million views on YouTube. But Morton’s involvement came at a cost. GBDURO was one of several trips that led to his jaw-dropping emissions in 2019. This, and the wider impact of professional cycling, with one of the most successful teams bankrolled by a petrochemical giant, didn’t sit comfortably with the Racing Collective’s wider mission to ‘leave no trace’ – not just on the roads and trails their events cover but in a wider sense. As of the 2020 edition, they introduced a no-fly rule: riders must take part without travelling by plane. Miles Resso of the Racing Collective puts it like this: “The amount of emissions that come from aviation is unacceptably high. And of course I
can’t control the myriad of factors that are going to impact future sustainability, but I can control how people get to GBDURO, and I hope that other events acknowledge that we’re in a crisis and that we all need to be starting to do that.”
FILMING FROM THE SADDLE I was interested in capturing Mark’s first bikepacking race on camera. I’ve finished the Highland Trail 550, the Silk Road Mountain Race, and the Atlas Mountain Race. I had filmed most of my documentaries selfsufficiently by bike. And I knew part of the route well, as it largely follows Cycling UK’s Great North Trail in Scotland. Most of those stunning landscapes were missing in Morton’s documentary, so a different film focusing more on the experience north of the border wouldn’t be duplicating anything. Iconic locations like the Corrieyairack Pass, which has been documented since the early days of offroad cycling in Britain, or the stunning beauty of the Alladale Wilderness Reserve are only accessible by bicycle or on foot. The ethos of GBDURO, and the aim to capture those landscapes inaccessible by car, inspired me to suggest documenting Mark’s ride by bike and public transport only. Covering a race like GBDURO would be a big step up for me as a film-maker but it didn’t look impossible. I’d worked jointly with Mark on more Explore Your Boundaries rides, and had been part of the crew for his LEJOG tandem record attempt with James Losley-Williams. These had given me valuable insights into Mark’s motivation, and also gave me the opportunity to practise filming on the fly. I also learned about Mark’s fascination for the early Tour de France. In 2019, 116 years after 60
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G R E AT R I D E S
This photo:: Fastest woman Jaimi Wilson nr Loch Vaich Below:: Start at Land’s End
cyclists left Paris on the maiden stage of the very first Tour (a 467km leg through the night to the line in Lyon!), Mark and James attempted to recreate this feat of endurance for a GCN+ documentary. They used bikes and equipment from the early 20th century to fully experience the highs and lows of the early Tour pioneers. While members of the Racing Collective actively disassociate themselves from professional cycling, the format of their race is inspired by the 1903 Tour de France, which had a similar overall distance and had riders competing as individuals not as teams. Starting in Land’s End on 14 August, the 2021 GBDURO offered no prizes. Riders had eleven days to make the finish at John o’ Groats, with the lowest aggregate time over the four stages ‘winning’. And with an unexpected turn of events, that winning time was Mark’s: 5 days, 15 hours and 24 minutes.
ALL CYCLISTS WELCOME GBDURO’s ethos is closely aligned with the audax movement, another initiative of Henri Desgrange, a French bicycle racer and sports journalist. While Desgrange is mainly known outside of cycling for being the founder of the Tour de France, he made a name inside the cycling fraternity and within other sports by creating the audax movement in 1904. Enthused by the way he saw cyclists challenging themselves to ride long distances in a set time, he created Audax Français to encourage and regulate such events. Arguably the most popular of audax events is Paris-Brest-Paris. Originally a 1,200km bicycle race from Paris to Brest and back, the last time it was run as a race
Do it yourself
Ride the route The next GBDURO will take place from 13-23 August 2022. It will be run in the same selfsupported, four-stage format as the 2021 event. Entries have closed, and will reopen for 2023 in the first week of January. The GBDIVIDE route, which is followed by GBDURO, is available publicly on the Racing Collective’s Komoot profile here:
bit.ly/gbduro-komoot
was in 1951. Nowadays it’s a randonnée: cyclists ride individually, with the goal of finishing it within 90 hours. Unlike the Tour de France, which is still a maleonly event, Paris-Brest-Paris has always allowed women to participate. GBDURO stands out when it comes to women’s participation in endurance cycling. Since its first edition in 2019 the event has actively encouraged women to take part, and 50% of the top 10 finishers in 2021 were female. Jaimi Wilson’s time of 6 days, 4 hours and 39 minutes set a new women’s record and was the third fastest time overall. Addressing a lack of diversity in the cycling world at large, for the 2022 event the Racing Collective have introduced an ‘Ultra Distance Scholarship’, which provides recipients with: an entry for the race; a bike specific to ultra-distance racing; coaching support; bikepacking bags; performance racing kit; sustenance over the training period; and one-on-one mentorship from ultra-racers Vera Ngosi-Sambrook, Anisa Aubin and Natt Williams, all people of colour. “I think the more events like these that are shouting about women doing this stuff, then the more women see it and then the more women imagine it for themselves,” said Jenny Graham, Guinness Round-the-World Record Holder for the fastest women’s circumnavigation by bike. “So I think it’s all visual representation. Whoever’s out there doing these things, shouting about it, making it accessible, then that’s what’s going to bring more women into the sport. I think GBDURO is doing a good job with that.” From my film-making perspective, GBDURO’s format was ideal for covering by
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GBDURO
This photo: Carl Hopps nearing Inchbae Forest Below: Mark Beaumont
Fact file
End to End game
bike and public transport only. Its three checkpoints – the first in Wales, the second in England, and the third in Scotland – gave me the opportunity to catch up with the riders during the race. In between the stages, I tried to get as much film footage as possible, often following the leading riders first, and then backtracking to capture the other riders while the leaders recovered at the checkpoints.
RIDING THE ROUTE In the early concept stages of our film, ‘Maiden Race’, Mark and I, as well as Cyril and Yorit who were responsible for artwork and liaison with Shimano, made the decision to document the event as a whole, not just Mark’s ride. The role of media teams is a much debated issue in endurance races, and while we couldn’t fully eliminate the positive effect a familiar face would have for a rider’s motivation, we could at least extend that effect to the other riders too. Like those taking part, I had to adapt constantly throughout GBDURO. With only 14 finishers out of 60 riders, the event demands a lot. In the remote parts of Wales and Scotland, there was no alternative to cycling the route myself. “It’s those wild extremes of going from mountain bike trails in Wales to an urban nighttime adventure which makes it so intense,” said Mark Beaumont. “And you could say some of those sections feel like a bit of a commute to get between the interesting places, but it’s that variety which makes it interesting, and I think as a bike rider is hugely testing. If you were just a hardcore mountain biker you might struggle on the road. If you’re like me and you spent your life riding road, the bits that
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really tested me are the Yorkshire Dales, the Pennine Bridleway, and sections through the Highlands of Scotland. I mean, I was definitely a better bike rider coming off the back of GBDURO. I learned so much in those few hard days of racing. And so it just shows you, you never stop learning.” I mostly used the online tracking site to locate the riders, but in areas without reception I had to estimate their movements. Making cycle reservations for trains in advance was nearly impossible, so I often relied on the goodwill of conductors. Being turned away from a completely empty sleeper train cost me three valuable hours, in which Mark was forced to walk off the Corrieyairack Pass with a cut in his front tyre. He carried a GoPro himself and captured his anguish on camera. Meanwhile, I was racing across Corrour Estate to film Jaimi Wilson and Carl Hopps instead. By the end of the race I was as tired as the riders. Documenting GBDURO only using my bike and public transport was physically and mentally demanding, but worth the effort. In the ethos of the Racing Collective I not only followed the ‘leave no trace’ principles when riding/wild camping but also for film-making. And I hope this inspires other filmmakers to use the same approach.
Other adventures For other bikepacking events in 2022, including The North and South Downs Escapade, visit Cycling UK affiliate greatbritishescapades.com
Distance: 1,969km for the event. I rode 1,001km while filming. Route: Best described as “a scrappy rolling picnic through Britain’s ever changing landscapes from Land’s End to John o’ Groats”. Conditions: Roads (65%), tracks (26%), cycleways (6%), and singletrack (3%). Some sections extremely challenging (e.g. Corrieyairack Pass & Great Dun Fell). Bikes used: Gravel bikes with wider tyres and tri-bars, and mountain bikes with fast-rolling tyres. Navigation: Route file provided on Komoot and as a GPX file. Most riders used a handlebar GPS unit, with a mobile phone as backup Accommodation: Bivvying or a tent for most riders. There was accommodation in village halls or campsites at checkpoints.
I’m glad I had… Mattress and sleeping bag. Small tripod, which allowed me to film with another camera while using the drone.
Next time I would… Focus more on slower riders who just made the cut-off times.
Further info: For the event: theracingcollective. com/gbduro. For the film: bit.ly/gbduro-filmmaidenrace
A NEW CODE Feature
THE HIGHWAY CODE HAS BEEN UPDATED TO BETTER PROTECT VULNERABLE ROAD USERS. DUNCAN DOLLIMORE EXPLAINS WHAT’S CHANGED – AND HOW 38
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H I G H WAY CO D E
F E ATU R E
DUNCAN DOLLIMORE Head of campaigns & advocacy Duncan’s first experience of a close pass was aged 14 riding with Bury CTC on a club run – 40 years later, he’s pleased the rules have changed!
