Cycle magazine June/July 2022 by Cycling UK

cycle THE MAGAZINE OF CYCLING UK

On test

BOMBTRACK BEYOND+ NAVIGATION APPS RATIO TECHNOLOGY FIVE TEN SHOES & MORE

JUNE/JULY 2022

CANTII WAY

E XPE RI E N CE KE NT ’ S N EW 145 - M I LE RO UTE Page 34

ELECTRIC COMMUTERS RALEIGH MOTUS VOLT LONDON

GOING DUTCH?

Can active travel transform the UK?

OVER THE DRAGON’S BACK Off-road across Mid Wales

P lu s SEPTUAGENARIANS’ NORTH COAST 500 BIKE FINDER: FLAT-BAR GRAVEL BIKE BIKES ACROSS POST-BREXIT BORDERS AND MUCH MORE

CONTENTS Features 34 The Cantii Way Cycling UK’s new 145-mile route through Kent

Welcome

40 Going Dutch? Is the UK finally waking up to transport cycling’s potential?

48 NC500 for seniors Septuagenarians ride the North Coast 500 through Scotland

Products

20 Shop window New products coming soon

22 Gear up Components, accessories, and books

60 Electric commuters Raleigh New Motus Tour Plus and Volt London on test

66 Bombtrack Beyond+ A rigid trail bike with bikepacking potential

69 Route-planning apps

Four ways to follow routes with your phone

Regulars 04 Freewheeling Bits and pieces from the bike world

07 This is Cycling UK New national e-cycles programme; Big Bike Revival returns; political projections in Northern Ireland; leaving a legacy to Cycling UK; and more

46 48

DAN JOYCE Cycle Editor

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

Anne Waddington: cycling through a terminal diagnosis

31 Letters Your feedback on Cycle and cycling

46 Weekender

On the cover

Coronavirus

18 You are Cycling UK

On the Cantii Way, just outside Dover. By Robert Spanring

71-mile off-road crossing of mid-Wales

57 Cyclopedia Questions answered, topics explained

72 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 Designer: Katrina Ravn 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: Jordan Gibbons (pannier.cc), Andy Catlin, Paul Rogers, Maggie Fallon

The only intrinsic advantage that the Netherlands has over the UK when it comes to everyday cycling is that it’s flatter. The weather is the same, only with less shelter from the wind. Their roads and traffic problems were once as bad as ours. It wasn’t until the 1970s that the Dutch made a conscious decision to change this. The rest you know. So when people mutter that the UK isn’t like the Netherlands and that it couldn’t happen here, they’re looking at it the wrong way. The Netherlands was like the UK and it did happen there. We choose how we invest in and design our transport network, and it’s something we can just as easily choose to do differently. The first lockdown in the spring of 2020 gave an indication of the untapped demand for cycling. Cycling numbers rocketed thanks to suddenly quiet roads. When it’s pleasant, convenient, and feels safe to ride a bike for transport, people do so. Throw e-bikes into the mix and the argument that it’s too hilly to cycle in the UK doesn’t hold water. There are tentative steps in the right direction here but warm words aren’t enough. For real change we need not just serious investment but serious politicians ready to grasp the nettle of public opinion and do what’s right rather than what’s convenient. That means reallocating road space, not simply putting up blue signs or painting lines on tarmac. That’s my take. Turn to page 40 and find out what cycling figureheads from the four home nations think.

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

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MORE PREVIEWS ON PAGE 20

Bike tech essure Control System Scope Atmoz Tire Pr ssure se or lower the pre 82-year-old Gina took up cycling at 50

You ride

Gina Harris LEJOG record attempter

am 82 years old and I plan to cycle from Land’s End to John o’ Groats (LEJOG). I will be doing this mostly on my own. My journey will begin on 27 May and I hope to arrive on 23 June, by which point I will have travelled about 950 miles – more if I get lost! If I do manage to complete my challenge, I will be the oldest woman ever to bike the length of Britain. Of course, I will be a lot slower than most people who do it. In view of my age I won’t be carrying camping equipment but instead will book accommodation along the way. I will not be staying in smart hotels but mainly in hostels and Airbnbs. I took up cycling at the late age of 50 and joined CTC. I still go cycling with my friends but I am usually the last in the group. I am no sprinter; I am a long-distance plodder. This will be an advantage because, at my age, I could not hope to set a speed record. I have travelled extensively by bicycle in Europe and across America, so it will not be the first long cycle journey I have ever made. My goal is to raise money for Women’s Aid, whose refuges help women and their children escape from domestic abuse and control. Gina’s Twitter account is @CyclingGina. Her Just Giving site is justgiving.

com/gina-harris9

READ MORE ON LEJOG For LEJOG route details, GPX files, stories, and advice – including Cycling UK’s End to End pack – visit cyclinguk.org/lejog.

Event WELSH FESTIVAL OF CYCLING

handlebar to rai re Push a button on the hnut-shaped pressu u ride along. Doug yo as es tyr ur yo in hoses to a of tw via ect nn co d d the hub an reservoirs fit aroun Bluetooth). €3,998, wireless (ANT+ and tubeless valve. It’s scopecycling.com

Classic kit

Avid BB7 brake Avid’s venerable BB7 is a mechanical disc brake that’s a viable alternative to hydraulics not just a cheaper option. Straightforward to set up for effective, rub-free braking thanks to independently adjustable pistons (only one of which actuates), it’s also durable and fairly light. It comes in longer-pull MTN and shorter-pull Road versions, with shinier and lighter options. From £65/calliper, sram.com

Really?

Ere Tenaci Gravel Bar Cover Are we at peak gravel yet? How about now? This bar cover is 50% tape, 50% mountain-bike-style push-on grip – albeit longer and with raised bumps. The idea is to give better grip when you’re on the drops. Possibly a solution in search of a problem? £35, ereresearch.com

CTC Cymru’s Welsh Festival of Cycling is back after a two-year break. It will again be based at Ruthin Rugby Club, which has some of the country’s best cycling on its doorstep. Camping is from Friday 22 until Monday 25 July, with rides organised for Saturday and Sunday. For details and booking: cyclinguk.org/event/welsh-festivalcycling. To volunteer, email Lowri Evans: secretary@ctcchesterandnwales.org.uk 4

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On my bike

Lee Craigie

Try this

Adventure Syndicate Director

Volunteers’ Week Celebrate Volunteers’ Week, which runs from 1 to 7 June, by thanking the amazing people who devote their time and energy to getting other people cycling. Buy them a coffee, bake them a cake, or download an editable ‘thank you’ card to show how much their efforts are valued. You can also

recognise outstanding efforts by nominating someone for a Going the Extra Mile Award from Cycling UK. Whether it’s a long-serving dedicated committee member, an outstanding event organiser, or the ride leader who turns up week in week out. cyclinguk.org/ volunteers-week-2022

Why do you cycle? For transport. For the planet. For financial reasons. Those things but ultimately because it makes me feel good. How far do you ride each week? Hmm. Dunno. It varies. Ten miles or 1,000 depending on what I’m up to. (1,000 miles would be an exceptional week.) Which of your bikes is your favourite? That’s like asking a person to choose between their children. What do you always take with you when cycling? A sense of humour and a bike repair kit: pump, tube, tubeless repair, tyre levers, multi-tool with chain breaker.

Picture this Like Cycling UK? Connect with us online! Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Strava, YouTube – even TikTok. You can find Cycling UK on most major social media platforms. Share your rides and routes, photos and tips using #WeAreCyclingUK, and look out for competitions, advice and inspiration. By supporting and engaging with our content, you are enabling even more people to discover the joys of cycling. Together we can make the world a better place by bike.

Bike hacks

Hidden tenner Forgot your debit card or phone? Tech failure at the cash register? Emergency tenner to the rescue, whether it’s coffee and cake or spares like an innertube or a cable. Leave a £10 note rolled up in a handlebar end, with an elastic band wrapped around it to hold it quietly in place. As bank notes are now polymer it can stay there until needed. It can even be used as a tyre boot for a split sidewall. Send your bike hacks to editor@cyclinguk.org.

Who mends your punctures? I do. I’ll happily mend other people’s too. It’s raining: bike, public transport, or car? Bike. But a bike with mudguards. Lycra or normal clothes? Normal clothes all the way. My best performing piece of bike clothing is a Fair Isle sweater. If you had £100 to spend on cycling, what would you get? RideWithGPS and OS Maps subscriptions so I can plan fun adventures. What’s your favourite cycle journey? Any A-to-B traverse of a mountainous region that involves some element of hikea-bike, such as the GR5 from Geneva to Nice in the French Alps or the Fisherfield traverse in the Scottish Highlands. What single thing would most improve matters for UK cyclists? A cohesive network of safe, segregated cycling infrastructure that would come into being at exactly the same moment that driving became dramatically dis-incentivised.

C Y CL I NGUK . O RG

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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

Back in the saddle With the return of in-person events and a new national e-cycles project, Cycling UK is buzzing with activity this summer. Sarah Mitchell reports

Stay connected

facebook.com/CyclingUK

of Cycling UK

many people as members cycle once possible to get out a week or more. there and enjoy their More stats on p16 community by bike. You can find out more about Bike Week online: cyclinguk.org/bikeweek. For Volunteers’ Week, visit cyclinguk.org/volunteersweek-2022. Our volunteer ride leaders and supporters make it possible for so many people to start cycling and to continue cycling – in all weathers and over all terrain. Over the last year they have done a fantastic job of adapting to constantly changing restrictions and guidance to ensure that groups continue to ride and to do so safely and confidently. We are enormously grateful to all our volunteers who have kept supporting others even through their own difficult circumstances. As we come into summer it’s good to see bike shows back too. The National Cycling Show is at Birmingham’s NEC on the weekend of 18-19 June (nationalcyclingshow. com). Do come and see us; we’re on stand P50. We have also launched a new route ready for summer: the Cantii Way, a 145-mile leisurely ride through Kent suitable for hybrid and touring bikes as well as gravel bikes and mountain bikes. You can read more about the route in this issue – turn to page 34. We hope to see some of you at our AGM on 9 September (cyclinguk.org/agm-2022). You’ll receive the agenda and voting instructions – whether you’ll vote in person, by proxy, by post or online – in the August/ September issue of Cycle. Until then, happy riding through the summer.

Twitter @wearecyclinguk

Left: Richard Peace

fter two years of having our cycling adventures curtailed by Covid, I’m delighted that this summer feels frantically busy with wheeled activity. Bursting into action from April were all our growing number of cycling behaviour change projects, now including our innovative national e-cycles programme, ‘Cycling made e-asy.’ We E-bikes help get people pedalling kicked this off in Manchester in May with the cycling minister Trudy Harrison, and will be bringing further pilots this year to Hull, Sheffield, Leicester, and Luton and Bedfordshire. As our existing behaviour change programmes started a new year of delivery from 1 April, we’ve been reflecting on the huge impact that they and our broader work have had over the last 12 months. Our annual report, which will be published in the autumn, will have the details. In May the Stormont elections took place for Northern Ireland, along with local elections in the other nations. In the run-up, Cycling UK’s Cycle Advocacy Network (CAN) was busy showering candidates and voters with our simple manifestos for change to support cycling. We were pleased with the positive reception from most candidates, and we had a fantastic attendance at our first Northern Ireland hustings, which we hosted jointly with our friends at Sustrans NI. In the first week of June, Bike Week coincides with Volunteers’ Week, giving us the opportunity to thank all our incredible volunteers – just as they are busy organising local bike rides. The theme of Bike Week this year is “you and your local community”. We want to encourage as

81%

Our innovative national e-cycles programme, ‘Cycling made e-asy’, kicked off in Manchester in May

www.cyclinguk.org

cycling@cyclinguk.org

01483 238301

CY CL I NGUK . O RG

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34%

Right: Joe Cotterill. Far right: Joolze Dymond

of British adults have at least one adult bicycle that is unused (source: YouGov survey)

Participants will be able to trial an e-bike for months

Routes

GREAT NORTH TRAIL LINK One of the issues we highlighted along the Great North Trail was the lack of a safe cycle route between Hawes and Garsdale in the Yorkshire Dales. That looks set to change: the National Park Authority has finished a consultation on support for converting the old railway line, giving a trafficfree alternative to the busy A684. Results will be announced this summer. bit.ly/Hawes-Garsdale

Transport

CYCLING MADE E-ASY Cycling UK’s new e-cycles project gives battery power to the people, helping them to change their transport habits. Joanne Clark reports

ycling UK is powering up to make cycling e-asy in several cities in England. Our new e-cycles project, which launched in May, targets people who would not normally consider cycling by making electrically-assisted cycles available for loan. ‘Cycling made e-asy’ has received an £8million investment from the Department for Transport and will be delivered in several locations across England including Greater Manchester, Leicester, Luton and Bedfordshire, Hull, and Sheffield. Residents aged 16 and over will have the opportunity to trial an e-cycle for up to three months for personal use. Different types of e-cycles will be available to suit individual needs. The project aims to dispel the myth that cycling is only for athletic people by demonstrating that the assistance e-cycles provide, especially on hills, can enable people of all ages and abilities to ride. Starting to cycle can be a difficult step for many people; this project will remove some of the obstacles holding them back and help them make real changes to their travel habits.

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Selected Evans Cycles e-hubs, local community e-hubs, workplaces and education centres will all be used as accessible venues for participants to collect their e-bikes. Some community spaces will also offer short e-cycle try-outs and led rides. When collecting an e-cycle, everyone will be shown how it works and will be given some basic training to ensure that they’re confident with it before they take it away. Our experience of engaging with underrepresented groups means we recognise the barriers, challenges and perceptions that can deter people from taking up or rediscovering cycling. Throughout the duration of ‘Cycling made e-asy’, we will use our existing local community network of over 400 community cycling organisations to rapidly engage with underrepresented groups and non-regular cyclists to deliver high quality and inclusive activities. For more information or to sign up, contact a participating Evans Cycles store or visit cyclinguk. org/cycling-made-e-asy.