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Photo: Robert Spanring
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fter more than a decade of campaigning by Cycling UK, new Highway Code rules for England, Scotland and Wales finally arrived on 29 January. The catalyst for the changes was to make people more aware of pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders, but they benefit all road users. That’s why, to their great credit, both the AA and RAC engaged with stakeholder consultations about the proposals, fed in their views, largely supported the changes, and have been measured and responsible in everything they’ve said about them. Alas, there are always those whose default response to anything they don’t like is to cry foul, without realising they’re highlighting their own inadequate and ineffective campaigning. The truth is that the Department for Transport (DfT) engaged widely with road safety, motoring and other groups, before formulating the proposals. There was then a public consultation, which anyone could respond to, so we informed our members and supporters, encouraging you to respond. Over 16,500 of you did, backing Cycling UK’s proposals. The Alliance of British Drivers, Motorcycle Action Group, Fair Fuel UK and others don’t like the changes and have vowed to overturn them, blaming you for their introduction. You’re the ‘lycra-clad cycling lobby’ apparently, and you and we loaded the consultation in our favour. I’m not quite sure how, but it seems that it’s our fault that these groups didn’t or couldn’t mobilise supporters to engage with the consultation. But why bother with the truth when you can falsely claim that motoring organisations weren’t consulted, fostering animosity by blaming everything on the ‘all powerful lycra lobby’? I’ve mentioned this reaction because it’s crucial that we highlight what you, as members, enable us to do. All of our campaigning is funded through membership, and that’s allowed us to pursue this ten-year campaign. Yet what secured the changes was the overwhelming public support when the DfT consulted – and that was down to you. So, if you ever wonder why we campaign, or whether signing up to support one of our actions or campaigns matters, the Highway Code changes answer both questions. So what are the changes, and do they really matter? Here are six key changes or clarifications.
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This photo: The cyclist also has priority over traffic turning into the side road Right: Wrong! Rule 163 says “give at least 1.5m”
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HIERARCHY OF ROAD USERS (Introduction, Rule H1)
There’s a new concept called the ‘Hierarchy of Road Users’ or ‘Hierarchy of Responsibility’, which “places those road users most at risk in the event of a collision at the top of the hierarchy.” This confirms that those most likely to be injured in collisions, and at the top of the hierarchy, are “pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders and motorcyclists, with children, older adults and disabled people being more at risk”, and that “those in charge of vehicles that can cause the greatest harm in the event of a collision bear the greatest responsibility to take care and reduce the
danger they pose to others.” That’s those driving the largest vehicles. Crucially the rule also states that “cyclists, horse riders and drivers of horse-drawn vehicles likewise have a responsibility to reduce danger to pedestrians”, imposing greater responsibility on cyclists to look out for pedestrians. Despite media myths to the contrary, it explains that people on foot, bike or horse still have to “have regard for their own and other road users’ safety”.
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at junctions without traffic signals, simplifying 14 conflicting rules within the old Highway Code and making it clear that riders and drivers at junctions should give way “to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into which or from which you are turning.” Rule H3 explains that drivers and motorcyclists “should not cut across cyclists, horse riders or horse-drawn vehicles going ahead when you are turning into or out of a junction or changing direction or lane, just as you would not turn across the path of another motor vehicle”. This applies whether they are using a cycle lane, a cycle track, or riding ahead on the road. These rules are designed to clarify who has priority at unsignalised junctions; they should reduce left-hook collisions. They also mean that cyclists turning left have to give way to pedestrians waiting or already crossing a side road.
JUNCTION PRIORITY (Rules H2, H3)
Rule H2 sets out who has priority
HIERARCHY OF ROAD USERS
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DANGEROUS OVERTAKING AND ‘CLOSE PASSES’
Illustrations: Dave Walker
(Rule 163)
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Rule 163 now includes clearer guidance on how much room drivers should give cyclists when overtaking, namely: • “leave at least 1.5 metres when overtaking cyclists at speeds of up to 30mph, and give them more space when overtaking at higher speeds” • “take extra care and give more space when overtaking motorcyclists, cyclists, horse riders, horse-drawn vehicles and pedestrians in bad weather (including high winds) and at night”
F E ATU R E
Overtaking photo: Nik Hart Left: Julie Skelton
H I G H WAY CO D E
This photo: Riding in the centre of the lane is explicitly endorsed Right: The Dutch Reach has been included to help stop car-dooring
• “you should wait behind the motorcyclist, cyclist, horse rider, horsedrawn vehicle or pedestrian and not overtake if it is unsafe or not possible to meet these clearances”
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THE ‘DUTCH REACH’ (Rule 239)
Rule 239 now incorporates advice for drivers and passengers on how to open their doors to reduce the likelihood of ‘cardooring’ anyone, indicating that: “where you are able to do so, you should open the door using your hand on the opposite side to the door you are opening; for example, use your left hand to open a door on your right-hand side. This will make you turn your head to look over your shoulder.” This technique is commonly known as the ‘Dutch Reach’, and the new rule also strengthens the general advice on “looking all around and using your mirrors” before opening a car door.
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experienced riders. Be aware of drivers behind you and allow them to overtake (for example, by moving into single file or stopping) when you feel it is safe to let them do so.” While the new rule is an improvement, we’re disappointed that it isn’t drafted as we suggested, which didn’t include the words in brackets.
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ROAD POSITIONING (Rules 72 & 213)
I’ve included this because some of the media seem to think there’s been a huge change, with cyclists advised to ride in the middle of the road. This is nonsense.
In truth, the advice to cyclists hasn’t really changed. Rule 213 merely explains to other road users why cyclists, who are following the guidance set out in 72, adopt certain positions on the road to keep themselves safe. Rule 72 mirrors the advice given to cyclists for at least 16 years through the Government-backed ‘National Standard for Cycle Training’, explaining to cyclists that there are two basic road positions they should adopt, depending on the situation. Essentially, the advice is to ride in the centre of your lane: on quiet roads or streets, moving to the left if a faster vehicle comes up behind you, if you can do so
PASSING CYCLISTS
GROUP RIDING (Rule 66)
The old rule stated that cyclists should “never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends”. It was often misquoted to suggest that cyclists either shouldn’t be riding two abreast or had to single out to allow drivers to overtake. The new rule says that cyclists should “be considerate of the needs of other road users when riding in groups. You can ride two abreast and it can be safer to do so, particularly in larger groups or when accompanying children or less
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Photo: Robert Spanring
F E ATU R E
The rule about cycling two abreast has been clarified. It now says: “You can ride two abreast and it can be safer to do so”
safely; in slower-moving traffic, moving over to the left when traffic around you starts to flow more freely, if you can do so safely; and at the approach to junctions or road narrowings, where it would be unsafe for drivers to overtake you. On busy roads, with vehicles moving faster than you, cyclists are advised to allow them to overtake where it’s safe to do so, keeping at least 0.5 metres away from the kerb edge. Again, this isn’t really new advice: it’s just that Rule 213 now tells drivers what the advice to cyclists is and why, which was missing before. Of course, just because the Highway Code has changed, that doesn’t mean
RIDING TWO ABREAST
everyone will start complying overnight. We desperately need a long-term Government-led public awareness campaign to communicate these changes. Some will say that the Highway Code is just advice, and these changes don’t create new criminal offences or strict legal requirements. That’s overly simplistic, because these are the rules that will be quoted and relied upon in both civil and criminal cases following road collisions, to determine both fault and criminal responsibility. They matter. It was your support that enabled us to make sure these changes happened – and that really matters.
CRACKING THE CODE A timeline of Cycling UK’s recent campaigning on the Highway Code. March 2017: Cycling UK launches the Too Close for Comfort campaign to tackle dangerous close passes and press for changes to Highway Code overtaking rules. April 2018: Cycling UK launches the Cycle Safety: Make it Simple campaign, calling for road safety changes – including a revised Highway Code. June 2018: Cycling UK picks up British Cycling’s Turn the Corner campaign for changes to junction priority rules, pressing for these to be included in new Highway Code rules. November 2018: In response to our Cycle Safety: Make it Simple campaign, the Government promises to review the Highway Code to make it safer for cyclists and pedestrians. November 2018 to present: Cycling UK’s policy director Roger Geffen works with stakeholders to influence proposals for changes to the Highway Code. June 2019: Cycling UK launches the Dutch Reach campaign to tackle cardooring. June 2020: Cycling UK launches a major Highway Code campaign, supported by 16,500 people, in response to the Government’s consultation. December 2021 to present: Cycling UK presses the Government on the absence of any public awareness campaign for the forthcoming Highway Code changes.
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Top to bottom: Heading north to Narborough. Castle Rising. Peddars Way. Castle Acre Priory. Bawsey Country Park
Weekender
Unsurfaced Swaffham This gravel loop in Norfolk links enough kings, queens, knights, bishops and castles to start a chess tournament. Guy Kesteven is your guide
T GUY KESTEVEN
Best known as a bike tester, Guy is also the author of Cycling UK’s West Kernow Way and King Alfred’s Way guidebooks
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he gorgeous Georgian market town of Swaffham in Norfolk is the latest of the EXPERIENCE Hubs created by Cycling UK. This route from it is a meander on back roads, bike paths, fast farm tracks, gravel roads, Roman roads, and minimally trafficked tarmac. It links the historic highlights and hidden gems of this esoteric part of the UK. At more than 80km, it’s a big day out for most cyclists, given that a high proportion of this is on unsurfaced tracks and bridleways. But the Breckland Fen landscape means it’s mostly flat once you’ve left Swaffham and there’s plenty of shelter from any wind. The trails are generally sand and flint so they drain well when it’s been wet. I had a mostly dry run in early February. There are regular places to stop for supplies, a coffee, a pub lunch, or tea with the Queen at Sandringham. If you want to make a weekend of it, then Kings Lynn is halfway round in terms of time and effort.
Cycle Friendly Places
Businesses in Cornwall, Kent and Norfolk that cater to cyclists are being accredited. See: experience. cyclinguk.org
WEEKENDER
NORFOLK
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UNSURFACED SWAFFHAM Route name: Swaffham to Sandringham Start/Finish: Swaffham marketplace Maps: Ordnance Survey Explorer 236 Ride length: 85km (52miles) Climbing: 540m Bike type: Gravel or MTB Rider level: Intermediate GPX file: cyclinguk.org/route/weekender-Swaffham Swaffham This busy market town retains a lot of its Georgian charm and buildings, including coaching inns to stay at and/or quench your thirst at the finish. While it’s named after its post-Roman Swabian inhabitants, its earlier roots are shown by the Roman road alignments that this largely traffic-free route uses to leave and return on.
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KINGS LYNN Kings Lynn sits in a knot of main roads. However, an excellent bike path network glides you in and out with zero traffic. You’re rewarded with a well preserved and prosperous medieval waterfront and town centre, from when it was a thriving trading centre of the European Hanseatic League.
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Sandringham As you’d expect for the Queen’s country residence, the Sandringham estate is an area of immaculately kept parkland. There are also acres of wild heath studded with I-Spy follies and charming gatehouses all the way round to the house itself. There’s a royally themed shop and café – and yes, it does Coronation chicken baguettes.
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Peddars Way The Peddars Way long distance path follows a probable prehistoric trackway and definite Roman road from Thetford in the south to Houghton on the coast. The arrow-straight route takes in a mix of flinted track, narrow double-track and quiet back road. It’s a ‘time travel’ gravel experience, with some roller coaster rise-and-fall sections as you get closer to Swaffham.
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CASTLE ACRE Castle Acre is one of the best preserved examples of a baronial planned village anywhere. Massive motteand-bailey earthworks and the remains of the stone keep are at one end and priory ruins at the other. In between is a beautiful village centre, including the original bailey gate. The ride out on an old drove road gives you a sense of just how big the priory was.
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2 Map © OpenStreetMap, produced with Inkatlas.com. Photos by Guy Kesteven & Alamy
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Castle Rising As the name suggests, this picture-perfect conservation village centres around one of the biggest castle moats and stone keeps in the UK. It’s joined to Kings Lynn almost entirely by bike paths, and you leave past the dramatic Norman and Victorian church to run out through the castle’s wide open hunting grounds towards Sandringham.
Explore Norfolk For more information about cycling in Norfolk, visit the website: cyclinguk.org/cycle/cyclingnorfolk
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ELECTIONS
Northern Ireland has some cycling highlights, like the Maritime Heritage Trail, but needs better funding
Feature
PUSH B IKES
With elections in all four home nations, it’s an ideal time to press for political support for cycling. Jim Densham explains how you can help
Left: Alamy Above: Michael Taylor
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n 5 May elections will be held for local councils in England, Scotland and Wales, and for the Assembly in Northern Ireland. Elections are always a key opportunity to tell politicians that cycling is important to you because they want your vote and are in ‘listening mode’. It’s therefore essential to campaign for change at election time with a strong coordinated message to secure political support for cycling. Ahead of these elections, Cycling UK is calling for urgent delivery of safe, local cycling but with a specific flavour and twist in each nation. That’s why we have launched four different election campaigns – for the NI Assembly election, and for the local authority elections in Scotland, Wales, and the parts of England where elections are taking place. We have developed a progressive manifesto for cycling for each nation that sets out what we want candidates to commit to, although there’s a common ask for the delivery of connected networks of high-quality cycling and walking routes. There’s also a universal theme around the need for urgent action – that it’s time for politicians to deliver those essential networks. It’s time for them to ‘get there with cycling’, to make it happen. We need your help to tell politicians to deliver on cycling and enable people to cycle for short, local journeys. Please sign the election petition for your nation: cyclinguk.org/elections-2022.
JIM DENSHAM Cycling UK campaigns & policy manger – Scotland
NORTHERN IRELAND Against the backdrop of political, climate, and costof-living crises, the people of Northern Ireland will elect 90 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to the Assembly at Stormont. These candidates will represent Northern Ireland’s wide-ranging communities and cultures. Cycling has been sidelined for years but can be a positive solution to many of the issues faced in the region, and it’s one of the rare proposals that should unite everyone across the political spectrum. For this reason, our campaign in Northern Ireland embodies our campaign slogan: ‘getting there with cycling’. The last two years have felt like a change of mood is in the air in Northern Ireland, with a Blue-Green Infrastructure Fund, a record spending commitment for active travel, and the Belfast Bicycle Network plan. Sadly that change has stayed in the air, so now we need to push parties and MLA candidates to turn this new mood music into a crescendo of noise for delivery right across Northern Ireland.
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ELECTIONS
Left: Andy Catlin
Cycling UK’s COP26 publicity. Scotland seems to get the message: it has a Minister for Active Travel
SCOTLAND
Convince a candidate
Take them on a bike ride: cyclinguk.org/ blog/taking-yourelection-candidatebike-ride
As in the other nations, there are many pressing issues that will be hotly debated on the doorstep or at hustings, such as personal finances, social inclusion, clean air, climate change, and health services. Councils and candidates need to know that many of these issues can be helped by investing in cycling. It’s down to us as people who get about by bike or would like to do so to make sure that the candidates know that cycling matters to us and why.
Left: Julie Skelton
Since last May’s Scottish election, there has been good progress for cycling at the national level. We have celebrated a record budget for active travel, a slew of cycle-friendly policies announced by government at Holyrood, and the first ever Minister for Active Travel. The public consciousness for green travel was also pricked when COP26 came to Glasgow in November. Scotland is now at a pivotal point where it needs to build on this progress with urgent action at the local level. That’s why the local elections in Scotland on 5 May are the most important ever for cycling. We’re calling for cycling revolutions in communities across Scotland to enable more people to cycle for pleasure and short journeys, in attractive and safe urban and rural spaces. We’re asking councils to make this happen by spending the record levels of funding now available on high-quality cycle routes and other projects that make neighbourhoods better for people. Join us and cycle campaign groups across Scotland in calling for delivery now.
ENGLAND
WALES Like Scotland, Wales has also seen a massive increase in funding for active travel from its national government, and local authorities have been encouraged to be bold and ambitious. Money alone is not enough: what’s needed now is for councils to accept the challenge and use this money to deliver. We need local authorities in Wales to step up and help us create communities that are connected by bike, to make cycling as easy as it can be, and for people of all ages and abilities to feel that riding a bike is a realistic option for them.
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This May there will be polls to elect councillors in 146 English local authorities, including county, unitary, and metropolitan borough councils, plus seven local or combined authority mayors. Getting more people walking and cycling has massive individual, environmental, economic and community benefits, but as in Scotland and Wales, local councils urgently need to step up to make this happen and ‘get there with cycling’. Councils in England have the power to transform communities by shifting their own budgets and prioritise spending on cycling projects. We are asking candidates to pledge to deliver connected networks of high-quality cycling and walking routes, and to make our neighbourhoods safer and our air cleaner. But they need to hear that this is what people want.
YOU CAN HELP Our online action for the election is easy to support and only takes minutes. Visit cyclinguk.org/elections-2022, click the elections for the relevant country, and fill in your details. Later we will also help you to write to your candidates. Campaigning doesn’t have to be a big commitmen but, if you’re not already involved in your local cycling campaign group, this is a great time to begin. Many groups will be actively campaigning for local cycling needs during the preelection period. Find Cycling UK affiliated cycling campaign groups on our website or consider connecting with our Cycle Advocacy Network (CAN): cyclinguk.org/CAN
Details Where: Sardinia, Italy Start/finish: Cagliari Airport to Isola di San Pietro Distance: 115km Photos: Sam Jones
Top: The port of Carloforte Below: At the high point on the Is Pauceris road
SARDINIA
G R E AT R I D E S
SAM JONES Communications delivery manager Sam can’t wait for his new, easier-totransport bike with S&S couplings.
Great Rides
SARDINIAN JOURNEY
Abroad at last, Sam Jones was determined to complete his first trip across the Italian island by bike – whatever the weather
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une into a news report of flooding anywhere the world and you’ll often see shots of stranded vehicles, then a cyclist pedalling slowly by in the background. If such a report had been filmed in the industrial zone of Cagliari, Sardinia, in September 2020, that cyclist would have been me. I passed a line of milling cars, windscreen wipers at full tilt. The water’s edge inched closer. It looked ridable – and was. Chuckling, I ploughed a temporary furrow through the shin-deep murk, past the flotsam and jetsam of beer cans and fast-food cartons, trying not to think about what unpleasantness my feet were dipping in and out of. After 200 metres, I emerged onto traffic-free tarmac, no wetter or worse off than I had been before.