Route may soon avoid the A684

Governance

ELECTIONS & AGM Cycling UK is recruiting new trustees for 2023-26. We welcome applications from younger people and underrepresented groups in cycling. If you could help direct Cycling UK’s strategy, apply by 9am 4 July 2022. Further information at cyclinguk.org/becometrustee or email recruitment@cyclinguk. org. The 2022 Cycling UK AGM will take place on Friday 9 September, with voting papers released in the Aug/Sep issue of Cycle. cyclinguk.org/agm-2022

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CENTURY RIDES FOR OVER-50S This year’s Tri-Vets Series starts with Huddersfield & District CTC’s 100-mile ride on 12 June and continues through the summer until Essex CTC’s 100-mile and 100km events on 14 August. The rides, which take place every three years, are for cyclists aged 50 and over. Badges, date bars, and certificates are available for finishers. cyclinguk.org/ article/tri-vets-2022

Teesside CTC event in 2019

Exhibitions

NATIONAL CYCLING SHOW Brand new for 2022 is the National Cycling Show in Birmingham. It’s at the NEC on the weekend of 18-19 June. You can try and buy new bikes, listen live to a host of experts, and much more. We’ll be there talking about the Cantii Way, offering the chance to win some spectacular new prizes, and running a series of stage presentations throughout the weekend. Come and visit Cycling UK at stand P50, Hall 12. nationalcyclingshow.com

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Half a million more adults in Wales would cycle if streets were safer: cyclinguk.org/ wales-half-million

Left: Robert Spanning Far left: Dan Joyce Below: Joolze Dymond

Tri-Vets

BBR in England and Shift in Scotland will create more cyclists

Events

BIG BIKE REVIVAL RETURNS

he Big Bike Revival (BBR) is back! From May to October there will be events up and down England helping thousands of people start or return to cycling. Now into its ninth year, BBR works with over 300 local community-based partners to deliver a behaviour change programme in which people can: • Receive a cycle safety check on their bike to make sure it’s safe to ride. • Learn something new about their bike, like how to fix a puncture. • Develop new skills like building cycling confidence or even learning to ride. • Go for an organised, led ride in the local area. Last year we gave out more than a million pounds of funding and engaged over 80,000 people at over 4,500 free-to-access, opento-all, cycling activities in local communities. This year BBR is focusing on teaching skills

and leading bike rides. Organisations can apply for grants up to £3,000 to cover such things as equipment, venue hire, or instructors to lead rides. In Scotland, the Big Bike Revival ended in 2021, having helped 70,000 people to cycle for everyday journeys and leisure over its five-year duration. Since then the Shift project has taken up the reins to get more people cycling for short journeys, as an alternative to driving or remaining in transport poverty. Grants of up to £1,500 are available for community-focused organisations and businesses to run a variety of activities and programmes, whether that’s trialling e-cargo bikes instead of vans as a delivery solution or offering practical support through cycle confidence and maintenance skills sessions. Find out more: cyclinguk.org/ bigbikerevival and cyclinguk.org/shift.

Events

Log your local rides in Bike Week

BIKE WEEK IS BACK One ride at a time we can transform lives. By riding locally in Bike Week, you’ll be helping to show just how much fun cycling can be. It’s free to take part, so whether you join a ride near you or head out with friends and family be sure to log your ride.

This year you can also help by donating to Cycling UK so that we can do more to support cycling in your local area. Bike Week runs from 6-12 June 2022. cyclinguk.org/bikeweek

this is We projected cycling messages onto Belfast landmarks

Scotland In a campaign win for Cycling UK, Police Scotland will introduce a national dashcam safety portal to allow road users to upload footage of dangerous driving and other road crimes directly. Transport Scotland announced funding to set up the system in March, following a campaign led by Cycling UK and supported by 33 other organisations. Most police forces in the UK already use such systems. cyclinguk.org/Dashcam

Left: Double Take Projections. Far left: Robert Spanring

CAMERA ACTION

Elections

POLITICAL PROJECTIONS

Submitting footage to be made easier

Cycle Friendly Employer

TREK WALKS TALK Bike industry giant Trek has been recognised as a Cycle Friendly Employer, with a Gold accreditation awarded by Cycling UK. The scheme is an internationally acknowledged benchmark demonstrating long-term commitment to a cyclefriendly culture in the workplace. Trek’s award paves the way for others in the industry to join them, Raleigh and Cyclescheme in practising what they preach. cyclinguk.org/cyclefriendly-employer

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OP 26 came to Glasgow last November so we lit up iconic buildings there with images of a bicycle and the message that this machine fights climate change. With elections for the National Assembly in Northern Ireland in May, we took the projections to Belfast with the message that this machine crosses divides. Candidates from all of the parties embraced it. Firstly, at our active travel hustings event, spokespeople from the six largest parties were, unusually in Northern Ireland, in agreement on something, namely that more investment in active travel is needed and more needs to be done to ensure this happens. Secondly, 48 out of 90 candidates elected to the Assembly, from across all the main parties, pledged to support our manifesto, which includes a commitment to spend 10% of the transport budget on cycling and walking. The broader message that getting more people cycling and walking should have cross-party consensus, because it’s a solution to so many problems, also ran through our council election campaigns in Scotland, Wales, and parts of England. In Scotland, over 1,000 people supported our campaign, with the various party manifestos including positive commitments on cycling. Half of the candidates who committed to support

cycling and better neighbourhoods throughout our campaign were elected, with 85 councillors across 23 councils open to working with us and local campaign groups for the next five years. In Wales, councillors from different parties who supported our manifesto were elected in 18 of 22 councils. In England it was a more varied picture. Ten councillors pledging to support our manifesto were elected in both Somerset and Birmingham, but in some other local authorities none were elected. But the morning after the night before, the overriding reflection on months of election campaigning is that we have more commitments than we started with, and more politicians accepting that there is an alternative: the bicycle, a multi-tasking machine that both fights climate change and crosses divides. cyclinguk.org/elections-2022

48km

Our denied bridleway route on the Bolton Abbey Estate: cyclinguk.org/ blog/route-denied

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2022

18 June

GET KITTED OUT Prepare for a cycling tan this summer with Stolen Goat X Cycling UK’s short sleeve jerseys for both men and women. Ladies: you can also get 10% off with our newest partner, VeloVixen. Plus, cut the hassle with an exclusive 15% off Pedal Cover’s insurance that protects your home and bike all in one straightforward policy designed for cyclists. For these and other fantastic benefits see: cyclinguk.org/ member-benefits

The Cycling UK Heritage jersey

Membership

CYCLING FOR LIFE What better way to express your love of cycling than by becoming a Cycling UK life member? Show your support for making a better world by bike and never worry about renewing your membership again. In November life membership will change to a flat fee of £950, which represents a £250 saving over the starting rate of £1,200. If you are considering life membership, see cyclinguk. org/life for details or speak to our membership team.

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209-mile Chase the Sun ride from Belfast to Enniscrone: cyclinguk. org/event/chasesun-ireland

Left: Robert Spanning

Offers

Why not share your love of cycling with the next generation?

Fundraising

YOUR CYCLING LEGACY

“T

hough I no longer cycle these days, I look back on my club cycling days with many fond memories,” member Peter Barnes told us, explaining why he decided to leave a legacy to Cycling UK. “I think back to my time roaming around the countryside, visiting most of the UK and Ireland and then on cycle tours to Austria, Switzerland, Germany and Italy (the northern lakes and Dolomites in particular). Every trip was memorable, one way or another. I enjoyed every minute, whatever the weather. One Scotland tour to visit Cape Wrath and so joining the fellowship was a real highlight. “I came from a cycling family, first appreciating the countryside from the kiddy seat on the back of my dad’s bike.

It’s where I got the bug to see pastures new. Some years later, as a 16-year-old, I joined my local CTC group and began encouraging my school friends to join our Sunday outings or the YHA weekends we’d go on. I spent a lot of time with the group on the committee, seeing so many new members join over those 20-odd years. “Now I am leaving a legacy for the future, to ensure more people can enjoy their time on a bike and make as many happy memories as I have along the way.” For more information on leaving a gift in your will, visit cyclinguk.org/legacy, where there is a handy guide. Or if you’d prefer, email legacy@cyclinguk.org or call James Newman, legacy manager, on 01483 238346.

West Yorkshire

WANTED: CYCLING INSTRUCTORS Cycling UK has a rewarding opportunity for fully qualified instructors or ride leaders in the West Yorkshire area. Our referral programme, Cycle for Health, is up and running again, offering a route into regular activity for adults identified as having poor mental or physical health. If you

Help others become cyclists

love cycling, it’s a great way to give back to your community. It’s a paid role too. Get in touch via cycleforhealth@cyclinguk.org.

this is 7% SCOTLAND

Survey results

MEMBERSHIP SURVEY 2022 Thanks to everyone – more than 4,000 of you! – who responded to our recent membership survey. Here’s a taste of the data

1% 11%

NORTHERN IRELAND

8 NORTH WEST YORKSHIRE AND THE HUMBER %

YOUR TOP THREE BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP

Third-party liability insurance

Legal support/ phone line

HOUSEHOLD CAR OWNERSHIP

87%

CYCLE ARTICLES YOU FIND ‘VERY INTERESTING’

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Cycle magazine

41% of you ride with a group, most of which have more than 50 members.

78% Every issue/frequently 14% Quite frequently 5% Less frequently 3% Hardly ever/never

NON UK

GROUP RIDING

HOW OFTEN YOU READ CYCLE MAGAZINE

Cycling tips and advice Bike, gear, and equipment reviews Routes and rides News & features on the charity’s work Members’ stories

65% 64% 62% 58% 48%

BIKES YOU OWN Percentage of members with a given type.

NORTH EAST

8% 3% WALES

WEST MIDLANDS

12% SOUTH WEST

EAST MIDLANDS

19%

10%

EAST OF ENGLAND

SOUTH LONDON EAST

WHERE DO OUR MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS LIVE? Cycling UK members are spread across the UK, especially the South East, South West, and North West, and East of England.

59% OTHER ORGANISATIONS YOU’RE Touring INVOLVED WITH bike 34% 24% Mountain bike 34% 20% Hybrid/ 15% utility bike 31% 14% Gravel 20% ? bike UK WORK THAT’S MOST Electric 17% CYCLING bike IMPORTANT TO YOU Folding 17% 1 bike Handcycle or 1% 2 recumbent Tricycle 1% 3 Road bike

Walking/cycling organisations & groups Other sports and gyms

Environmental/nature/ wildlife-related organisations Other charities

Campaigning to make roads safer for cyclists

Lobbying governments for more funding for cycling Promoting the environmental benefits of cycling

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Left: Riding the Fred Whitton Challenge after her diagnosis Right: Anne on her e-MTB. “It makes me smile”

My journey

ANNE WADDINGTON Diagnosed with terminal cancer, Cycling UK member Anne describes how cycling has helped her

y obsession with mountain biking began 25 years ago with a cold, muddy trip to the Forest of Dean. Despite a miserable day slithering down trails in the rain, wondering who could possibly enjoy such a ridiculous hobby, I soon found myself buying a Specialized Hardrock… and wondering where to take it. From my first great adventure of a CTC trip to Chile, I was always planning the next trip. I’d spend Sundays exploring the Clwydian Mountains, Llandegla, Coed y Brenin. I cycled in the French Alps, the Spanish mountains, Scotland, Cumbria, Cuba, Iceland, Canada, and Poland. I slogged through the week of incessant rain that was the 2008 TransWales event. In hard times mountain biking gave me focus. I wasn’t sporty at school – my legs are short and my lung capacity is unexceptional – but mountain biking was exercise I enjoyed. I was never going to win any races but that wasn’t the point. I met new friends through mountain biking and persuaded old friends to join us. It became a way of life. My summer trip in 2017 was the Tour de Mont Blanc – five days through the Alps, climbing about 2,000 metres each day. Shortly before the trip I’d gone for a routine mammogram. Heading for the hospital, I’d had a premonition that this was a changing point in my life. Turns out Mont Blanc was my last trip abroad before cancer became my constant companion. But in the Alps I was on top of the world. As the views opened out, I felt that I’d been preparing for this trip my whole life. As the downhill trail steepened, I kept my bike rolling, feeling the rush of adrenaline. A trail like this gives you no choice but to live in the moment. I shouted with relief as I negotiated the obstacles in my path – a feeling of pure joy.

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Back home, I was confronted with the hard reality of a cancer diagnosis. While waiting for surgery I returned to my favourite local haunts: the Garburn Pass, Jacobs Ladder, Long Mynd, Llandegla. It felt like a farewell tour. After the surgery, I was sent for more scans. They showed cancer in my bones. I was in my 40s and diagnosed with incurable cancer. Yet there was a plan. The words “chemical menopause” terrified me, but eventually I regained my strength and got back on my bike. With three friends, I entered the Fred Whitton Challenge, a 113-mile sportive through spectacular Lake District scenery, said to be the hardest one-day ride in the UK. We trained together and got ourselves round, raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support. Thanks to the treatment, I had a second chance. I went back to work parttime. I began to think long term again. Perhaps I’d get to see my four-year-old niece grow up after all. In early 2020 there were signs that my cancer was no longer responding to the medication. Covid-19 meant that I had to stop the immune-suppressive treatment that had worked so well. My fitness began to deteriorate. Just before Christmas 2020 my oncologist told me I might only have 12 months to live. When I’m struggling, I try to remember how it feels riding down a narrow trail. You need to focus on where you’re going, not get distracted by precipitous drops to the side. Look for the grip point, the place you want to be. Not always achievable, not always easy. However bad things are, I know that getting on my bike will lift my spirits. So I’ve bought myself a Specialized electric mountain bike. I’ll keep riding it as long as it makes me smile.

The big C, cycling & me Geraldine Glowinski and Mary Payne spoke to Cycling UK about their own experiences of being diagnosed with and ultimately recovering from cancer. Both found that cycling could be cathartic. Geraldine’s story is at: cyclinguk.org/article/ cycling-and-cancer Mary’s story is at: cyclinguk.org/ real-life-stories/ cycling-instrumentalmarys-recoveryfollowing-treatmentcervical-cancer

More info Advice on cycling after chemotherapy: c yclinguk.org/cycle/ fitness-cancer

P roduct News

SHOP WINDOW Despite missing the first couple of bike shows this year, Dan Joyce has been keeping an eye on developments

Show time

The National Cycling Show is at Birmingham’s NEC on 18-19 June. For details and tickets, visit nationalcycling show.com

Most bikepacking bags strap in place; this one has a quickrelease bracket. You’ll need at least 13mm of saddle rail behind the seatpost’s clamp. It works with dropper posts and, as you’d expect, is 100% waterproof. Size: 13L. ortlieb.co.uk

Vello Bike+ Titanium £4,490

This titanium e-bike weighs 12.9kg+ (no pedals), making it one of the lighter e-folders. (Hummingbird’s e-bike is 10.3kg.) It uses a 250W Zehus hub motor that houses the battery. It folds to 57×79×29cm. en.vello.bike

New wheels from highend hub, headset and BB manufacturer Chris King. The rims are ‘FusionFiber’ – recyclable carbon composite. If you break one, they’ll take it back and make it into something else. chrisking.com

Salsa Journeyer

WolfTooth Axle Handle Multi-tool

£32 Fits WolfTooth rear thruaxles and holds two double bits, giving 5 and 6mm Allen tools plus four from: 2, 2.5, 3, and 4mm Allen; flat head and Phillips screwdriver; T10 and T25 Torx. wolftoothcomponents.com

Quoc Chelsea Cycling Boot £180

£1,070+ The main change to Salsa’s gravel bike/light tourer isn’t the name – now Journeyer not Journeyman – but all the options. Drop bar, flat bar (not UK), 700C, 650B, Claris, Sora, Apex 1, Shimano GRX… Price is for Claris. salsacycles.com

Chris King GRD23 Wheelset $2,650

Chelsea boots for the SPDloving cyclist, these have a suede upper that’s waxed for splash resistance and a ‘cork infused’ EVA sole that’s stiff enough for cycling without making you walk like a Thunderbird puppet. Sizes: EU 41-47. quoc.cc

Mundo Airpannier

£38.50 Designed to carry musical instruments by bike, this mesh pannier can also handle other outsize objects like boxes or surfboards. mundomusicgear.co.uk

Ortlieb Seat-Pack QR £155

7 5 6 7

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

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

editor@cyclinguk.org

Other options

+ Handle & shoulder strap + 100% waterproof – Doesn’t fit Brompton Electric

BROMPTON BOROUGH WATERPROOF BAG LARGE £180

For a review of Brompton’s own 25-litre waterproof bag, plus three other Brompton bags, visit:

cyclinguk.org/article/ group-test-bromptonbags-commuting

Restrap

City Loader Waterproof Brompton bag from the UK bikepacking specialists £149.99 restrap.com

estrap’s City Loader is a 20-litre capacity waterproof bag that fits a Brompton front carrier block. It comes with a handle and shoulder strap for carriage off the bike. This is essential when you have the bike folded in one hand and need to get on and off a train. It’s not the most comfortable strap but the bag is primarily designed to fit well on your bike and not get in the way of lights, levers, and front wheel. The main compartment is one huge space with a roll-top closure secured by the easiestto-use clasp I have tried on a

bike bag. The Fidlock buckle is magnetic so quickly and satisfyingly clicks into place. The buckle’s strap is long enough that you can secure a folded jacket on top of the bag with it. The two side pockets nicely fit a water bottle, a small lock, and a snack. They reminded me of Restrap’s ‘cockpit’ bags for bikepacking, which give easy access on the go to food, drink, and tech. There’s also a small front pocket, which is easy to open even in gloves. This has a reflective semi-circle on it. One of the clever pieces of design is the bottom of the

bag. Its unique sturdy curve, combined with a solid back, enables the bag to stand up when placed on the ground. It also offers protection from dirt, water and grime that may miss the mudguard. This strong base helps if you are carrying a laptop. It gives the bag strength and shape, but doesn’t prevent you squashing it down to a smaller size if you are carrying clothes or a small sleeping bag. You can compress the sides of the bag as well. The metal fixing that attaches to the Brompton block is strong and will last. If that part snaps the bag is effectively useless, so it’s reassuring that it comes with a lifetime guarantee. For this test, I packed a medium-sized laptop, charger, packed lunch, water bottle, glasses, jumper, lock and wallet. I took it on roads and towpaths. Victoria Hazael

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. 22

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CARRADICE ORIGINALS CITY FOLDER £104+ 25-litre waterproof cotton duck Brompton bag with leather straps and base. Made in the UK, various colours. Requires a Brompton carrier frame (£39). carradice.co.uk

Verdict

Ideal for commuting, rain or shine. There is no faffing around with a waterproof cover or fiddly buckles with the City Loader. Its features are easy to use and the cargo space is flexible. As a bonus, it is both made and designed in the UK.

REVIEWS

GEAR UP

Pros & cons

+ Waterproof + Wide size range + Can be personalised with your name

Adidas

Five Ten Trailcross GTX shoes Flat pedal shoes that don’t become soggy sponges in the wet £160 adidas.co.uk

Other options

utting these shoes on for the first time I felt like Cinderella: they fitted perfectly. They come in half sizes in a really wide range; I tried the 7.5. I have quite wide feet and the toes of my right foot are prone to swelling after a bout of ‘Covid toe’ in 2020. Having shoes that fit well helps prevent pain and numbness. These Five Ten Trailcross shoes were snug but not too tight even on a long day ride. Five Ten’s flat pedal shoes have a reputation for grippiness. These were no exception, whether I was riding my mountain or gravel bike. The Stealth® Phantom rubber on the soles works well with pedal pins.

Adidas claims the shoes were also developed with hiking in mind. I got to test this on an unscheduled four-mile ‘hike-abike’ through bogs, streams and even seaweed-strewn rocks in the Scottish Highlands (thanks to my cousin Al’s ‘short-cut’). They were great. Best of all, I found them really waterproof when I was bikepacking in the rain in Scotland and fording streams on a Cumbrian fell. There’s a layer of waterproof Gore-Tex, while a neoprene cuff stops water getting in at the ankle. The only downside is they’re not super warm; there’s no added insulation for winter riding. (If

you suffer, like I do, from chilly tootsies you might want to go up a half or a full size for thick socks.) That does mean they are probably suitable for all but the hottest summer days in the UK. The fabric is breathable and my feet didn’t ever feel too warm – albeit in spring conditions. I also like the overall feel and appearance of these shoes. They’re quite lightweight and not too chunky but also sturdy and durable. The laces stay tied up, unlike my other Five Tens, and the ankle cuff means they feel secure on the foot. Colour: black, white and grey. Sizes: UK 4 to 14.5 (unisex). Julie Rand

VAUDE MOAB AM MID STX £180

DEXSHELL ULTRA DRI SPORTS SOCKS £34

Breathable, waterproof flat pedal shoes with a leather upper. Designed for ‘hike-a-bike’ trips as well as cycling. Sizes: EU 36-48. vaude.com/en-GB

Waterproof socks don’t solve the soggy shoe problem but can at least keep your feet dry within. We reviewed these in the Dec 21/Jan 22 issue. dexshell.com

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Verdict

Comfortable, waterproof flat pedal shoes that perform well both on and off the bike. They grip pedals with pins really well and are breathable, although they’re not as warm as I hoped they would be.

REVIEWS

GEAR UP

Pros & cons

+ Excellent shifting + Covers SRAM road, XPLR and Eagle + DIY-friendly installation

Ratio Technology

Ratio 1×12 Wide Upgrade kit Ratio 1×12 Road kit £74.50

£99.50

Use SRAM 12-speed derailleurs and cassettes with 10- or 11-speed shifters ratiotechnology.com

RAM’s commitment to wireless shifting for their 12-speed ‘ecosystem’ has left their cable transmissions a gear short. These clever retrofit kits from UK innovators Ratio Technology let you costeffectively sync 10- or 11-speed SRAM shifters to 12-speed road, gravel or MTB derailleurs and cassettes. The first plus is that the Ratio website has a very clear, simple guide to what matches, will/ won’t work, and what other kit (cassette, chain, chainring or rear mech) you might need.

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Having recently introduced a 2×12 kit for double chainring bikes, and added retrofit long-cage options from Garbaruk, there aren’t many combinations Ratio’s kits can’t cover. I’ve been testing the 1×12 Road Upgrade kit with a modified Force rear mech and 10-36t cassette as well as the 1×12 Wide Upgrade kit with a modified GX MTB mech and 10-50t Eagle cassette. The kits themselves include the alloy 12-tooth ratchet cam needed to add the extra click to the shifters, as well as a new mounting bolt. You also get new 12-speed jockey wheels on the road upgrade kit and a new cable fin for the rear mech on the Wide upgrade kit. As long as you’re patient, follow the instructional video on the Ratio website carefully, and completely remove the cover panel on the shifter, swapping the original 11-speed cam for the new 12 speed cam is simple, even with the shifters still on the bike. In fact, rethreading the cable into the awkwardly-angled internal channel was what took most time on both installs.

Definitely use a fresh cable with a sealed end. The jockey wheel and cable fin swaps were equally easy too. I did have to fettle the cable tension slightly during the first rides to get a perfect sync. Fit a barrel adjuster to the outer if you don’t already have one. I’ve had zero problems since, with crisp and accurate shifting right across the tight road block with a flat-top chain and across the super wide-range Eagle cassette with an MTB chain. The Eagle set up is running on a tandem, but the extra torque and cable length hasn’t phased the setup at all. In fact, the more I’ve used the shifters the more they’ve seemed to smooth out and get more accurate in their shift. They will invalidate any warranty on your SRAM shifters or rear mech, however. Guy Kesteven

Verdict

Ratio’s kits are a simple and extremely cost-effective way to get the benefits of any of SRAM’s 12-speed cassette options from 10- or 11-speed shifters.

Other options

SRAM RIVAL ETAP AXS £659 The cheapest way to go SRAM 12-speed ‘officially’ is via the cable-free cleanliness of wireless Rival AXS eTAP shifters (£370), rear mech (£236) and battery (£53). sram.com

MICROSHIFT ADVENT X £208 Microshift’s 1×10-speed Advent X (drop bar shifters £130, rear mech £78) offers 11-48t gearing that competes with SRAM Eagle and Shimano GRX at a great price. microshift.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

Sustrans’ Traffic-Free Cycle Rides

Details

By: Richard Peace Publisher: Sustrans Price: £15.99 ISBN: 9781914410437

THIS SECOND EDITION of Sustrans’ trafficfree guidebook is brimming with rides that show the delights of the UK National Cycle Network, with routes from four to 30 miles. The 150 routes detailed are, as you’d expect, almost entirely traffic free. Each has an easy-to-follow map, transport information, a difficulty grading, and recommendations for café stops. Buying the book also helps contribute to Sustrans’ essential work of keeping these routes open. Jordan Matthews

Gravel Rides Scotland ONE OF THE BIGGEST challenges in this new era of gravel cycling is finding suitable routes without a great amount of patience or local knowledge. Many a singletrack path on route planning apps has turned out to be nothing more than an unmarked path across a bog. Ed Shoote’s debut offering fills this gap, detailing 28 carefully curated and varied routes across mainland Scotland. The routes are clustered into seven Details locations, which allows for easy linking of By: Ed Shoote multiple routes to create longer bikepacking Publisher: Vertebrate adventures as you please. Each route comes Price: £25 with a wealth of information – from detailed ISBN: 9781839810503 ride maps and elevation profiles to information on transport and facilities within the local area, including the nearest café stops. One of the most useful features is a ‘gravel scale’, which indicates the roughness and technicality of the riding for each route. This allowed me to easily select routes appropriate to bike setup and ability. Also helpful is the link to GPX files, which can be easily downloaded onto a navigational device of your choice. Using both the book and supplied GPX files I found it effortless to follow in the author’s footsteps and experience first-hand some of the terrain depicted in the book’s many beautiful photographs. My only wish is that it was easier to carry since I found the histories of the local areas and descriptions Excerpts of interesting features enhanced You can read excerpts from my rides and allowed me to truly some of the books that Cycle has immerse myself in the landscapes I reviewed at cyclinguk.org/cyclepassed through. book-excerpts Tamzin Dewar

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Slow Road to Tehran FROM ROADSIDE REPAIR rescues to impromptu dinner invitations, the kindness of strangers is something with which nearly all cycle tourists are familiar. In The Slow Road To Tehran, Rebecca Lowe uses these moments to shed light on cultures, landscapes

Details

By: Rebecca Lowe Publisher: September

Publishing Price: £18.99 ISBN: 9781914613029

and peoples which are altogether less familiar to most Western readers. It’s an eye-opening read, impeccably wellinformed, thoughtful, good humoured and important. Recommended. David Harrold

I’m a Cyclist Let Me Out of Here

Details

By: Dave Barter Publisher:

Independent published Price: £7.99 ISBN: 9798522729943

MANY OF US have wistfully gazed out of the window during the 9-5 wondering whether our cycling hobby could be turned into a living. Dave did just that, throwing in the day job to try to become a cycling author – even without the guarantee of a book contract. He chronicles that journey of putting pen to paper and tyre to tarmac searching for his cycling muse. Less a handbook for how to do it, more a humorous journey of the descents and climbs towards his dream. Matt Mallinder

O p inio n

Letters

Get in touch

THIS MONTH EASY TYRE REMOVAL, ALDI’S CYCLING GEAR, BIKES ON TRAINS, 1980S’ MOUNTAIN BIKES, 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 30 June. Please include your membership number. WRITE TO: Cycle, PO Box 313, Scarborough, YO12 6WZ or email editor@cyclinguk.org