RIDER OF THE STORM I’d only left Cagliari half an hour ago. Five hours before that I’d closed the front door to our Surrey home. Both places had been sunny. Yet as I rumbled along the rough track leading through the giunco (the tall reeds of the island) from the airport, the skies cracked with the precursor of lightning. Small rain spots turned to fat dollops, then became a deluge that stopped cars as drivers struggled to see through their windscreens. I stopped to strap my rear light on to the left seatstay, then carried on. I’d been soaked in the first 30 seconds of the warm rain and was so wet that it had ceased to matter. I was savouring the wonder
Do it yourself
Getting there The easiest way to Cagliari is flying. The pandemic has impacted the flight paths of multiple airlines, but EasyJet, Ryanair and British Airways used to fly direct from London. There were direct flights from Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester too. At the time of writing (February 2022), a return flight with BA including luggage costs from £109. Until Eurostar starts taking bikes again (which should be this summer), sustainable travel is difficult. If you can get to Paris, take a fast train to Toulon (TGV ~4hr), and then a ferry to Porto Torres in the north of Sardinia (~13hrs, twice a week). There’s a morning train to Cagliari (~4hrs, change at Sassari). Or why not ride there?
and freedom of being on my bike on foreign soil. My phone buzzed from a sodden pocket. It was Daria, my Italian partner. She’d stopped in a lay-by with her parents, who had met us at the airport. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like a lift? My parents think you’re crazy riding in this weather…” Even if there had been room for me and the bike, my answer would have been the same: “No, grazie.” I knew her parents would be discussing the pazzo inglese – the crazy Englishman – who was happier cycling through a tropical-style thunderstorm than sitting in a nice dry car. How could I explain that after months of lockdown, largely confined to a twoup, two-down in rural Surrey, this unplanned ride would not stop for a little rain? Okay, a lot of rain. It was like riding in a warm bath, with cars rather than rubber ducks for company. “I’ll be fine, ci vediamo a Carloforte!”
THE ‘ROAD’ LESS TRAVELLED I’ve visited Carloforte – or, more accurately, Isola di San Pietro – for the past ten summers. It feels like my Italian home. A tiny volcanic island tucked away on the south-west coast of Sardinia, it was first settled by the Phoenicians, and later the Romans. In the 18th century, after long years of being uninhabited, a colony of Genovese who had been driven from a small island off of Tunisia made it their home. It’s why, unlike the rest of Sardinia, the dialect of the residents is different – an off-shoot of Genovese. Daria spent her childhood there during the hotter
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G R E AT R I D E S
SARDINIA
This photo: Isola di San Pietro lighthouse Below: Looking back at the hills of Is Pauceris
Fact File:
Sardinian journey Distance: 115km Route: West from Cagliari through the high hills of Is Pauceris, aiming for the harbour at Calasetta for the ferry to Uiza San Pe. Conditions: Tropicalstyle thunderstorms, high humidity, and a mix of perfect gravel tracks and shin-deep mud. Bike used: Surly Disc Trucker. Navigation: Wahoo Elmnt Roam, Google Earth, and Komoot.
I’m glad I had: Enough water and supplies, plus family to take my bike bag separately!
Next time I would: Italian months, so it made a fitting place to reunite with her family after half a year of separation. The benefits of remote working and untaken holiday meant that we could make a proper stay on this fortunately Covid-free island. Which is how I found myself pedalling through a flooded industrial zone. This was the first time I’d brought my bike with me. The rain stopped as the tarmac ended and the best part of my route began. To reach Carloforte from Cagliari, there are two conventional ways: a direct route inland to the ferry port at Portoscuso; or a circuitous route hugging the coast, which leads you to the ferry at Calasetta. I was taking the third way: an old, ramshackle provincial road that heads high into the hills of the regional park of Is Pauceris, cutting a line between the other two routes. It’s a gradual 435m climb over 20km. The state of the unsurfaced road, not the gradient, forces you to zigzag to the top. I’d spotted it scouting on Google Earth. As I gradually climbed above the treeline, I knew I’d chosen wisely. Not a single car passed. The air was rich with the Mediterranean scents of the freshly drenched undergrowth. For the first time in months I felt happy in my isolation. The sun did its best to burn through the clouds but all it achieved was treeline mist. Celebrating the high point with a brief picnic, I revelled in the scenic solitude. The three-hour struggle uphill was undone in a 45-minute descent. I bounced down at speed, hopping potholes and using the whole width of that gravel track to its best advantage. Motor traffic returned with the tarmac. So I abandoned my previously plotted route in favour of more rough-stuff: a network of farm tracks near
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Piscinas. The temptation to stop at villages I passed through was high, but with the world trying to emerge from the pandemic I was not ready to engage. I pressed on, choosing likely-looking lanes. This led to a field whose topsoil had washed off and created a thick unridable sludge. Socks, shoes, bike – everything took a pasting.
RACING FOR THE FERRY Suitably chastened, I returned to the road as the evening crept in. The clock was ticking. While the Mediterranean has no tide, their ferries wait for no man. Bible black, the night came down as I raced through Sant’Antioco’s cobbled streets. Silent restaurants, usually teeming with Italians, blindly watched my passage. Tired, mosquito-nipped legs began to cramp as I sped through the island interior. Minutes dripped like sweat as I strained to reach the 10pm ferry… which slipped from the jetty seconds after I reached the harbour. The wait was not so bad: two hours, two beers, and two pizzette later I was the sole cyclist to roll off the gangway onto Carloforte. The final climbs to the San Pietro’s heights passed easily in the dark. Bed beckoned and with it the morning and further opportunities to explore. But for now, I was home.
More info Rail travel to Italy is straightforward with a compact folding bike. Read about Clive Parker’s trip by Interrail and Brompton: cyclinguk.org/cycle-magazine/great-rideseuropean-travel-pass
Hopefully not miss the ferry by seconds!
Further info: komoot.com/ collection/1029635/uiza-di-san-pe (This is a collection of routes in the area I put together, plus the route described here.)
Advice
CYCLOPEDIA Right: Alamy
Questions answered, subjects explained – Cyclopedia is your bimonthly cycling reference guide
Medication can control atrial fibrillation
Health
Q & A
Heart rate spiking Technical
Older carbon bike
Q
After not using this 2004 Isaac bike for years, I recently started riding it again. I’m a bit nervous about it. It hasn’t been crashed or dropped, and the mechanic thought it was fine when I had it serviced. Am I being too anxious? I’m concerned that if it does fail then it is going to be quick and catastrophic. Would I be better putting all the bits on a steel Spa audax frame and retiring the Issac? Paul Cope
A
Carbon fibres have a near infinite fatigue life: they don’t suffer from the type of failure in which a small crack propagates, or spreads, through a component which then breaks without warning. The resin that holds the fibres together is protected by agents in the paint or lacquer against degradation by UV radiation, so unless the frame is subject to severe impact, which can delaminate or break the fibres, it should have plenty of life left. Regular inspection may be enough Coronavirus to reassure you of its reliability, For up-to-date but if you really aren’t confident cyclists’ advice in it, then a new frameset may be regarding Covid-19, needed to put your mind at rest. visit: cyclinguk.org/ Richard Hallett coronavirus
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Your Experts
APR I L/ MAY 2022
DR KATE BRODIE Retired GP {Health}
Q
I wear a Polar heart rate monitor with a chest band. Today there was a five-second spike in my heart rate, peaking at 223bpm. I had a similar experience last week with a peak of 208bpm. At the time I felt nothing peculiar or unusual. I’m in my mid-sixties and this is new for me. Previously my heart rate would typically top out between 165 and 175bpm on hills. I know if I’m concerned I should seek professional medical advice David2504, via the Cycling UK Forum
A RICHARD HALLETT Cycle’s Technical Editor {Technical}
RICHARD GAFFNEY Principal Lawyer, Slater + Gordon Lawyers {Legal}
The commonest cause of an intermittent fast heart rate in older adults is paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. This is a condition caused by abnormal electrical conduction in the heart. It can last a few seconds or much longer (hours, days), then the heart beat returns to normal. Typically the pulse is very irregular. It can be accompanied by breathlessness, dizziness, or tiredness. By itself it is not harmful but there is a risk it can cause a stroke if untreated. It is therefore important to consult your doctor, who can arrange monitoring and treatment. Some fitness watches can provide a record of your heart rate, which would be very useful. Once diagnosed the heart rate can be controlled with medication, and tests can
Right: Robert Spanning
be done to rule out other conditions that may underlie it. The commonest of these would be high blood pressure, heart disease, and obesity. Triggers for the condition might be excessive alcohol or caffeine intake or smoking. Annoyingly for cyclists, it seems to be commoner in endurance athletes who like to run or cycle long distances, despite their healthy lifestyle. I suspect you fall into this group. Dr Kate Brodie
Shared-use paths are typically two-way
Legal
Cycle paths the ‘wrong’ way
Q
Am I allowed to ride ‘the wrong way’ on on-pavement cycle facilities – that is, on the right-hand side of the road? I can think of three cases: No dedicated cycle lane, shared use by pedestrians and cycles. Dedicated cycle lanes with cycle markings. Dedicated cycle lanes with arrows as well as cycle markings on the pavement. Ray Hitchins
A
As per Rule 64 of the Highway Code, Cyclists MUST NOT cycle on a pavement. Cyclists are only allowed to use footpaths which are designated for them. There will be a blue sign to show if you are allowed to cycle on a footpath. However, pedestrians may use cycle tracks as well as the pavement unless there are signs prohibiting pedestrians. The Highway Code sets out at Rule 63 the use of shared spaces. Shareduse routes can be used both ways, but usually cyclists keep to the left side.
Cyclists should always give way to pedestrians on shared-use cycle paths and be prepared to slow down and stop, if necessary. Cyclists should take care when passing pedestrians, especially children, older or disabled people, allowing them plenty of room. Where separate cycle paths and footways merge into a single shared surface, users may be travelling across a shared area in several different directions. When cycling on dedicated cycle lanes with cycle markings, Rule 62 of the Highway Code states that cyclists MUST keep to the side intended for cyclists, as only pedestrians (including wheelchair and mobility scooter users) may use the pavement or footpath. Bicycles are considered vehicles under British law. Rule 69 of the Highway Code states that cyclists MUST obey all traffic signs. Cyclists should cycle in the direction as indicated by arrows as well as cycle markings. Richard Gaffney
Technical
Triple jump
Q
I want to swap my 24-36-44 triple for a 24-40-44 setup. The middle chainring is sucking the chain so needs replacing but the other rings are good. The question is: will it shift from 24 to 40 okay? I’m on 26in wheels and 5-speed at the back. The shifters are friction levers. It’s early an early ’90s drop-bar MTB tourer. Greystoke, via the Cycling UK Forum
A
The answer is ‘probably not’, although it may be possible to get the mech working satisfactorily. The obvious problem is that the inner face of a triple front mech’s cage will foul the 40t middle chainring if the mech is placed at the right height to work with the 44t outer ring, while the mech won’t shift the chain cleanly onto or off the outer ring if set high enough not to foul the middle ring. In this latter case, it may shift happily from 24 to 40. Why not simply fit a 36t – or 34t – replacement middle chainring and avoid potential problems altogether? Richard Hallett
CYCLO PE D IA
Right: Alamy
Q&A
QR lever on the left is traditional
Technical
QR lever & disc
Q
The manual for my partner's new bike is adamant that the front quick release lever should be on the left side by the disc rotor. Why does the bike include this instruction? TheBomber, via the Cycling UK Forum
A
You state the manual is ‘adamant’ that the lever must be on the left side of the cycle but don’t give examples taken from the manual of what disaster might befall the errant user. Perhaps there are none given. A ‘cranked’ lever sitting to one side of the skewer head sits more easily facing backwards – desirable to prevent the risk of being flipped open by snagging – when tightened than if placed on the right side, but otherwise the system works equally well in either orientation. There is a theory that the lever is more likely to vibrate loose if placed on the right side of the cycle, but the ‘overcentre’ design of the closing cam means that a correctly-tightened QR lever can’t vibrate loose as it would have to tighten – generate additional clamping force – before it could come loose. The rear QR lever is usually placed on the left to avoid interference with the rear derailleur. Richard Hallett
Get in touch 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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r e d n i f Bike Which bike should I buy? Ask us at cyclinguk.org/bikefinder
Lightweight e-hybrid For: Rosemary Crane, aged 77, from Fareham, Hants. Bike needs: I cycle every day on road. My knees are starting to cause problems so I want an e-bike that’s not too heavy. I looked at a Cannondale but it seemed to suggest in multi-language hieroglyphics that it didn’t like rain. I live in the UK! Must have: E-bike, extremely robust tyres, step-through, straight handlebar, rainproof. Budget: £3,000 Rosemary Crane
Dave Atkinson Whenever anyone asks me to recommend a lightweight e-bike, my first question is always: are you sure you want a lightweight one? Weight affects non-powered bikes but with e-bikes it’s just not an issue unless you actually have to pick your bike up for any reason; storage and access are the main culprits there. If you want the motor because you need the assistance, a heavier bike with a more powerful motor can often be a better option. Try both before you commit, if you can. Mahle’s excellent ebikemotion X35 system is the obvious choice for a lightweight bike like you describe, though. It’s IP54 rated for sealing, which is the same as Bosch mid-motors, and both systems are designed to cope with wet conditions. Ribble’s Hybrid AL e Step Through (from £2,299, ribblecycles.co.uk) and Islabikes’ eJanis (£2,699, islabikes.co.uk) are good choices with the X35 motor. The Neomouv Open Ticket (£1,865, juicybike.com) uses an Aikema motor system that I found to be at least as powerful as the X35, and it’s cheaper and gets a larger 380Wh battery compared to the 250Wh of the ebikemotion bikes. All three have good city tyres but a swap to something like Schwalbe's Marathon Plus (£43.99 each) is worth it for peace of mind. If you want to try a heavier bike for comparison, it’s hard to look past Cube’s excellent Touring Hybrid range (from £2,399, cube.eu/en). With 14 spec levels to choose from you’re bound to be able to find one that suits you perfectly.
RIBBLE AL E STEP THROUGH £2 , 299+
Dan Joyce While I agree with Dave that an e-bike’s motor more than offsets the extra weight, in practice I’ve had to pick up every e-bike I’ve tested. If you’ll be putting your e-bike onto a workstand, carrying it up steps, or lifting it onto a car rack, an 8-10kg weight difference is a big deal. Of the ebikemotion bikes, I’d recommend the eJanis (13.5kg). It has other features that make it suitable for an older rider: twistgrip shifting; short-reach brake levers; and easy-change tyres. You’re wanting tougher tyres, however. The eJanis won’t take much wider than 30mm if you’re keeping the mudguards, and in narrower widths Schwalbe’s Marathon Plus is hard to fit and gives a ‘wooden’ ride feel. I’d suggest 28-622 Schwalbe Durano Plus tyres (£43.49 each) instead. As a flat-bar road bike with electric assistance, this may be your lightest practical option. Specialized’s Turbo Vado SL 4.0 Step Through (£3,150, specialized.com) is arguably more versatile. It takes wider tyres with mudguards, and has a larger (320Wh) battery and range. It uses Specialized’s own SL 1.1 mid-motor. This is much lighter than other mid-motors but delivers less torque (35Nm) so you can’t just stomp up hills; you’ll need to go through the gears like you normally would. The motor has marine grade seals and is waterproof to the demanding IP67 standard. It stretches your budget and is a bit heavier than the eJanis at around 15kg – or ~16kg with a pair of 40-622 Schwalbe Marathon E-Plus tyres (£49.99 each) fitted. Otherwise it ticks all your boxes.
SPECIALIZED TURBO VADO SL 4.0 STEP THROUGH £3,150
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CYCLOPEDIA
w o h w o Kn Making sense of commonly misunderstood subjects
DR KATE BRODIE Kate is a retired GP who rides with South Devon CTC
Health
I’ve had mild Covid19. When can I get back on my bike?
F
Recovery from even a mild case of Covid-19 can take time
Left: Alamy
or the majority of people this infection is mild and self-limiting. Common symptoms include a cough, fevers, muscle aches, and lethargy. Many people lose their sense of taste or smell. Some people experience breathlessness. In more severe cases breathing difficulties lead to a hospital visit for oxygen treatment or further respiratory support. Most will make a full recovery but it may take weeks. It is recognised that during the acute illness everybody loses fitness and strength and will need to be patient while recovering. Guidance suggests that, if you have been symptom free for seven days after a mild infection, you can gradually start to resume your activities without any special medical tests. For the first two weeks, keep exertion to a minimal level as you may find you are still relatively short of breath and easily fatigued. Guidance is given on the NHS site (yourcovidrecovery.nhs.uk), suggesting muscle stretches, breathing exercises, and increasing levels of normal daily activities. Gently pedalling on an exercise bike for a few minutes would be a useful guide to see if you are ready to get back on your bike. After two weeks, if you are coping with gentle exercise,
you can start to increase the length and strenuousness of your sessions. You might try a short ride with two fiveminute intervals of moderate effort and five minutes of rest in between. If all goes well you can gradually increase the number of intervals and hence the length of the session. Signs you are overdoing it would be difficulty getting your breath back, muscle pains, feeling faint, or profound fatigue after the session. Reduce the intensity and be patient. If all goes well, and once you can manage a 30-minute session, you can resume normal training – but consider a rest day for every two days of training to allow proper recovery. If you are pushing yourself moderately and are not unduly tired after, you are on the road back to fitness. You can start to look at goals that reach your normal level of cycling achievement.
Recovery step by step Five stages of recovery, after seven days symptom free. Each stage should last at least seven days
1
Preparation for exercise Stretches, gentle walking, and activities of daily life
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2
Low intensity activities Walking outside, cycling indoors or on a flattish route for a few minutes
3
4
Moderate intensity cycling Gradually increasing from 5 mins up to 30 mins, with rest periods
Harder cycling sessions With a rest day after two of riding. Pay attention to fatigue levels
5
Normal cycling levels Heavy exertion tolerated and minimal recovery time required
Should I talk to my GP? If your acute illness caused you to have chest pains, an irregular heart beat, or extreme breathlessness, this may be a sign of heart or lung damage from Covid-19. It would be wise to have a consultation and perhaps an ECG before starting anything strenuous due to the risk of heart muscle damage. (This will only apply to a small proportion of sufferers.) If you are unable to progress because of recurring symptoms after a six-week period of waiting for recovery, then you should ask for help. Covid can also cause psychological damage so if you find you are struggling with anxiety or low mood, this too merits help.
Covid case studies Read about Cycling UK members' Covid-19 experiences at cyclinguk.org/ long-covid
BIKE TEST
RIGID RIDES
Biketest
Rigid rides DAN JOYCE Dan rides a rigid 29+ mountain bike – a bespoke Carver Gnarvester that’s a bit like a titanium Krampus – so may be biased.