A lowered bottom bracket and short cranks make it newbie friendly

Tight tyre tip

th Letter of the mon

Training wheels

built this bike (pictured above) to help teach adults to ride, using my experience as a Bikeability instructor and a professional mechanical engineer. Bicycle cranks are designed for efficient pedalling for confident cyclists. Learners like pedals lower to the ground and with a reduced crank length. But adult chainsets are between 160mm and 175mm, which can be a problem for a beginner. They may have difficulty rotating their legs through a large circular movement. People who are heavily built may have difficultly lifting their legs up. Shorter cranks can be the answer – and 130mm chainsets aimed at children are readily available. If you simply reduce the crank length by 30mm, you would need to increase the saddle height from the ground to pedal properly. So the bike needs adapting. A steel bike with 24-inch wheels is good start. A stepthough frame is best. Remove the gear mechanisms; gears get in the way at this stage. Ensure the brakes work. Fit a long seat post so a wide range of riders will fit the bike. Find another steel bike and remove the bottom bracket shell, complete with the original bottom bracket. Now lower the height of the bottom bracket – 80-100mm works well – while ensuring the chain does not catch on the chainstay. To do this, weld the new bottom bracket shell into place. I used 20×3mm strips of mild steel. (To stop any distortion it helps to keep an old steel-shelled bottom bracket unit in place.) The result is a bike that’s really easy to learn to ride on. Peter Howe

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

I have a method that works for me for very tight Schwalbe Double D tyres. It uses two cheap plastic clamps from hardwares stores. Place the clamps so that the beads are held on the rim. Keep fitting one side of the tyre onto the rim, using a lever if needed, moving the adjacent clamp along until the last few inches of bead remain to be seated (pictured). Using a couple of levers, the last bit can be levered over the rim easily as the beads on either side are held in place by the clamps. Obviously you take the usual care not to trap the innertube between the bead and rim or with the lever. Robert Grange

Space for cyclists

I found your article ‘A new code’ very interesting. Since December a friend and I have been wearing these hi-viz tops (pictured). They have made a huge difference to the number of near misses we have. Drivers are used to reading signs and generally obeying them. It’s noticeable the extra space we are being given. We even have queues behind us waiting for space to overtake. Elaine Wright

cycling@cyclinguk.org

editor@cyclinguk.org C Y CL I NGUK . O RG

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LETTERS

YOUR FEEDBACK

I was pleased to see ‘Gear Up’ in the latest mag make reference to more modestly priced clothing. In the past I’ve been horrified by the cost of some of the clothing items reported. As the Welfare Officer of the Coventry group, warm weatherproof clothing is essential to keep us cycling through the winter. The solution for many of us is the cycling kit from Aldi (like the jacket pictured). The prices are much lower than average, and from my experience the quality is very good. With the forthcoming increases in the cost of living, value for money will become all important. Mike Thomas

Thirty years of Dr Bike Along with other volunteers, I run the Dr Bike service in Lewes (drbikelewes. com) which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. I became involved 15 years ago. Every Saturday morning we fix people’s bikes for a donation (plus any parts used). The location and volunteers have changed over the years but the service has not. The story goes that in 1992 some enthusiasts turned up to an environmental action day to fix bikes. They didn’t get through all of them on the day so they came back next week. Thirty years on we are still here! We use donations to buy tools, insurance and coffee. Spare money is given to local charities. Are we the longest-running Dr Bike in the country? Mike Bray

Left: Alamy

Cheap and cheerful

Bikes on trains

It’s a bit late for Tom Culver to complain about the lack of carrying capacity for bicycles on modern trains. We got free transport for bikes in 1977 when all long-distance trains had a guard’s van for carrying mail. The real killer of the guard’s van was that Royal Mail stopped carrying mailbags on passenger trains and mostly went over to road transport. Passenger numbers rose after privatisation in 1997 so new trains required more seats. Space for carrying bicycles reduced and restrictions increased. There’s no case for longdistance trains to provide more capacity for an irregular usage by cyclists so we have to book in advance. Adrian Williams We’ll have to agree to differ on “no case”. Some services in mainland northern Europe manage it. See above.

Built to last

I bought a new Ridgeback 603 SIS (pictured) in the mid ’80s, one of the first MTBs in the UK. I’ve been riding it ever since, including years exploring the narrow streets of Marrakech. When the drivetrain began to wear out I bought a Ridgeback 604 SIS to cannibalise the parts. But my wizard bike mechanic friend came up with a better idea: restore and rejuvenate both bikes, making one great off-road (with thick tyres) and the other great Obituaries on-road (with thinner Are published tyres). I use one or the online at cyclinguk. other nearly every day. org/obituaries. Alan Weaver Contact publicity@ cyclinguk.org

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th Photo of the mon

Yeah, but it doesn’t roll backwards… Colchester (Camulodunum) boasts that it is Britain’s oldest town, recorded in letters in AD77. But nearby Ipswich (Gippeswic) can boast Britain’s oldest cycle route – so old, in fact, it predates the invention of the wheel! Coincidentally it is on Colchester Road in Ipswich. Andy Tricker

CYCLING UK FORUM

Get immediate feedback from other members at forum.cyclinguk.org. Here’s an abridged extract from a recent thread: cyclinguk.org/ forum-towpath CANAL TOWPATH MAP? ratherbeintobago: Is there such a thing as an online route planner that uses canal towpaths? Cowsham: https:// canalrivertrust.org.uk/ notices#form. ‘Menu’, ‘Enjoy the waterways’, ‘Canal and river maps’. Choose which you want. Sweep: https:// canalplan.org.uk/index. html. Aimed primarily at those on the water, and I think lots of canal users use it for plotting journey times/checking facilities/locks etc, but has its uses for cyclists. Nearholmer: CycleStreets is quirky about towpaths. I think the issue is that most towpaths are indeed footpaths in right of way terms, but are unusual because the landowner, C&RT, has granted universal permission to cycle on them. millimole: It’s actually the other way round. Very few towpaths are

rights of way and C&RT allows them to be used as permissive paths, including cycling. There was an understanding with the DEFRA grant that has kept C&RT afloat (!) that C&RT would encourage ‘access for all’ – hence the removal of cycle permits. Richard Fairhurst: cycle.travel does like towpaths if the surface is good enough (and tagged as such in OSM), but it’ll choose a quiet country lane in preference to a bumpy towpath. The map on the Canal & River Trust website shows towpaths, though with no indication of their suitability for cycling. ione: This may be useful: opencanalmap. uk/2017/08/05/view-themap-in-google-mapson-your-phone/ It’s a Google Maps overlay of the canal network. It may need some double checking on sections.

G R E AT R I D E S

T H E C A N T I I WAY

Details Where: East Kent Start/finish: Wye, but anywhere on the route works Distance: 158 miles Photos: Jordan Gibbons and Stefan Amato from Pannier.cc

Great Rides

THE CANTII WAY Cycling UK’s latest long-distance cycling route is a 150ish-mile meander around east Kent. Sophie Gordon test rode it

T H E C A N T I I WAY

G R E AT R I D E S

This photo: Whitstable Below: Mildred Locke’s Stayer Groadinger UG Left: Sophie checks the route with Will Meyer

A CANTII BREAK

“Y

ou’re going up to Etchinghill now?” The waitress at Folkestone’s Harbour Arm looked aghast at us. “Ooh, that’s a big hill that is, that’ll be hard work.” Looking outside at the trees swaying in the darkness from our haven of light and warmth, we were tempted to ask if we could sleep inside under the tables in return for washing up. In fact we did ask, only half joking. By the time she returned to clear our plates, our waitress seemed to take pity on us and considered that perhaps she had exaggerated slightly. The hill wasn’t that big. She was right the first time. It was a big hill. However, the return for our efforts was an impressive view over the lights of Folkestone before we reached our beds for that night, with the blazing beacon of the Channel Tunnel terminal doing its best to dominate the scene.

We were test-riding Cycling UK’s new longdistance route around east Kent, the Cantii Way. Beginning in the village of Wye in the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the route meanders along the River Stour past Canterbury to Whitstable, circles the coast all the way down to Dungeness, then dips a toe into East Sussex (as we’d be strongly reminded later) to visit the medieval town of Rye before heading back inland. Why the strange name with two ‘i’s? The Cantii Way is named after the Iron Age Celtic tribe that inhabited the area we now know as Kent. Julius Caesar encountered them on his abortive conquest of England in 54BC, describing the Cantii as “the most civilised” of the British tribes. It is from them that the county of Kent and city of Canterbury both derive their names. Our merry band consisted of myself and Rob Spanring from Cycling UK, Jordan Gibbons from Pannier wielding the camera, Will Meyer from Brother Cycles, cycling journalist Mildred Locke, and all-round adventurer (and our #12nightsoutin1year ambassador) Vedangi Kulkarni. Assembling at midday at a lovely café in Wye, we fuelled ourselves far more than was necessary considering we only had 26 miles to ride that afternoon. It’s wonderful little gems like this café that we want to support and promote with our Cycle Friendly Places accreditation, to help them attract more visitors with bikes. We started to regret those enormous pieces of cake as we were faced with a bonus climb to start the day, having decided that we really couldn’t miss

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G R E AT R I D E S

SOPHIE GORDON Unfortunately the Kent coast’s fresh seafood was wasted on Cycling UK’s vegan campaigns officer

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T H E C A N T I I WAY

the panoramic views from above the Wye Crown before we set off. The chalk crown sits proudly on the hillside above Wye, marking the beginning of our route. It was created in 1902 to mark the coronation of King Edward VII, and took 35 students more than four days to move 7,000 barrow loads of turf, soil and chalk to make it.

NORTH DOWNS WAY After that scenic detour, we swooped down into the valley only to climb straight up the other side to the King’s Wood. This was a beautiful start to the route, with the sunlight glinting through the trees as we rolled along the wide gravel tracks. Here the Cantii Way joins part of the North Downs Way National Trail, which runs for 153 miles from Farnham in Surrey to Dover and Folkestone in Kent. Only parts of the North Downs Way National Trail are open to cyclists, so in 2018 Cycling UK proposed a riders’ route that could be cycled from end to end, by linking the rideable sections of the trail with bridleways, byways and quiet stretches of road. We’re now working in partnership with the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the North Downs Way National Trail manager to develop this as an official alternative route for the National Trail, as part of the EXPERIENCE project. It wasn’t long before we were on more urban cycle paths, following streams of students through Canterbury past the University of Kent, to join the Crab and Winkle Way to Whitstable. This old railway line closed in 1952 but it took until 1997 for it to be converted to a cycling and walking path. It now makes for a flat and pleasant ride out to the coast,

where we reached Whitstable just in time for a gorgeous pink and orange sunset out over the sea. With several members of our party intent on sampling its famous oysters, we headed to the Whitstable Oyster Co. for dinner, belatedly realising that it was a rather upmarket establishment and we felt a little underdressed. In the candlelight, Will remarked that it was the most romantic meal he’d ever had on a bikepacking trip. We couldn’t disagree – even if most of us had only met each other that morning.

OVER TO DOVER The following morning gave us more lovely sunshine, accompanied by a bracing headwind. We kept reasoning to ourselves that if we were curving around the coast, at some point it must become a tailwind. It became a mantra for the day: “We’ll turn right soon!” Slowly but steadily, we made our way towards the towers at Reculver Roman Fort, hazy in the distance. From there we had two options: continue along the busy coastal paths around the Isle of Thanet past Margate and Ramsgate, or a quieter inland shortcut. The choice was already made for us: we had an appointment with Mildred’s mum who lives slap bang on the inland route, and was waiting to welcome us with coffee and biscuits (and a tickingoff for Mildred for not visiting more often). Suitably replenished, we rolled on past some fabulous houses to reach the coast again. Fitting as it would have been to stop for a sandwich in Sandwich, we pressed on to Deal. Earlier in the day we had been contemplating pausing for a dip in

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the sea at Deal. As we huddled on the windy beach by the pier clutching our lunch, with gulls circling menacingly overhead, no one had the urge to reach for their swimming costumes. It was at this point that Jordan emerged from a gift shop with a paper parcel and a devilish grin, explaining that he’d bought a lovely gift for his old friend Will. From the paper appeared our new mascot for the trip: a garishly painted wooden Pinocchio toy with an undeniably creepy expression. Will was not overwhelmed with gratitude as he puzzled over how to strap this unnecessary baggage to his bike. Pinocchio ended up perched precariously on his handlebars, smiling blankly at bemused passers-by. Approaching Dover, we encountered the main hills of what had been a predominantly flat day. We tested out one of the most stunning paths of the trip, a motor traffic-free track past South Foreland lighthouse above the cliffs east of Dover. Unfortunately we aren’t yet able to include it in the Cantii Way route but Cycling UK is in discussion with the National Trust and Sustrans about moving the NCN route (and the Cantii Way) from the road to this well-surfaced track, which provides an impressive view over the port at Dover. Plummeting down past Dover Castle, we then had to climb back up onto the cliffs on the Chalk and Channel Way. We passed a couple of sound mirrors, concave concrete structures which were used to pick up faraway sounds during WWII by highly trained interpreters. There are a lot of reminders of military history along this stretch of the route. We spotted a

Clockwise from top left: The 13th-century ‘New Gate’, one of the defences of the town of Winchelsea. Cycling UK’s videographer, Rob Spanring, in woodlands near Wye. Vedangi Kulkarni and Sophie Gordon at Reculver Roman Fort. Will Meyer (Brother Cycles) tops up his water

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Battle of Britain memorial and pillboxes silhouetted against the golden evening sky. Our only battle that evening would be with the aforementioned hill out of Folkestone, to reach the farmhouse B&B at Beachborough Park. Just as Pinocchio was being settled on the mantlepiece to watch over us as we slept, the electric lights started to flicker slightly. A slight shiver went down my spine – it felt like the beginning of a horror film…

DUNGENESS AND FLAGONS Fortunately we all awoke safe and sound. Circling around Folkestone, we dropped down to the coast again to cruise along more coastal promenades to Kent’s south-eastern point at Dungeness. Dungeness National Nature Reserve is a unique and peculiar place. It’s the largest expanse of shingle in Europe, and while it may appear empty and desolate, it’s a rare habitat for a large number of plant and bird species. In this sparse landscape sit several incongruous sights, including a miniature railway, the hulking grey mass of a nuclear power station, wooden fishing cabins converted into houses, and the amazingly popular Dungeness Fish Shack. It’s one of the strangest places that I’ve ever been. Passing the beach at Camber Sands, the wind had dropped and we felt we really ought to manage a swim. Despite the sunshine, the incredibly cold water reminded us in no uncertain terms that it was only mid-March. Thankfully there was a coffee hut with excellent cake to fortify us afterwards. It wasn’t long before we were climbing

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Cantii Way

This photo: Near Folkestone Below: Dungeness Fish Shack is a handy place to refuel en route

through the majestic medieval archway into Rye and exploring the pretty cobbled streets. We made the mistake of saying to a curious local that we were doing a tour of Kent and he indignantly responded that we were in East Sussex now. The fortified town of Rye, he said, “has been defending itself from invaders trying to claim it for centuries!” We made our apologies and beat a hasty retreat for our final section of the day, a loop around Rye Harbour Nature Reserve. It felt magical in the hazy golden light as we watched our shadows stretch away from us towards the sea glimmering with pink and orange. We were staying that night at the Charles Palmer Vineyard near Winchelsea, which had kindly offered a place to pitch camp in their field. This was our only night sleeping outdoors, and as the temperature dropped during the final miles the prospect became less and less appealing. We were lucky, however, that the owner of the vineyard took pity on us and opened up the wine tasting room for us to sleep on the floor, with the luxuries of a rug and a woodburning stove. Of course, it was only polite to buy a bottle to sample while we were there. Jordan took it one step further and ambitiously decided he could take two home as gifts if he squeezed one in each of his fork bags.