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Most mountain bikes come with suspension. Do you need it? Dan Joyce tests two bikes that do fine without: a Jones Plus LWB and a Surly Krampus, two off-road bikes ready for anything
B
efore we start, let’s get one thing straight: if you want to ride as fast as you can down technical trails, a full-suspension bike will enable you to do that quicker and with more control. If that isn’t your main aim, there’s a simpler way to ride off-road: rigid. It isn’t necessarily the bruising experience you might expect. A decade ago Surly launched the first plus bike, the Krampus. It wasn’t a fat bike, more a 29er on steroids – thus 29+. Its 3in tyres gave better bump absorption and the larger overall wheel diameter even better rollover. Too “out there” for the fashion-focused cycling world, its influence can nevertheless be seen in the drift towards 2.5in and 2.6in tyres; bigger but not intimidatingly bigger. It’s like when 650B bikes took off after 29ers challenged 26ers: two steps forward, one step back. Plus bikes are still around, both in larger (29×3) and smaller (27.5×2.8in) wheel sizes, and with and without suspension. They remain fairly niche and the tyre options – particularly in 29×3 – have narrowed. Yet I don’t see them disappearing. Like fat bikes, they suit some cyclists and some kinds of cycling too well. The Krampus is still here too. Compared to the one we reviewed in Feb/Mar 2013, the current model has some modest geometry changes, such as ~1cm shorter chainstays, a slightly steeper seat angle, and a marginally slacker head angle. It’s also compatible with prevailing axle standards, an internal dropper seatpost,
and more luggage options. As well as the rigid version on test, it can be bought (£2,699.99) with a 120mm RockShox 35 Gold RL fork and a TransX dropper post. Jeff Jones has been building rigid bikes exclusively since the noughties, developing different geometry and components such as his eponymous H-bars to optimise the ride. Plus tyres on wide rims (29+ or 27.5+, depending on the model) were the last piece of the puzzle and have replaced standard 29er wheels on his bikes. These range from titanium spaceframe models with truss forks to diamond frame steel ones. Note that Jones dealers in the UK don’t sell complete bikes. You can buy a frameset here but bikes are shipped from the USA.
Frame & fork: Jones The Jones rips up received wisdom on mountain bike geometry, which favours really slack head angles, less fork offset, steeper seat angles, longer top tubes, and shorter chainstays. All that works fine for a certain kind of off-road riding but it’s predicated on suspension. The Jones is designed to be ridden rigid. Even if you could find a suspension fork to fit its
RIGID RIDES
BIKE TEST
First look
A multipurpose mountain bike that flies in the face of modern trends because it’s rigid specific
Instead of tipping you forward to “ride the fork”, the Jones sits you up and back, more like a roadster
Tech Spec
JONES PLUS LWB straight 1 1/8in head tube, preferred a 30.9 or 31.6mm there would be little point. seat tube, which could be Instead of tipping you shimmed down to fit a forward to “ride the fork”, the narrower, more compliant Jones sits you up and back, rigid post for those who don’t more like a Dutch roadster. want a dropper. The idea is that your hands The Jones fork uses a just rest on the handlebar screw-thru 150mm hub, rather than supporting like fat bikes. This means a your bodyweight. Your legs stronger and laterally stiffer take your weight and do front wheel as the spokes the business of absorbing have a better bracing angle. bumps when you’re riding (Think of a tent’s guy ropes.) out of the saddle. A wider hub means a wider The Jones is relatively fork and so loads of room There are multiple mounting points for a rear rack so that short between saddle and for 3in tyres. You’d easily you can fit whichever you handlebar. The medium size fit a 29×3.25in tyre front or, have in the optimum position Plus LWB has an effective indeed, rear. And you could top tube length of 585mm, fit mudguards over these 3in which is about 25mm shorter than a typical tyres, if you can find any large enough. medium size MTB and shorter still than Frame & fork: Krampus “long, low, slack” ones. It feels even shorter The Krampus is variously referred to as because of the backswept Jones H-bar a trail bike and an adventure bike. It’s on a tall steerer. But it’s not a short bike. both. The head tube and seat tube angles The front centres distance is 25mm longer are conservative compared to on-trend than the already roomy Krampus, due to a mountain bikes. But huge 29×3 wheels slacker head angle and a huge amount of don’t get deflected off line as easily so fork offset. And the chainstays are really an enormous trail figure from a super long too. It’s a big bike that looks like it slack head angle isn’t required. And a might handle like a barge. It doesn’t: it’s less extreme seat angle is better for riding quite agile, due to having less trail. comfort with a rigid fork, as it prevents you The chrome-moly frame and fork piledriving the fork into bumps. have fittings for racks, bags, bottles, and The seat angle, like that of the Jones, mudguards. The only thing missing is a is approximate because the seat tube port for an internal dropper post. So you is kinked. Your effective seat angle will can only run an external dropper, and only depend how high you set the saddle, as it one that fits a 27.2mm seat tube. I’d have
spokes, 148×12mm Jones rear hub, 150×15mm Jones front hub. Transmission: no pedals, SRAM SX Eagle chainset with 170mm cranks & 30t steel chainring, SRAM SX Eagle 12-speed chain, SRAM SX Eagle 11-50t cassette. SRAM SX Eagle shifter and derailleur. 12 ratios, 18-82in. Braking: Avid FR-5 levers, Avid BB7 MTN callipers, compressionless cables, 203mm front & 180mm rear rotors. Steering & seating: Jones H-Grips, 710×31.8mm Jones SG Aluminium Loop H-Bar, 80×17º Jones stem, Jones headset. Jones saddle, 27.2×400mm Jones seatpost. jonesbikes.com
Price:$2,860, plus $784 shipping and approx $1,000 in import duty & VAT (frameset $1,375) Sizes: S, M, L (M tested) Weight: 15.49kg (no pedals) Frame & fork: Custom butted 4130 chrome-moly frame with 68mm threaded BB, 1 1/8in head tube, 148×12mm dropouts, and fittings for mudguard, rear rack (various), kickstand, one double & two triple cages. Butted, tapered 4130 chrome-moly fork with 150×15mm dropouts and fittings for mudguard and two triple cages. Wheels: 76-622 Vee Tire Co T-Fatty tubeless ready tyres, 50mm Jones alloy tubeless ready rims, 32×3 stainless steel
Dimensions in millimetres and degrees
635 585 71˚
800 76
76
148
483
710 67.5˚
98
460
766
170 305
622
1178
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BIKE TEST
First look
The original plus bike, updated for contemporary components. A capable trail bike or bikepacker
A decade ago Surly launched the first plus bike. It wasn't a fat bike, more a 29er on steroids – thus 29+
Tech Spec
SURLY KRAMPUS RIGID rises at a shallower angle bikes for my one-bike-forthan a straight line between everything feature a few bottom bracket and seat tube years ago (cyclinguk.org/ top. The kinked tube helps article/can-you-just-haveSurly bring the back wheel in one-bike-does-everything). closer but also limits how far Components (or whether) you can lower a Neither bike has a dropper rigid post. Fortunately it will post, which you’ll likely want run an internal dropper. for more technical terrain. A The dropouts are Surly’s dropper is more important attempt to solve the axle on a rigid bike than one standards conundrum. with suspension because Called “Gnot-Boost”, your arms and legs have they’re spaced at 145mm. more work to do soaking As the frame is steel, the Those are ‘Gnot-Boost’ rear dropouts, spaced at 145mm. up bumps, and they can't dropouts can be spread to They’ll fit 148 and 142mm hubs do that properly if you’re fit a 148×12mm Boost hub or – or 135mm with adapters stretched out, hanging off squeezed in to fit a 142×12mm the back of the saddle. hub. Either way, each side Gearing is basically the same on both only moves 1.5mm. There are adapter bikes: 1×12 SRAM SX Eagle with an 11-50t washers available to run a 135×10mm QR cassette. The Jones gets a more suitablyhub too. The dropouts are rear facing so sized 30t chainring, while the Krampus the Krampus can be run singlespeed or has a 34t ring that’s uncomfortably close hub-geared without a tensioner. to the chainstay. (You can fit up to 38t on At the front, the Krampus’s 44mm head the Jones.) The budget version of SRAM’s tube will accommodate either a straight Eagle groupset works okay but I’d prefer steerer (as fitted) or a tapered steerer, Microshift Advent X, which is 10-speed and found on most rigid carbon forks and has a nicer derailleur. suspension forks. You just need the right The Jones has mechanical disc brakes, headset. The fork is 483mm axle-to-crown the Krampus hydraulics. I preferred the so can be swapped for a 100mm or 120mm mechanicals: they’re Avid BB7 MTN with suspension fork. compressionless cables and huge rotors. Like the Jones, the Krampus bristles with There’s loads of stopping power and they’re threaded fittings for mudguards, racks, easier to service. Others will prefer the bottles, and bikepacking cages. It’s not SRAM Level brakes of the Krampus: they’re pitched as “the only bike you need” like quieter and more smoothly modulated. the Jones but it could be. I considered both
Halo Vapour 50 rims, 32×3 double butted stainless spokes, Halo hubs – Boost rear). Transmission: no pedals, SRAM SX chainset with 170mm cranks & 34t chainring, SRAM DUB bottom bracket, SRAM Eagle chain, SRAM Eagle 11-50t cassette. SRAM SX shifter and rear derailleur. 12 ratios, 20-93in. Braking: SRAM Level TL hydraulic with 180mm rotors. Steering & seating: Gusset lock-on grips, 780×31.8mm Gusset Slade No Rise bar, 80×6º Gusset stem, Gusset headset. Genetic STV saddle, 30.9×440mm Gusset Lofty seatpost. ison-distribution.com
Price £2,099.99 (frameset £850) Sizes: S, M, L, XL (M tested) Weight: 14.35kg (no pedals) Frame and fork: Double-butted 4130 chrome-moly frame with 73mm threaded BB, 44mm head tube, 145mm ‘GnotBoost’ rear facing dropouts, and fittings for internal dropper post, rear rack, mudguard, one double & one triple cage. Double-butted 4130 chrome-moly fork with 110×15mm dropouts, two triple cage and various front rack mounts. Wheels: 76-622 Surly Dirt Wizard tubeless-ready tyres, Halo Vapour 50 29in wheels (tubeless ready
Dimensions in millimetres and degrees
675 605 73˚
790 47
96
148
435+
685 69˚
91
419
762
170 320
622
1113+
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RIGID RIDES
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.