GARDEN OF ENGLAND The morning coated everything in beautiful sparkling frost, and the bitter cold made us very thankful to have slept in a cosy room (especially those who only had bivvy bags). It soon warmed up as we set off for the final morning of riding, heading inland back to Wye. It was a fairly straightforward route along winding lanes past old hop-drying oast houses, and along part of the military canal – until we found a bit of off-road excitement in the form of a byway through some lovely woodland, which was so muddy it was unrideable and a challenge enough just to slither along pushing the bikes. If it was this wet after fairly

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Distance: 158 miles over four days (two full days and two half days). Route: North from Wye to Whitstable, then all around the coast past Deal, Dover and Folkestone to Dungeness. An extra loop from Rye out to Winchelsea and then back inland to Wye. Conditions: Surprisingly sunny, dry weather all four days, so nice dry ground on the woodland trails and bridleway sections. Mainly fairly flat with wellsurfaced cycle paths. Nearest stations: Wye is a five-minute train ride from Ashford International, or a six-mile bike ride. Accommodation:

dry weather, we decided it was wise to remove this bit from the Cantii Way and use the road instead. This is what test rides are for! From there it was easy rolling into Ashford, where a few of us split off to get a train home and the others carried on for the final few miles back to Wye. The wonderful thing about travelling by bike is that even our ‘Kent natives’ Mildred and Will reflected that they had seen parts of the county they had never discovered before, or hadn’t thought to visit. For the rest of us who weren’t so familiar, it was a wonderful leisurely exploration of the area’s fascinating history and modern-day character, and a chance to savour the flavours that earn it the title of ‘the sgarden of England’.

B&Bs in Whitstable and Folkestone, and (supposedly) camping in Winchelsea. Equipment: Hybrid, touring and gravel bikes would all be fine for this route, with either panniers or bikepacking bags. Maps/guides: Cantii Way online route guide and interactive map on the Cycling UK website. OS Landrangers 179 and 189.

I’m glad I had… A swimming costume and people willing to go for a bracing dip with me!

Next time I would… Try the alternative route around the Isle of Thanet, and take an extra day to have more time to stop. Further info: cyclinguk. org/cantii-way

Experience project As one of 14 partners on the EXPERIENCE project, Cycling UK is working to deliver sustainable new off-season tourism experiences, including long-distance routes like the Cantii Way and West Kernow Way. We’re also supporting businesses to attract cyclists with the Cycle Friendly Places accreditation. In September we’ll be launching a new route around Norfolk. The €23.3 million project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF, €16 million) through the Interreg VA France (Channel) England Programme 2014-2020, and aims to boost visitor numbers in six pilot regions including Cornwall, Norfolk and Kent. cyclinguk.org/experience

GOING Feature

DUTCH? LAURA LAKER

Cycling journalist

Laura writes about cycling and urban transport for The Guardian. She enjoys touring as well as utility cycling

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WE’RE DECADES BEHIND THE DUTCH BUT THE UK IS FINALLY WAKING UP TO TRANSPORT CYCLING’S POTENTIAL. LAURA LAKER ASKS IF A NEW GOLDEN AGE FOR CYCLING IS REALISTIC

e all know the arguments for active travel, but with the pandemic bike boom and Highway Code changes if feels like there’s a subtle shift in transport cycling’s prospects – that the arguments, at least, have been won. I spoke to cycling figureheads from the UK’s four nations and asked: can we really transform transport cycling’s fortunes, and if so, how do we get to the point where it’s not just for bold, confident cyclists but accessible to everyone?

DAFYDD TRYSTAN Chair of Active Travel Board, Wales How much are things like the Active Travel Act, climate priorities and Wales’s focus on school journeys transforming cycling and walking prospects? The Active Travel Act means we have nationwide active travel maps, but to do something practical about the aspirations on those maps, you need cash. The Deputy Minister for Transport and Climate Change, Lee Waters, secured a significant increase in Wales’s active travel spend over the last two or three years but we’re only now seeing some of those projects coming through. Would you say that things are changing in Wales? As well as new protected bike lanes there’s new guidance setting out ambitious minimum infrastructure standards. People sometimes ignore government guidance, so we’ll see the proof in five years’ time when things are built.

I’D LIKE MORE FOCUS ON E-BIKES, HELPING PEOPLE CYCLE 10-15 MILES TO WORK WITHOUT HAVING TO SHOWER

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Photo: Birmingham, by Joolze Dymond

Do you think a so-called golden age of cycling is starting to feel more than just words? Some cities in England have made significant progress but we haven’t got that in Wales. My fear is we’re seeing some drop back towards pre-pandemic levels. So no, the golden age of cycling hasn’t dawned in Wales yet.

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How can we make transport cycling more accessible for everyone? By making sure we’re planning infrastructure around the needs and aspirations of people who are not currently cycling and walking. I’ve been talking a lot about inclusive cycling, such as removal of barriers on the NCN [National Cycle Network], and adaptive cycles. What are the top things to transform cycling’s fortunes in Wales? I’d like a greater focus on e-bikes, helping people cycle 10-15 miles to work without having to shower. We’re running e-bike loan pilots in several towns around Wales with month-long low- or zero-cost loans. If you’ve never tried an e-bike you’ll be loath to ditch the car, and I think the government needs to consider an e-bike grant or subsidy scheme. With a proper cycle lane, Cardiff and Newport could be 30 minutes apart by bike. It takes half an hour to drive. I will die happy if there’s a Dutch-style inter-urban cycling highway between the two. We need continued resources and, given the climate and health emergencies, to disincentivise car driving, with road pricing or workplace parking levies and connecting effective, sustainable public transport with active travel so someone doesn’t need a car. If you can do that you can change the world.

Photo: Simon Ayre

Any examples from Wales other UK regions could learn from? We’ve been working on school streets, seeing 20-30% increases in children walking and cycling to school, which is significant. In Dulgarrog we’ve put ‘dark sky bollards’ in, to minimise light pollution; small things can make a big difference.

A proper cycle track in Clydach Vale in Wales. More are needed

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Are there unique challenges in Wales? We’ve some sparse populations, but with rurality e-bikes become even more important. Population tends to congregate around villages or towns, so while we might not develop active travel for everyone, we can do far more.

50% OF CHILDREN IN NORTHERN IRELAND LIVE UNDER A MILE FROM PRIMARY SCHOOL – 67% ARE DRIVEN

Have you been able to do much in your 18 months in post? The active travel board I chair is working but the pace of change remains slow. Resources were properly diverted to the pandemic. I haven’t yet visited a local authority, which I’m planning to do this summer. Until you’re on the ground you don’t get a proper feel for what’s going on.

bottom. Despite policies and rhetoric, we haven’t necessarily seen budgets and action plans. There’s a new glider [bus] scheme for Belfast with a delivery team and a defined budget, whereas the Belfast Cycling Network plan was published with no budget or delivery team (though a delivery plan since emerged).

CAROLINE BLOOMFIELD Director, Sustrans Northern Ireland How did things like the pandemic cycling boom impact walking and cycling? I think the pandemic sent a message to decision makers: people want to walk and cycle. COP26 was probably a catalyst. Transport is the biggest greenhouse gas emitter in Northern Ireland after farming. Is a golden age of cycling starting to feel more than warm words? A Climate Bill amendment means 10% of the transport budget for walking and cycling, and there’s a new hierarchy of road users with pedestrians at the top, then cyclists, and private vehicles at the

If you could transform cycling in Northern Ireland, what would you do? Invest in a joined-up cycling network that doesn’t stop at junctions. Create a programme of behaviour change support to enable cycling at schools, workplaces and communities through skills training, led rides, maintenance, and route planning. Lots of people haven’t been on a bike since they were kids. Some schools we work with went from 31% to 43% active travel. Create safe routes to school. In Northern Ireland 50% of children live under one mile from their primary school, and 67% are driven – a really shocking statistic. The main reason is lack of safe infrastructure. Active travel needs to be part of the statutory planning process. In so many schemes like housing developments active travel is thought of afterwards, if at all.

Left: Belfast gets the message – hopefully Above: Edinburgh

How could we get to the point where transport cycling isn’t just for bold, confident, often male cyclists, but for everyone? This is a real passion of mine. Our latest Cycling Index survey shows 19% of men in Belfast cycle once a week or more but only 5% of women do. We make it easy and safe to drive but not to cycle. If the infrastructure is there, it will be used. We’ve worked with people with brain injuries to show cycling could and should be for everybody. Maybe we need more female designers; the number of times I talk to engineers who say “Oh, I’m happy with that and I’m a cyclist.” My thoughts are: “You’re happy cycling down a 60mph dual carriageway. Not everybody else is!” What’s being done to boost cycling in Northern Ireland, and what more needs to be done; any unique challenges? The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) created a blue-green infrastructure fund for councils with some success; we need sustained long-term investment to start planning properly. Northern Ireland has about 142 miles of Greenway. The DfI, who manage everything on-road, launched a 10-year Belfast Cycling Network plan but we’ve a long way to go. We’re very good at putting tarmac down, not at putting cycling lanes in. I think all parties are more in tune with climate and active travel. When push comes to shove and when difficult decisions have to be made, that’s where it’s challenging.

Left: Andy Catlin. Far left: Double Take Projections

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KEITH IRVING Chief Executive, Cycling Scotland How much are things like funding, decarbonisation plans and the pandemic bike boom transforming cycling and walking’s prospects? During the worst of the pandemic, cycling became an obvious choice for many, including people who hadn’t cycled since they were kids. Spaces for People projects, delivered by Sustrans Scotland and local authorities since the pandemic, increased dedicated space for cycling in many locations. Our own cycling friendly

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projects and innovative projects from many partners are also getting bikes to more people. Our 2021 Attitudes and Behaviours Survey indicated more than a third of people (35%) now cycle for transport or leisure, regularly or occasionally, a 30% increase since 2017. Those citing the environment as a reason for cycling more than doubled since 2017, to 28%. While the health and environmental benefits of cycling remain key drivers of change, money saved will undoubtedly also encourage more people to cycle. Is a golden age of cycling, or a shift towards active travel, starting to feel like more than just warm words in politics, and if so, how? Scotland is in the early stages of a cycling revolution with a commitment to spending at least £320 million or 10% of the transport budget on active travel by 2024/25. Long term financial investment, especially in infrastructure, is essential. How can we transform cycling’s fortunes in the UK? Firstly, implement existing Scottish and local government policy commitments and ambitions on cycling. Secondly, keep the successful campaigns going. Thirdly, keep reaching more people. Two-thirds of the population never cycle, but almost everyone can enjoy cycling. How do we get to the point where transport cycling isn’t just for bold,

WHAT YOU CAN DO Transport cycling improvements aren’t solely the preserve of nation-scale departments. You can help bring about changes where you live by becoming part of the Cycle Advocacy Network (CAN). “The Cycle Advocacy Network is here to support you to speak up for cycling,” explains Duncan Dollimore, Cycling UK’s head of campaigns and advocacy. “If you’ve ever tried to influence your local council, cycled your child to school, or spoken up for cycling in any

way, you’re already a cycling champion, but with support from CAN you could become a local representative for Cycling UK and join our forum for local campaigners. “We’ve got loads of easyto-read resources, guides, and a network of people to link up with and receive support from. So, if you want to help get more people cycling where you live, CAN will bring you together with people with a shared interest in creating the conditions that enable more people

to cycle, including better infrastructure for cycling and safer roads. “Come and join us on the journey to get more people cycling.” Find out more about the Cycle Advocacy Network on our website: cyclinguk. org/cycle-campaigning/ cycle-advocacy-network. Or get in touch with us online if you have questions to ask: cyclinguk.org/webform/ join-cycle-advocacynetwork

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Left: Active travel in rural areas can be boosted with e-bikes Above: Birmingham

confident (often male) cyclists, but accessible for everyone? Serious cycling casualties have increased over the last 15 years, and while the chance of being seriously injured or killed cycling on Scottish roads is low, one serious injury or death is one too many, and fear of traffic stops more people cycling. A network of dedicated separate cycling lanes is the biggest priority. Access to bikes, storage and training is also essential. Cycling Scotland is co-ordinating delivery of Bikeability Scotland cycle training for every child to gain the skills and confidence to cycle on road at any life stage. What has been done to boost cycling, and what more needs to be done, in Scotland? Any unique challenges? Scottish Government investment in active travel is increasing to £150million in 2022/23, including increasing the Cycling Walking and Safer Routes budget for local authorities to £35million. It also includes doubled funding for the National Cycle Network to over £10m. A new Cycling Framework and Delivery Plan should lay out the priorities for action by national and local government to 2030. We need to reduce vehicle traffic in

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shopping and residential streets, in line with the Scottish Government commitment to reduce vehicle kilometres by 20% by 2030. We have a clear and urgent mission: we know every journey cycled will make a difference in cutting emissions in a just transition to Net Zero.

CHRIS BOARDMAN Head of Active Travel England What will Active Travel England do to transform walking and cycling? We have an arm’s length body of the Department for Transport, that we are in the throes of forming. We’ve never been in a position of having billions of pounds and a pipeline of funding to deliver real change in how we move. We have pretty much five functions: to assess and advise; to make sure standards are met, and help local authorities do that. It’s internal communication, and also external with the public, to show people, for the first time, we’ve got something that makes nicer places to live, that this is people like them doing normal things, just less of it with cars. We’re going to be a repository for knowledge and give those with ambition the tools to get the job done. Monitoring and evaluation is a big part of this: we have to demonstrate it works, and we all have every confidence that it will. We know it pays back in a ratio of 6:1 so from the £2bn mentioned in Gear Change, we can get £12bn value for the country.

It’s about new ideas and one of the cunningly simple things we researched in Greater Manchester is a simple side road crossing, joining people’s homes with shops and schools. I think it was nine out of ten primary school aged kids are within a 15-minute walk from school. Imagine if we put a little crossing and made that really easy for them to do. Once you’ve done all this stuff, you’ve got to enable people to use it, give them the tools to use it with hire bikes, with activities that wrap around the safe space that we’re going to be creating in the next few years. By 2030 we need 50% of journeys to be made actively. That’s quite an ambitious target but it is achievable. Active Travel England can publish a league table celebrating authorities with the courage to change the status quo. Nobody will be forced to do anything; they just can’t do it badly anymore. How much is behaviour change, things like cycle training part of the picture? I think cycle training should be part of the curriculum. Adult training actually sees a big uptake, perhaps because adults have made a conscious decision that “this is something I want to be able to do”. How can you ensure more recruits into the industry are representative of different backgrounds? Women are [only] around 20% of the transport industry, and it’s massively underrepresented in terms of ethnicity. We are about to create an organisation where there are not enough people and we will have to train our own. We can choose who we take on, where we advertise, and it is my intention to proactively have an apprenticeship scheme, preferably within a year, to start training the people we need and make sure they represent the places and the communities we’re serving. I’m very keen to see a lot more people who don’t look like me in this industry. Chris was speaking to the All-Party Parliamentary Walking & Cycling Group.

Far left: Paul Campbell Left: Joolze Dymond

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Top to bottom: Kerry Ridgeway. Aberystwyth. Caban-coch dam. Garreg-ddu reservoir – note low water level

Weekender

Follow the favourite routes of the Adventure Syndicate’s Emily Chappell: cyclinguk. org/emily-chappellwales

Crossing the Dragon’s Back

Living on the Welsh border, one of Paul Rogers’ favourite rides is an off-road route over the Cambrian Mountains to the Irish Sea

O PAUL ROGERS

Paul is a former tour leader for CTC Holidays and Tours

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riginally conceived as a single day crossing of Mid Wales, this route links up three distinctive off-road sections: the Kerry Ridgeway, the Elan Valley, and the Ystwyth Trail. It’s approximately 50% off-road and can be tackled either way to make best use of the prevailing wind direction. Quiet lanes connect the mainly gravel off-road sections, which provide traffic-free trails across open moorland, around reservoirs and along old railway trails. The town of Rhayader is well positioned to break the journey if you’re doing it over a weekend. I’ve ridden this many times as a day challenge. A recent easterly wind gave two of us the opportunity to ride to the coast for a change. As ever when reversing a route, it’s very different – and it meant we could finish with fish and chips on the beach. We caught the train back from Aberystwyth to Newtown, which is about 17 miles from Bishop’s Castle. An early train out to Aberystwyth works for a west-east crossing.

Mid Wales exploring

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Weekend ride

CROSSING THE DR AGON ’S BACK Start/Finish: Aberystwyth pier (SN582818) or Bishop’s Castle (SO324886) Maps: OS Landrangers 135, 136, 137, 147 Ride length: 113km (71 miles) Climbing: 1,500m (E-W) or 1,700m (W-E) Bike type: Gravel or MTB Rider level: regular (two days) or experienced (one day) GPX file: cyclinguk.org/weekender-dragonsback

BISHOP’S CASTLE This ancient border town is an excellent spot to start or finish this ride, or to explore the Welsh Marches in general. There are many colourful buildings, each with a story to tell. The town also boasts the UK’s oldest brewery, a thriving music scene, pubs, cafés and more.

The Kerry Ridgeway An ancient drovers’ route that crosses the high moorlands to the east of Newtown, it was originally used to drive cattle to the English markets. It offers big skies and big views. The ridge overlooks Wales on one side and England on the other.

Elan Valley You pass a series of mostly Victorian-built reservoirs that supply water to Birmingham. With cycle paths around much of the valley, this is an ideal place for a longer family break. The recently-built short mountain bike trails are sure to put a smile on your face.

Rhayader At the base of the Elan Valley, Rhayader is a bustling market town with plenty of cafés and accommodation. It’s a good mid-way point for a two-day ride, with excellent wild swimming options in the River Wye after a long day on the bike.

Ystwyth Trail Sustrans NCN Route 81 uses the old railway bed by the Ystwyth River. Although tempting to miss out the steep climb to the railway cutting on the hillside, this is an absolute gem, with moss-covered walls, gently dripping to the path below.

ABERYSTWYTH The start or finish point of this ride, Aberystwyth is a lively Victorian seaside town at the mouth of the River Ystwyth. It has all the usual seaside attractions. The darker months bring huge starling murmurations each evening as they gather to roost under the pier. Not to be missed.

Map © OpenStreetMap, produced with Inkatlas.com. Photos by Paul Rogers and Sanford Hankin

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Details Where: Northern Scotland Start/finish: Thurso to Glasgow Distance: 490 miles Photos: Maggie Fallon

Day one, not far from Thurso. Maggie (left), Jane (right)

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MAGGIE FALLON Cycling UK member Maggie says she and Jane are “two ordinary women in our 70s who are really proud of what we have achieved”

Great Rides

NC500 FOR SENIORS The North Coast 500 is a spectacular journey through Scotland, as 74-year-old Maggie Fallon and her 70-year-old friend Jane discovered

e were at Bristol Airport with our bikes in boxes: the day we’d been looking forward to and dreading in equal measure had arrived. We were off to Thurso via Inverness to ride the North Coast 500. From Thurso we would be heading west along the coast, our route and overnight stops taking into account the hills we would encounter. Most days we’d ride about 40 miles. Each evening, Jane would update our blog so that friends and family could follow our progress and our children (and grandchildren!) could be reassured we were alive. Looking at the blog now, we were clearly running out of superlatives to describe the scenery after the first couple of days. There’s also a sense of relief there, because we were finally embarking on our much-anticipated adventure. We know, however, that we are fortunate to be fit and optimistic enough to tackle such a trip at our ages.

HILL REPEATS We did do some preparation. Jane insisted that instead of our usual twice-weekly rides we should concentrate on cycling up our local hills, sometimes several times in a morning. In the weeks before we set off, we were doing the hills with 3kg of stones in our panniers. That was Jane’s idea too! I was grateful for this extra training when we were cycling through Borgie, Durness, Scourie and then down to Ullapool. I was able to stay on my bike throughout instead of dismounting to ‘admire the scenery’.

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Logistics

We flew to Inverness then took a train to Thurso. The bikes were in boxes for the flight so my son took us to the airport. Without his help, we’d have hired a van. Coming home, we took the train all the way from Glasgow to Keynsham, changing at Preston, Birmingham New Street, and Bristol Temple Meads. The bikes were booked on the first three legs with no trouble. At Bristol we managed to cram our bikes on with many others. Total cost of the trip was £1,040 each, including all accommodation, travelling, food, etc. We used senior railcards and shared twin rooms.

The weather was mostly good and the bothersome traffic we’d heard about seldom materialised. There were many campervans waiting in the passing places, but the occupants were patient and often cheered when they realised how old we were. The motorcyclists were also friendly. Only the high-performance sports cars roaring past made me mutter dark thoughts.

APPLECROSS PENINSULA After we passed Ullapool and Loch Broom, the weather deteriorated for a few days. We still enjoyed cycling past the mountains, despite the wind and rain. Yet we were daunted by the thought of riding around the Applecross Peninsula and over the summit of Bealach na Ba in the face of what the forecast said would be 40mph southerly winds. The prevailing wind direction is why most cyclists ride the NC500 clockwise: the wind will be at their backs up the west coast. We, on the other hand, were heading straight into it. As soon as we reached the peninsula, the wind strengthened. Mostly a headwind, there were also gusts from the side. At one point Jane was blown right across the road. While Jane felt safe cycling, I preferred to walk for a while; I’d reach Applecross eventually. ‘Breathtaking scenery’ took on a whole new meaning that day. We limited ourselves to one glass of wine that night, thinking of the next day’s climb over Bealach na Ba. By tackling ‘the Ba’ from the north instead of the south, we were taking the easier route.

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Fact File:

NC500 for seniors

This photo: Three Lochs Viewpoint on the Isle of Mull Below: near Achfary

Drizzle and low cloud greeted us as we left our accommodation, and it continued throughout the day. We winched our way up, managing the gradient and grateful for our training. As we had started out so early, there was little traffic on the singletrack road. Gradually Jane pulled away. I lost sight of her as we ascended into the cloud. I checked my elevation when I first stopped and was pleased to see 400 metres. Only 200 to go! Visibility became very limited and I was grateful we had invested in highly visible and expensive waterproof jackets, and had as many lights on our bikes as we could muster. Eventually I saw Jane standing at the top, jumping up and down with excitement. I had carried a can of fizzy Pinot Grigio to celebrate the moment but my hands were so cold it was impossible to open. We toasted our success with a mouthful of coffee. We then started the long descent through the hairpins, which was wonderful but led us to become so cold we could hardly hold onto the handlebars. By the time we reached the café at the junction of the main road, we were both close to hypothermic. It took an hour plus hot chocolate and soup for us to stop shivering. But we had big smiles on our faces. We’d done it!

GLENCOE, GLASGOW, AND HOME There was a danger that the rest of the holiday could be an anticlimax. We were leaving the NC500 and working our way south to Glasgow to catch a train home. As route planner, however, I was able to arrange to visit one of my favourite places: Glencoe. So that’s where we headed next, enjoying the route past the Five Sisters of Kintail where the road is engulfed by the surrounding Munros.

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We were also able to revisit the haunting Commando Memorial near Spean Bridge. Our progress through Glencoe was as steady as the drizzle, which became heavier through the morning. Along with an increase in traffic, this made our progress to Crianlarich slow and hard. The Green Welly Stop at Tyndrum was a beacon of light in a dark afternoon. That evening was the first time either of us was willing to admit we were tired. Maybe it was the thought of only one more day of cycling. Maybe it was the cans of gin and tonic we had bought at the Green Welly Stop and had drunk. More likely it was both of these plus the soak in the bath that our hosts always offered to cyclists. We decided to catch a train to Glasgow the following day instead of cycling there – a decision we were grateful for when we saw the rain at breakfast. Our last night’s accommodation was in Dumbarton so we backtracked after disembarking in Glasgow. Next morning we made the 14-mile trip along the cycle path in the other direction, reaching the station for the first of four trains home. It was the most wonderful cycling tour we could have done. We worried about it, trained for it, and applied all our organising skills in preparing for it. Most of all we wanted to show that women of our ages can set challenges – in fact, must set challenges – and with advice and careful thought can see them through.

More info Cycling UK’s Julie Rand rode half of the NC500 – from Strathcarron to Dingwall – as she didn’t have time to do the whole thing. cyclinguk.org/route/half-north-coast-500

Distance: 490 miles approx, riding 35-40 most days. Route: NC500 route from Thurso, travelling west through Durness, Scourie, Ullapool, Laide, Torridon, Applecross, and Lochcarron. Then we left the NC500 and rode through Glenmorriston, Spean Bridge, Ballachulish, Crianlarich, Dumbarton and Glasgow. Conditions: Great weather along the north coast, deteriorating as we came south on the west coast. Strong winds on Applecross Peninsula. Roads and traffic were easily manageable. Accommodation: B&Bs, hotels, SYHA hostels, private hostel. Equipment: Dawes Galaxy circa 1990 (Maggie), Cannondale road bike (Jane). Ortileb panniers – I used front ones on the back to prevent taking too much.

Maps & guides: Cicerone Cycle Touring in Northern Scotland, pages out of a road atlas, OS map of Glasgow for the cycle path.

I’m glad I had… Extra tea and coffee, powdered milk, and good insulated travel mugs.