Above: Fork offset on the Jones is 76mm! Near right: The Krampus fork: 110×15mm dropouts Top right: Good for control, less so comfort Bottom right: Multiple hand positions possible
The big tyres on wide rims that both bikes have take some getting used to. Pressure is key. Just 1 or 2psi can make a significant difference when you’re running only 10-15psi. Too hard and you’ll Space Hopper off rocks and roots; too soft and you’ll ding rims. Get it right and you’re rewarded with a floated ride that smooths out trail “chatter” and has lots of traction. Rolling performance is good everywhere except on fireroad climbs and tarmac. The Vee Tires of the Jones roll better due to a more multi-purpose tread pattern and the fact that they were set up tubeless (with, unusually, tubeless schrader valves). The Dirt Wizards of the Krampus grip much better in British winter mud, however, finding traction where the Jones fishtailed. Running them tubeless would save weight (29+ tubes are heavy) and improve the ride.
Ride
Other options
They’re both substantial bikes with a lot of weight in the wheels. Sudden accelerations and charging up climbs are not their forte. Conversely, they hold their speed well, particularly through corners and over loose
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and rough surfaces. And it takes a lot to balk these big wheels altogether. Stutter bumps slow any rigid bike, even ones with monster-truck tyres. The Jones does better, rolling easily over fist-sized rocks and roots because your bodyweight isn’t bearing down on the front wheel. At the bottom of the choppiest descent I rode, my hands felt fine: no aches, no buzzing. Upper body comfort is better on the Jones than on any suspension bike I’ve ridden. Hand comfort could be improved on the Krampus with different grips (ESI Chunky? Ergon?) and bar ends. A shorter stem would help too, to sit you up more. You might even fit a Jones handlebar, perhaps with a taller stem. Or you could fit a suspension fork… On slow technical features, both bikes perform well. Weight shifts and steering feel aren’t affected by suspension compression, so you can place either bike precisely. The Jones was more assured over jumps and drops mainly because I could (slowly!) lower its saddle by 8cm before attempting them; the Krampus’s wouldn’t go lower. Additionally, the Jones H-bar works well for descending on a rigid
BOMBTRACK BEYOND+ £1,750
The last remaining 29×3 model in Trek’s line-up is explicitly a bikepacking bike. It has an aluminium frame, carbon fork, and removable bespoke racks.
Smaller wheels – 27.5×2.8in – but the same idea: an MTB with bikepacking frame fittings. Review next issue.
trekbikes.com
bombtrack.com
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bike, letting you get your centre of gravity further back without stretching your arms. A high, backswept bar isn’t so good for athletic climbing. You can sit and spin, and of course you can pedal standing up well on any rigid bike, but you can’t bring your upper body into play like you can with a lower, wider flat bar. Softer, wider tyres do provide more traction when climbing, so even heavy bikes like these will get you dab-free up most slopes if you dig in.
Verdict
The Jones Plus LWB is to other mountain bikes what a touring bike is to a road bike: heavier, more upright, more comfortable, more versatile. It’s less a bike for chasing Strava times than for cruising through the countryside – over any distance and any trail, however technical. Its main drawback isn’t its weight, though that will bother some, but its cost. Factor in shipping, import duty, and VAT and you’re looking at around £3,500! I’d imagine most British customers will buy and build up a frameset instead. The Surly Krampus is, in this company, fairly conventional. What differentiates it from other mountain bikes are the 29+ wheels and the frame fittings. But those alone give it a very different ride and more potential to be used in different roles. As a bikepacking bike, an alternative handlebar setup would help – maybe a Surly Moloko or On-One Geoff. As a trail bike, I think it would be best bought either as the suspension fork version or as a frameset to build up into a livelier, lighter weight rigid bike.
BIKE TEST
ROADSTER
Dimensions in millimetres and degrees
600 560 73˚
550 45
450
623 71˚
74
57
495
696
170
274
129 622 35
1079
Tech Spec
LIGHT BLUE PARKSIDE 5SPD
Biketest
Light Blue Parkside 5spd Roadsters with hub gears are as practical today as they ever were. Richard Peace reviews a £650 model
T
Other options
he Light Blue name Nexus 7, would have saved dates back to 1895 around half a kilo. The when the frames RX-RF5 needed some careful were handbuilt for wealthy indexing at first but soon members of Cambridge settled in to give responsive University. Despite the fact changing. It has enough that the alloy step-through range (256%) to tackle frame is now made in the moderate hills. I felt it was Above: The 5-speed drivetrain Far East, the Parkside has a little over geared and has a good range (256%) but retro looks and is very didn’t much use gears four outside of flat terrain the hub much the kind of practical and five. You could change needs a larger sprocket roadster you’d expect to see the 17-tooth sprocket for a in cities like Cambridge and sprocket up to 22t in size to York, where everyday cycling remains lower the gearing. popular. Despite its weight, the Parkside felt At 15.51kg it was surprisingly weighty on nippy and agile. The riding position is the scales but didn’t feel that heavy in use. very compact and comfortable. It feels It’s on a par with last issue’s Trek Loft 7I like a small frame size, even though EQ, which boasts a front hub dynamo and it’s the middle size out of three, and it’s a 7-speed hub gear. reassuringly upright too. The old school The Sturmey Archer RX-RF5 hub gear quill stem allows plenty of handlebar is large and feels solidly built, its weight height adjustment. approaching 2kg. A hub gear unit with an The V-brakes behave exactly as you aluminium shell, for example Shimano’s would expect them to, giving a decent
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ELOPS 900 LOW FRAME CITY BIKE £549.99
Aluminium frame, 7-speed hub gear, hydraulic disc brakes, and autoadjusting hub dynamo lights. decathlon.co.uk
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BOBBIN BROWNIE 7 DUTCH BIKE £549 Aluminium framed roadster with 7-speed derailleur gearing, calliper brakes, rear rack, and kickstand.
bobbinbikes.com
Price: £649.99 Sizes: Step-through 17.5, 19.5, 21.5in; diamond 21, 23in. Weight: 15.51kg Frame & fork: TIGwelded aluminium 6061 frame with fittings for mudguard and rear rack. Steel fork with threaded steerer and fittings for mudguard. Wheels: 35-622 (700×35C) Halo Tourist tyres, Halo White Line aluminium rims with stainless steel spoke eyelets. Transmission: Aluminium pedals, aluminium chainset with 170mm cranks & 38t steel chainring, square taper BB, anti-rust chain, 17t Sturmey Archer C-50
sprocket. Sturmey Archer 5-speed thumbshifter and RX-RF5 5-speed hub. 5 ratios, 38-96in. Braking: Unbranded V-brakes with non-slip brake lever rubber inserts. Steering & seating: Ergonomic grips, North Road style high-rise aluminium handlebar, quill stem, threaded headset. Passport Upper Class saddle with Squidge-tech gel padding, 27.2mm plain seatpost. Equipment: Aluminium rear rack (18kg load), chromoplastic mudguards, aluminium kickstand. ison-distribution.com
amount of stopping power. Disc brakes would have been a lower maintenance option with added stopping power. Halo Tourist tyres look spot on for urban riding, roll well, and have some puncture protection. The Parkside is a step up from many other more budget roadster options in terms of material and spec. A rack, chainguard, and kickstand come as standard, so dynamo lighting is the only thing missing from a complete package, although that would add a little more weight.
Verdict
A practical, well thought-out roadster with a lovely retro look. If you want a lighter option, Light Blue’s Chesterton is essentially the same bike with a 7-speed derailleur.
GROUPTEST
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Details
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
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Grouptest
Tight-tyre tools Fitting tight tyres requires good technique and grip strength – or maybe just a different kind of lever… Liz Colebrook tests four
E LIZ COLEBROOK Liz holds the brazing torch at Beaumont Bicycle and is a qualified occupational therapist
ver struggled refitting a tyre? You may have managed at home in the warm but at the roadside with cold hands it’s a different matter, and you may have reached for a tyre lever despite the risk of pinching the tube. Enter the ‘bead jack’ or tyre-seating tool: a clever device to neatly pull that final section of tyre safely over the rim’s edge. They’re like tyre levers but different. Tyre and rim combinations have differing tolerances due to the manufacturing process (long story). Some are relatively easy to fit without the need for an ordinary tyre lever, while some are so tight they need three levers to remove and divine intervention to refit! The knack is to squeeze the tyre beads together, shifting them from the rim’s shoulders down into the recessed middle of the rim, also known as the well. This wins you some slack, making it easier to fit the section that’s diametrically opposite. With tubeless tyre and rim combinations, where the fit between rim and tyre contributes to forming a seal, fitting a tyre can be difficult even with this knack. It’s nevertheless an important step.
Portability
Consider the tool’s size and weight. Will it fit in your saddle pack or, if you don’t use one, your jersey pocket?
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Durability
No tyre lever is indestructible. Some of these tools showed wear after only a few uses.
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Compatibility
It needs to work with your bike’s tyre and rim width. Will the tool fit over your deflated tyre? Will the
tool locate onto your rim sidewall?
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Tyre removal?
Will it remove tyres as well as re-fit them, or are additional tyre levers required? And is there still room in your saddle pack?
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Ease of use
How much leverage is required for your grip strength? Could you use the tool with cold hands or wearing gloves? Could you use it in torchlight?
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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. C YCL I NGUK . O RG
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Verdict Given that the knack of fitting a tyre is not universally known, the advent of tyre-seating tools will help a lot of riders. Least fiddly for installationonly is the Cycle Pal, even though it looks a little over engineered, may require a larger saddle pack to carry with you, and needs a bit of practice holding it with a relaxed grip. It was also the only tool not to show signs of scuffing after use. Crankbrothers have a tool that’s very much for nontight combinations, where conventional levers may serve. The TyreKey is a no-nonsense tool for wider rims that requires another tyre lever or two to do both jobs. Finally, the Var tool has removal and installation covered in a very compact form. It’s my personal best buy.
Tyre fitting tips
Find out how toe straps or cable ties can help fit stubborn tyres: cyclinguk.org/cyclemagazine/cyclehacks-try-year
More online
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For more reviews of bikes, kit and components, as well as how-to guides, visit...
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Tools 1 Var RP-42500 £7.50 vartools.uk
Cycle Pal 2 Compact Tyre Seating Tool
cyclinguk.org/advice
3 TyreKey TyreKey
4 Crankbrothers Speedier Lever
£9.98, tyrekey.com
£6.50 extrauk.co.uk
£14.95, cyclepal.co.uk
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THIS CLEVER FRENCH design is distributed in the UK by JD Whisker. It features a second tyre lever inside the tool, providing the standard minimum for successful tyre removal. Refitting requires you to manipulate the tyre bulk between the tool’s deceptively accommodating ‘jaws’: one jaw locates onto the rim and the other hooks neatly under the tyre bead. It’s effective, light and compact, just a little awkward to remove after use. (It gets easier with practice.) The tyre levers are robust and nicely shaped to engage well under the bead during tyre removal.
A SPRUNG SCISSOR action and ergonomic grip design make this a comfortable tool to use. There’s a larger ‘standard’ size for tyres up to 55mm wide (£16.95). This ‘compact’ version is suggested for tyres up to 28mm but as tyres aren’t inflated when fitted, I found it also worked for standard MTB widths as well as my ultratight tubeless road tyres. I’d buy the standard for home use and fat bike tyres and the compact for use on the go. I noticed novice users try to zealously squeeze the handles together, so some practice is required.
THE BLURB FOR this tool says it makes removing and installing tyres simple. I needed an extra tyre lever to get enough tyre removed initially to glide it round. It’s light (20g), but I found it slipped installing tyres onto narrower rims, probably because this tool has a flat surface that locates against the rim rather than a specific slot. It’s competent on modern, tight-fit wider rims, however, and best suited for tyres up to 37mm approx. The tyre lever tip could be a little more scooped for removal and the ‘handle’ is quite short for leverage.
THIS CALIFORNIAN-DESIGNED lever is a light (26g), all-in-one tool that’s for removing and refitting tyres. Unlike the other tools on test, this tool mimics how car tyres are installed – but manually. If the tyre has a loose-to-average fit – not a tight fit – this method works. Turning the tool round, the same principle is used for installation as long as your rim sidewall is slim enough to accept the tool’s hook. With a tight rim and tyre combo I couldn’t shift the tool to start removal let alone drag it round the final 10 inches during installation; it ground to a halt!
A neat design for removal and installation – and great value
Bulky but installs virtually any tyre and rim combination
Best suited to modern, wider road tyres and rims
Best suited to remove and install ‘loose fit’ tyres and rims
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TRAVELLERS’ TALES
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Cycling out, train back – unreserved L: Cajamarca R: nr Villeta
South America
Colombian climbing Thirty years ago John Heath enjoyed his best ever tour, led by CTC’s Peter Crofts
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here’s still two places on the CTC Colombia tour,” I said to my wife in 1992. “Why don’t you go then?” she replied. So I did – although I didn’t realise that the stage from Ibagué to Armenia would be 85km, with a total ascent of well over 3,500 metres. Peter Crofts led as many as six CTC tours a year, including ones to Latin America. I thought he must be joking when he said to me: “You must be the one who speaks Spanish? That’s good – you can be our interpreter.” While I was able to help, Peter would sort out the hotel bill after we had all left each morning, then race past us to the next hotel to check that everything was okay. One day, freewheeling towards the River Magdalena, the drizzle we’d been riding through turned into heavy rain. Then we got to a landslide: 300 metres of soft wet clay that came up to our knees. When we’d finally managed to reach the other side, fellow rider Jeff asked me what the Spanish was for ‘bucket’. He then went to the nearest house and shouted that. He was given a plastic basin and a broom, then shown a cistern at the side of the road where we
could clean up. At breakfast in Villa de Lleyva, Peter said: “At first the road will be 20km of dirt but flat.” Unfortunately his map had contours at 1,000 metre intervals. That first 18km took us about three hours, during which we climbed perhaps 600m up the flank of the mountains, which overlooked a beautiful valley to the west. That’s what I remember most from the trip: magnificent views across enormous valleys, along with an incredibly warm welcome from the Colombian people. Thanks, Peter, for the best holiday of my life.
The landslide was just passable with a bike
England
Railing against restrictions Tom Culver recalls a time when trains carried tandem tricycles MY WIFE AND I lived in London from 1978 but she is a country girl who didn’t really like the city. So we resolved to get out in the country every other weekend. Our means of travel was our tandem trike. I am now amazed at the distances we cycled: east to Canterbury; north to Cambridge; west to Gloucester; and south to the New Forest. We would stop at a B&B we’d found in the CTC handbook on Saturday night, then keep riding on Sunday. We were able to do these distances because we didn’t need to cycle home. We knew that we only had to find a railway station. We would put our trike in the guard’s van to be carried back to London. We didn’t need to book a space because nearly all passenger trains had a guard’s van and there was nearly always plenty of room. I remember 50 bikes on one train. The privatisation of the railways destroyed this possibility. The train companies charge per person but must pay the rail provider per carriage. If their shareholders are to enjoy big dividends, they must stuff as many people as possible into as few carriages as is feasible. Guard’s vans have disappeared. Most trains carry a couple of bikes but it’s no longer practical to just turn up with your cycle and go. If every train had a guard’s van for cycles, and there were no restrictions or requirements for boarding with your bike, cycling and rail could be the answer to inter-urban travel today.
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TRAVELLERS’ TALES
Haydn and e-bike at Ironbridge
Shropshire
Never Mynd the hills A new e-bike inspired Haydn Greenway’s 100-mile weekend
Shap Fell, Cumbria. (Below) The finish, after 1,200 miles
Across Britain
Biking for butterflies Simon Saville combined his End to End journey with his passion for butterfly conservation
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he End to End was a trip I’d wanted to do for a long time, as I’m sure it is for many cyclists. After retiring I decided to combine the journey with fundraising for my favourite charity, Butterfly Conservation, for which I’m a trustee and local volunteer. My route was based on the LEJOG route on Sustrans’ National Cycle Network, but I modified this to take in as many nature reserves and wildlife sites as I could along the way. Local volunteers showed me around, so most days involved a few hours walking as well as 40 miles of cycling. My End to End journey was longer and slower than most: 1,200 miles over 30 days. Most of the time I rode alone, although I had a bike buddy with me on seven days. I rode through Exmoor, over Bodmin Moor, over the Mendips, and through the Cotswolds. Then it was the Wyre Forest and the Cheshire Plain, followed by torrential rain and a waterlogged satnav in Manchester. After climbing over the Forest of Bowland I explored the Silverdale area around Morecambe Bay, which is excellent for wildlife. In Scotland my route went from Glasgow to Stirling,
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along the Forth and Clyde Canal, then up into the Cairngorms and on to Inverness, Cromarty Firth, Lairg and the Flow Country. It was a voyage of discovery in so many ways. I learned to love hills – there’s never any shame in using a lower gear – but to hate headwinds. I visited over 40 wildlife sites, ranging from large National Nature Reserves to small urban wildflower meadows, and spotted 34 species of butterfly. My trip enabled me to raise over £30,000 for Butterfly Conservation. I’m now planning to publish my route as the Land’s End to John o’ Groats Butterfly Route. And I’ll be doing another Bike for Butterflies ride in 2022.
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AT 67, AFTER four decades of cycle commuting and day tours, I’ve become an e-bike convert. I bought a Cannondale Synapse e-road bike – and felt I could cycle forever! The idea of an ‘epic ride’ began to form. I asked my friend Martin, who is 66, if he fancied riding out to Church Stretton, camping overnight, and cycling back. It would be a round trip, for me, of 100 miles. We booked a ‘pod’ at the Mountain Edge campsite in south Shropshire. We met up at Ironbridge. Martin lives in nearby Telford. He also rides an e-bike. It was a drizzly morning when I set out from Cannock and rode the 25 miles to Ironbridge. After coffee opposite the famous bridge, we set off. Church Stretton is situated in spectacular countryside on the edge of the Long Mynd. The road to the summit, the Burway, is a formidable challenge. However, using a combination of a low gear and electrical assistance, I was able to ‘twiddle’ the pedals and climb the 1,300ft to the top of the hill. The views were awe inspiring. After a hearty meal and drinks we collapsed for the night. Meanwhile our bikes recharged their batteries. The ride home took us through beautiful Shropshire countryside: Wenlock Edge, Much Wenlock and Ironbridge, where we parted. I rode home to Cannock after a memorable ride.
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