Next time I would… Look at the best time of year to visit the area. September, when we went, has double the rainfall of May in NW Scotland…

Website: northcoast500.com

Advice

CYCLOPEDIA Right: Alamy

Questions answered, subjects explained – Cyclopedia is your bimonthly cycling reference guide E-bike batteries can last longer if they're not regularly run flat

Covid’s effects can linger for months

Health

Cycling after Covid

Q & A

Technical

E-bike battery care

Your Experts

I have a Specialized Vado e-bike. Do you have any advice on battery care? Should I recharge it when it’s partially discharged or wait until it’s empty? Apart from an ambitious quoted range figure, the bike is otherwise going well. Eric Malcolm

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are standard technology used in everything from mobile phones to e-bikes. They are lightweight and can be recharged many hundreds of times while retaining acceptable performance. The ideal recharging regime differs significantly from that preferred for old-school lead acid batteries, which benefit from being charged to 100% capacity. Instead, Li-ion batteries are best recharged to around 90% of capacity and recharged when around 30% full. This partial recharging strategy keeps the battery voltage close to the optimal level. Preventing it getting too hot also helps maximise battery life; a storage temperature of between 25°C and 40°C is considered Coronavirus optimal, and should allow the For up-to-date battery to retain around 90% of cyclists’ advice its performance after a year of regarding Covid-19, regular usage. visit: cyclinguk.org/ Richard Hallett coronavirus

DR KATE BRODIE Retired GP {Health}

RICHARD HALLETT Cycle’s Technical Editor {Technical}

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

Since having Covid back in August 2021 my energy levels have been decimated. Even riding for a couple of gentle miles finishes me off. I love being out on the bike and I know that the more I ride the easier it will get, but knowing how rough I will feel is really putting me off. Can you offer any advice for overcoming the psychological barrier to getting back riding after illness? Richard Clarkson

Recovering from any illness or injury takes time and patience, and Covid is no different. If you read the recent article in Cycle magazine you will know that starting with just a few minutes of gentle exercise and building up is the way to go. Monitoring your heart rate may be useful if you have a gadget to do this. Don’t be too ambitious or you will suffer and put yourself off trying again. Have faith in your recovery and trust your body. When you go out, try to find a level route and just ride a short distance. You may be exhausted and aching afterwards but if you do the same route for several days it should become gradually easier. Is there an incentive you can give yourself? The local café or cake shop perhaps? Once you see an improvement, your confidence will return and you will soon be enjoying your cycling again. See: bit.ly/cycle-NHS-getmoving. Dr Kate Brodie

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Q&A

Legal

Club ride threat? The SON 28 suits demanding usage

Technical

Take charge on tour

I am planning a long cyclecamping trip this summer and was wondering if there is a good system that will charge on the go? Is there a good front hub dynamo wheel that could supply enough charge to maintain a phone or Garmin, and also stand the rigours of some roughish roads? My bike is an Enigma Etape with rim brakes and 25mm tyres. Julian Alston

The subject was covered in Cycle April/May 17 (cyclinguk.org/ cycle/take-charge-tour-cyclists-guideelectric-power-generation). There are many systems that will charge a device such as a Garmin or mobile phone while riding, almost all based on a front hub dynamo and therefore suitable, laced up with the right rim, for use with rim brakes. The best-known is probably the SON 28 hub, which is well-proven and suitable for the most demanding usage; similar hubs are available from manufacturers including Supernova and Shimano. The key point is that they produce 3W at 6V, which is turned by a power converter into the 5V required by the device to be powered. Power converters are available as stand-alone units, such as the Sinewave Reactor, or can be incorporated into a front light such as the AXA Luxx 70 Plus Steady or Busch and Müller Lumotec IQ2 Luxos. They have a USB port for the device charger cable. Ready-built wheels with dynamo hubs are available from specialist outlets such as Spa Cycles and St John Street Cycles; a custom wheelbuilder will, of course, be able to assemble a wheel to your requirements. Richard Hallett

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Are club rides under threat from the Highway Code changes? I saw an article about cyclists having to stop to let drivers pass. Could Rule 66 give drivers the belief that cyclists must do so? sore thumb, via the Cycling UK Forum

The short answer is no: club rides are not under threat. But it seems that since the introduction of the new Highway Code rules, there has been an increase in anti-cyclist behaviour on social media. This may be due to an equivocated interpretation of the new rules, when in fact the rules have just clarified the existing position. Rule 66, for instance, states that cyclists should be considerate of the needs of other road users when riding in groups – motor vehicles included. The new rules should be interpreted in accordance with the Highway Code objective, which is to promote safety on the road while supporting a ‘hierarchy of road users’. Under the new rules it’s now clear that you can ride two abreast and it can be safer to do so, particularly in larger groups or when accompanying children. Safety is the key when deciding if it’s better to ride two abreast or single line, including on narrow, busy roads or round bends. Large groups riding in line will take a longer distance to overtake, so it makes sense to ride two abreast. Cyclists must also be aware of drivers behind and allow them to overtake (for example, by moving into single file or stopping). The rule of thumb is: you must be assured that it’s safe for you to do so. Richard Gaffney Two abreast is better for larger groups

Road cleats wear relatively quickly

Technical

Worn out cleats

When should I replace the cleats on my road bike shoes? I've never done it. Now I am finding my left foot is becoming more difficult to click out when stopping. I’d be interested in hearing about cleat protectors too. David Wood

The simple answer is ‘when they are worn’, but there does not appear to be any industry-specified degree of wear at which cleats should be replaced. Doing so when the cleat begins to stick in the pedal is one solution, but is leaving it too late if the rider is injured as a result of being unable to clip out. Unlike recessed metal cleats, protruding plastic cleats wear quickly if their shoes are used for walking on hard, rough ground. The cleat surface that wears is, of course, the surface that rests on the pedal. As soon as the cleat wears enough to rock around appreciably on the pedal once clipped in, it will affect the stability of the foot while pedalling, and this is arguably the point at which it should be replaced, regardless of the ease of pedal exit. Cleat protectors are (usually) rubber caps designed to be pulled over the cleat to protect it from abrasion when off the bike at, say, a café. They’re a bit of a faff to fit, carry and even remember, but are worth a try. 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.

Left: Clint Budd, FlickrCC. Below: J Dymond

CYCLO PE D IA

CYCLOPEDIA

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

On/off-road all-rounder For: John Jones, aged 74, from Swansea. Bike needs: Leisure use, 50/50 on road and on bike trails, some fairly rough. I generally cycle about 100 miles a week. Must have: Flat bar, 29in wheels, disc brakes. Not too heavy and suitably geared for hilly terrain on and off-road. Capable of being fitted with mudguards front and rear. Must not have: Drop handlebar. Budget: £1,500. John Jones

Guy Kesteven Given how many people do exactly the sort of riding you talk about, you’d think there’d be plenty of bikes that tick all your boxes. But a practical, light, rigid 29er with a flat bar is actually a very rare beast indeed. Bikes with big 700C tyres (i.e. small 29er tyres) and drop bars are everywhere now but few come with a flat bar option. Crosscountry mountain bikes with fast-rolling 29er wheels are also easy to find. They inevitably have a suspension fork, which adds weight, cost and reliability issues, won’t have mudguard fittings and will be overkill for where you want to ride. The Sonder Frontier Deore Rigid (£949, alpkit.com) is one of the rare rigid-forked mountain bikes available, and it’s well below your budget. It uses a lightweight 6061 aluminium alloy frame with full mudguard mounts and plenty of space for them to fit around 29er tyres. The Rigid version comes with a fixed alloy fork featuring ‘everything’ mounts on the legs and those all-important mudguard mounts at the tips. Shimano Deore gearing gives you plenty of winch potential if you head into the Welsh Valleys the hard way, while hydraulic disc brakes will keep you safe on any descents. As Sonder builds the bikes to order you can make adjustments to the specification to suit your style. Alpkit offers a “28-day ride guarantee” so you’ve got a month to return the bike for a refund. But having tested several Sonder MTB and gravel bikes I’m confident you’ll love it.

SONDER FRONTIER DEORE RIGID £949

Dan Joyce Gravel bikes are designed for the riding you describe and will handle “fairly rough” trails if the tyres are sufficiently wide. But most come with the drop handlebar that you don’t want. There are flat-bar gravel bikes in your price range, such as the Genesis Croix de Fer 20 Flat Bar (£1,499.99, genesisbikes.co.uk) and the Marin DSX 2 (£1,185). I’d suggest instead a bike that isn’t specifically described as a gravel bike: the Giant ToughRoad SLR 2 (£1,099, giant-bicycles.com). It has wider tubeless tyres (50-622 or 29×2in), giving improved off-road comfort and capability. At 11.5kg this carbon-fork, aluminium-frame bike is lighter than the steel Genesis, while its super-compact 2×10 transmission gives a good spread of road and off-road gears. It takes mudguards and pannier racks; the latter come fitted to the dearer SLR 1 that I tested (cyclinguk.org/cycle-magazine/bike-test-doit-all-bikes-genesis-vagabond-vs-giant-toughroad-slr1). For road use an alternative – ideally narrower – hand position would be useful. Bar-ends set inboard might suffice. Better would be a multi-position bar such as a Surly Moloko (£119.99) or On-One Geoff (£29.99). The ToughRoad’s own-brand Giant tyres are fine but if you want more road speed, Schwalbe’s G-One Speed (@£61.99) is available in 50-622. If the ToughRoad isn’t off-road capable enough for what you have in mind, you’ll need a rigid mountain bike like the Sonder Frontier that Guy recommends.

GIANT TOUGHROAD SLR 2 £1,099

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cycle

CYCLOPEDIA

w o h w o Kn Making sense of commonly misunderstood subjects

LAURA LAKER Cycling journalist

Travel

Do I need to pay import duty when taking my bike abroad or when coming home?

re-Brexit, Brits could bring unlimited amounts of most goods home. There is now a personal (tax-free) allowance limit of £390 (or up to £270 if you arrive by private plane or boat), with separate tax-free limits on alcohol and cigarettes. Peter Eland at the Bicycle Association adds there is also now an allowance limit for any goods you have bought overseas and are bringing to the UK: gov.uk/bringing-goodsinto-uk-personal-use/arriving-in-Great-Britain. “Although it's not stated clearly,” he said, “this indicates to me that personal belongings (bike, tent, etc in the case of a cycle tourist) which were bought in the UK can be re-imported to the UK without issue. As a precaution, so as to be able to evidence UK purchase, a cycle tourist might want to carry a copy of receipts matched to serial/frame numbers etc for all valuable items, to show they were bought in the UK, if this were to be challenged.” HMRC suggests an ATA Carnet as an “optional facilitation when moving goods between territories such as the UK and EU”. This, they say, simplifies customs formalities by using a single document to clear goods through customs in participating countries, suspending payments of import duties in those countries. They are valid for 12 months from the date of issue, in which they can be used multiple times and in multiple countries. However, HMRC admitted to Cycle magazine by email that getting a Carnet is “an expensive and timely procedure”. It’s also one that should not be necessary for most cycle tourers. The gov.uk website describes the ATA Carnet under the section “Exporting and doing business abroad” – neither of which someone taking a holiday with their bike is doing.

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Buying a bike abroad Customs won’t bother you if you have one bike that’s clearly yours

HOW ARE THE RULES APPLIED? There was a case reported in the Independent where someone taking three e-bikes to Spain on holiday in a van was charged €400 import duty. This seems to be an isolated incident, in which customs officials presumably assumed the e-bikes were for resale. Duncan Dollimore, Cycling UK’s head of campaigns, says: "In practice we have not heard of anybody else encountering problems taking cycling equipment for their own use from the UK into the EU and back again. If a bicycle is obviously being transported for personal use (and not, for instance, looking brand new and in a box) then it is unlikely to attract the attention of customs inspectors. However, clubs and teams transporting large quantities of sporting equipment would be advised to follow HMRC's advice and register it on an ATA Carnet or Duplicate List.” This article was originally written as part of the Abroad after Brexit feature for the Dec 21/Jan 22 issue. It has been expanded by Dan Joyce, who corresponded with HMRC.

You used to be able to buy a bike anywhere in the EU’s single market and bring it back to the UK without payment or paperwork. So you could hop on a ferry to the Netherlands, buy the kind of roadster that’s seldom sold here, and return home with it. Since Brexit, an import duty of 14% is due on such a bike. (If you buy a frameset abroad and bring that back, duty is only 4.7%.) You pay duty on the total value of the goods you’re bringing in, not just the amount by which it exceeds your tax-free allowance. You’ll also likely have to pay VAT, which is currently 20%. This bumps up the price of a bike bought abroad by about a third.

Brexit & the bike industry For more on the impact of Brexit, see: cyclinguk.org/article/ what-brexit-meansbicycles

BIKE TEST

ELECTRIC COMMUTERS

Biketest

RICHARD PEACE Richard is a cycling journalist and author. His books include Electric Bicycles and Sustrans’ Traffic-Free Cycle Rides (p28)

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Electric commuters

Urban transport is one of the most important roles for e-bikes. Richard Peace tests a Raleigh New Motus Tour Plus and a Volt London

ou can ride to work on any e-bike. For this test I’m defining ‘commuter e-bikes' as machines that are practical, utilitarian, and durable – the kind of e-bikes that might persuade someone to get out of their car for the journey to work and keep doing so even in bad weather. This is where the ‘e’ in e-bikes is so important: that electrical assistance makes cycle commuting so much easier on a rainy Monday morning. The test models contrast nicely. Raleigh’s New Motus Tour Plus is part of an extended New Motus range for 2022. This one has an 8-speed hub gear and sits towards the top end in terms of spec. It’s clearly aimed at cyclists who just want to get from A to B comfortably and easily. The Volt London, also new for 2022, is a singlespeed. Despite its minimalist looks, it still has everything you need for commuting. And while non-electric singlespeeds are traditionally seen as a sporty niche, the addition of a motor makes a onegeared bike an option for anyone. Volt is London

based and has many years of experience in producing only e-bikes.

Frame & fork The Raleigh New Motus has a stepthrough frame with a huge down tube, which provides frame stiffness without triangulation. The big tube also houses the battery. By contrast, being a classic diamond frame design, the Volt London has a much slenderer appearance. Although both test bikes have a similar middling frame size, the Raleigh is a much bigger e-bike. That impression is reinforced by its high front end compared to the racier design of the Volt frame. The Raleigh comes in five sizes (I tested the middle one), while the Volt comes in a single size. Tall or short riders are therefore more likely to find a Raleigh that accommodates them comfortably.

ELECTRIC COMMUTERS

BIKE TEST

First look

A heavyweight hub-geared roadster whose Bosch mid-motor makes commuting a breeze

The Raleigh's upright position is confidence inspiring, making it ideal for new cycle commuters

Tech Spec

RALEIGH NEW MOTUS TOUR PLUS – HUB GEAR

The Raleigh is the slightly neater on the heavier e-bike by almost Raleigh where it enters via 6kg. This will matter more the oversize head tube and to some cyclists than exits via the chainstays. On others. Compared to nonthe Volt, cables enter the electrics, weight is less of underside of the down tube an issue with e-bikes as near the head tube and exit you have a motor to help near the bottom bracket, you up the hills. However, if leaving cable runs a little weight is important to you more exposed at the rear – for example, if you need of the bike. The Volt comes to regularly carry the bike equipped with a porteurup steps – neither model is style front rack and has particularly light. (A lighter fittings for a rear rack. The e-bike from the likes of Raleigh has a rear rack but Top: Bosch’s Purion display is compact and easy to use Ampler or Ribble may suit won’t take most front ones. Bottom: Maximum torque is you more in that case.) The The forks underscore the ‘only’ 50Nm but the Bosch Raleigh has a ‘sit up and different riding styles the Active Line Plus mid-motor benefits from the bike’s widebeg’ frame and is clearly bikes are designed for. The ratio 8-speed hub gear so the aimed at riders prioritising Raleigh has a Suntour NEX Raleigh climbs well enough comfort, whereas the Volt suspension fork with 52mm has the slightly leaning of steel-sprung travel. The forward riding position typical of a Volt has a rigid aluminium fork that's sports hybrid. finished in matt black, perhaps to give As with the vast majority of e-bike the impression of a carbon fork. frames today, both are sturdily built Components with neatly welded joints. Both frames The most obvious contrast here is in are very nicely finished too, the Raleigh the motor systems. The Raleigh features in a lustrous, semi-metallic dark paint a mid-drive (also known as a crank described as ‘deep sea blue'. The Volt is drive) from market leader Bosch. It’s brushed aluminium, giving the frame the undoubtedly high quality and also carries look of stainless steel. Bosch’s impressive battery guarantee of a Brake, gear and electrical cabling is minimum of 60% of full charge capacity internally routed in both cases, though

Price: £2,495 Sizes: 41, 46, 51 (tested), 56, 61cm Weight: 27.4kg/60.4lb Frame & fork: Aluminium 6061 stepthrough frame with mid-drive housing and removable frame-integrated battery in down tube. Suntour NEX steel spring suspension fork with 52mm travel. Wheels: 50-622 Schwalbe Road Cruiser tyres, 36-hole double wall rims, QR aluminium hubs, 14G spokes. Transmission: Shimano Nexus 8-speed hub gear with 38t chainwheel and 19t rear sprocket. Shimano Nexus twistgrip shifter. Eight ratios: 31-94in. Electronics: Dimensions in millimetres and degrees

650-680 610 72˚

n/a

130

480

687 70˚

510

726 44

Bosch Active Line Plus mid-drive motor with 400Wh frame-integrated Bosch PowerTube battery. Bosch Purion handlebar display. Braking: Alhonga hydraulic disc brake, 180mm front rotor, 160mm rear rotor. Alloy levers. Steering & seating: XLC ergonomic grips, 640mm aluminium City Rise bar, 85mm adjustable stem. Selle Royal Saddle, 31.6×300mm seatpost. Equipment: Herrmans MR.GO front light, AXA Juno rear light (both hardwired), Eurofender full mudguards, Motus MIK compatible rear rack, adjustable kickstand. raleigh.co.uk

170 318

622

1068

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ELECTRIC COMMUTERS

BIKE TEST

First look

A sportier singlespeed that almost anyone can honk up hills thanks to its hub motor

I loved the Volt London's combination of smooth torque sensing and punchy throttle power

Tech Spec

VOLT LONDON for two years or 500 charge the inertia of singlespeed cycles, whichever comes gearing from the second first. In practice, I would you put pressure on the expect a well cared-for pedals, torque sensing is battery to last much longer. certainly the way to go. The Bosch Active Line Plus On paper it looks an ideal motor seems well paired combination. with the relatively small You may have read 400Wh battery. It’s only one that throttles are illegal up from the least powerful on e-bikes in the UK but Active Line in the Bosch in fact it’s throttle-only family of motors so it won’t operation that is illegal. have the oomph of Bosch Throttles are allowed if Performance Line motors. they can be operated either However, the 8-speed independently up to 4mph Top: Good torque sensing Shimano Nexus hub gear (walk-assist style) and/or means the hub motor kicks in lets you leverage motor give full legal motor power as soon as you press on the pedals, so it’s easy to get the power across a wide speed only while the pedals are singlespeed gear turning range, so the bike can easily turning. An instantaneous Bottom: A rear wheel lock is a practical addition get up just about any road power boost provided gradient – just not quite as by a powerful throttle quickly as more powerful can be a very great help mid-drives. If you live in a very hilly area, on a singlespeed. a larger rear sprocket can always be fitted Both bikes have 50mm-wide tyres for a for easier climbing. good amount of comfort. The Schwalbe The Volt employs a far more unusual G-One tyres on the Volt are superior to drive system. It features a Bafang rear the Schwalbe Road Cruiser Plus on the hub motor (common enough), torque Raleigh, having equivalent or better sensing (unusual with a hub motor) and road speed and more grip in gravel bike a throttle trigger (much more unusual). conditions such as on forestry roads and The company has clearly thought about towpaths. the spec here and matched it to the Both bikes feature LED lights with characteristics of a singlespeed e-bike. enough power for good visibility on unlit With power assist needed to overcome roads, and both have a full complement

frame-integrated battery with Panasonic cells. Braking: Tektro Auriga hydraulic disc brakes (as tested). Steering & seating: Fabric silicone grips, 640mm alloy flat handlebar, 85mm Zoom alloy stem. Fabric gel radius saddle, 28mm dia. EXA suspension seatpost. Equipment: Front and rear hardwired Spanninga LEDs. Front alloy porteur-style rack as standard with rear rack optional. Full length SKS mudguards. Lock voltbikes.co.uk

Price: £2,199 Sizes: 48cm (one size) Weight: 21.7kg/47.8lb Frame and fork: 6061 T6 aluminium alloy frame, aluminium alloy fork. Mounting points for optional bespoke rear rack on inside of rear triangle. Wheels: 50-584 Schwalbe G-One tyres, 36-hole Alex DP21 double-wall rims, 13G spokes. Transmission: Single gear. One ratio: 72in. Electronics: Bafang rear hub motor with Spintech control technology. 504Wh

Dimensions in millimetres and degrees

683 580 73.5˚

780 55

133

455

655 71˚

503

687

170 292

584

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BIKE TEST

ELECTRIC COMMUTERS

Above: 504Wh battery locks securely in place… Near right: …as does the Raleigh’s 400Wh battery Top right: The Volt’s fast-rolling gravel tyres Bottom right: Porteur rack scores hipster points

of commuting extras: mudguards, kickstand, and rack. The SKS mudguards on the Volt seem more durable than the rather plasticky affairs on the Raleigh. The Raleigh also has similarly flimsy-feeling plastic on the battery and motor covers, while the metal catch on the battery cover looked like it could easily scratch your lovely frame unless closed carefully. The Volt’s 504Wh battery is a very sturdy feeling, onepiece, all-metal design. Both batteries lock in their frames very securely

The ride The Raleigh is comfortable to ride and its upright position is confidence inspiring, making it ideal for new and returnee cycle commuters who want a bike that helps them feel safe and secure in traffic. Many riders say electric-assist is a boon in busy town traffic too, allowing a quick getaway at junctions and lights. The Raleigh’s torque sensing mid-drive is quiet and smooth, and the four power levels are easy to toggle through to find just the right level of assistance. Gear shifting with the twistgrip shifter is intuitive and can be done while stationary. The Volt is reasonably comfortable, although I found the suspension seatpost totally ineffective, the spring being too stiff for my 68kg weight. Sportier and slightly fitter riders will likely enjoy the Volt most,

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Other options

CUBE TOURING HYBRID ONE 400 £2 ,399

A bit sportier geometry than the Raleigh with a more powerful Bosch mid-drive, though the same size battery. You can pay extra for 500Wh or 625Wh versions.

cube.eu

as you have to put in more effort on hills. I loved the combination of smooth torque sensing and punchy throttle power. I found myself standing out of the saddle for maximum pedal pressure quite often. It feels fast and smooth, and I even made it up a short 25% gradient, though I wouldn’t want to be tackling that kind of hill too often. (The Raleigh tootled up sedately and easily.) If it’s only moderately hilly where you live, the Volt could prove a fast, effective and lowmaintenance getabout. You might assume that the 504Wh battery on the Volt would give more range than the 400Wh battery on the Raleigh. However, I found 30 miles was a fair range estimate for both e-bikes over pretty hilly country. As ever there are so many variables it’s difficult to pin down a single figure.

Verdict TENWAYS CGO600 £1,499

Successful Kickstarter torquesensing singlespeed with belt drive. Significantly lighter than the Volt but with a smaller, non-removable battery.

tenways.com

Both bikes are well designed for commuting but would suit very different riders. The Raleigh is a great introduction to dependable, safe, easy and lowmaintenance electric commuting. The Volt is geared (sic) more towards those with cycling experience. If you’ve tried a non-electric singlespeed in the past and found it too hard, don’t be put off: electric-assist transforms the ride. Powering up hills is much easier, yet the simplicity of a single gear makes it an engaging daily runaround.

BIKE TEST

RIGID MTB Dimensions in millimetres and degrees

665 620 74.5˚

800 50

148

450

710 70˚

107

508

714

175

285

584 67

1150

Tech Spec

BOMBTRACK BEYOND+

Biketest

Bombtrack Beyond+ Another rigid trail bike with bikepacking potential. Dan Joyce tests the £1,750 Bombtrack Beyond+

Other options

he Beyond+ is a would help if you didn’t bike in the same fancy bigger wheels. mould as the Surly Aside from this quirk Krampus reviewed last it’s a nicely designed, issue: a rigid steel mountain good looking frame. There bike with plus tyres that’s are fittings for almost extensively barnacled with everything, even a dynamo mounts for bags, racks, cable through the fork. All Above: Bottom gear is 17in. In bottles and mudguards. that’s missing are downconjunction with the traction These wheels are the tube guides for a dropper benefits of wide, soft tyres, it smaller plus size: 27.5×2.8in. seatpost; you’ll need bolt-in climbs steep slopes really well It will take 29×3in wheels cable guides there if you fit as well; Bombtrack’s 29×3 one. The bend in the top of Beyond+ ADV uses the same frame. the down tube is there to clear the crown With 27.5+ wheels, which have a radius of a suspension fork; a 100mm travel fork ~25mm smaller than 29+ wheels, the would work best as the steel fork’s axlebottom bracket is unusually low. This is a to-crown length is 483mm. (Correction two-edged sword. When you’re standing from last issue: the Krampus actually has a on the pedals and freewheeling at speed, 498mm rigid fork, not 483mm as stated.) a lower bottom bracket feels more stable At 177cm tall, I’m supposedly borderline because your centre of gravity is lower. between sizes M and L. In fact the L fitted But when you’re pedalling you hit the me perfectly for reach and its 15mm taller pedals on rough ground more often. Too head tube meant less weight on my hands often, in fact. Shorter (165mm) cranks – a good thing with a rigid fork. It rides

SONDER FRONTIER SX EAGLE RIGID £849

The rigid-fork version of Sonder’s keenly price aluminium hardtail is available with 27.5+ wheels. alpkit.com

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Price: £1,750 (Not currently available as a frameset only in the UK.) Sizes: S, M, L, XL (L tested) Weight: 14.17kg (no pedals) Frame & fork: Double-butted 4130 chrome-moly frame with 73mm BSA BB, 12×148mm rear dropouts, and fittings for internal dropper, rear rack, mudguard, four triple, one double, and one single frame mounts. Double-butted 4130 chrome-moly fork with tapered steerer, 15×110mm dropouts, and fittings for internal dynamo cable, rack, mudguard, two triple mounts. Wheels: 67-584 WTB Ranger TCS tyres, WTB ST i35 double-wall rims, 32×3 spokes, Bombtrack Grad

boost hubs. Transmission: no pedals, 175mm Truvativ Stylo chainset with 30t X-Sync 2 chainring, SRAM DUB BSA 73mm bottom bracket, SRAM Eagle chain, SRAM Eagle 11-50t 12-speed cassette. SRAM SX Eagle 12-speed shifter and derailleur. 12 ratios, 17-77in. Braking: SRAM Level hydraulic disc with 180mm front and 160mm rear rotors. Steering & seating: Bombtrack grips, 730×31.8mm Bombtrack flat bar, 50mm×3º Bombtrack stem, semi-integrated/ external threadless headset. Bombtrack saddle, 30.9×400mm Bombtrack seatpost, Bombtrack seat clamp. Website: bombtrack.com

well. The head angle is steep by modern standards but still yields enough trail, given the bike’s bump-swallowing tyres. Those soft, wide tyres have a large contact patch, which means good traction when climbing, especially on looser surfaces where a harder tyre would scrabble and slip. Bottom gear for this 1×12 SRAM SX Eagle setup is just 17in so you can ride up basically anything. Coming down, the SRAM Level hydraulic brakes are more than sufficient for rigid-bike speeds.

SURLY KRAMPUS £2 ,099.99

The original plus bike is still steel but now has contemporary geometry and more frame fittings. Review last issue.

surlybikes.com

Verdict

As a trail bike, the rigid Beyond+ is comfortable and engaging on anything short of black routes – despite a pedal-clattering bottom bracket drop seemingly designed for 29+ wheels. As a bikepacking bike, it ticks all the boxes save alternate hand positions.

GROUPTEST

N AV I G AT I O N A P P S

Details

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

1 Grouptest

Navigation apps GPS computers aren’t the only digital option for planning and following a route. A phone can do it, given the right app. Dave Barter tests four

M DAVE BARTER Cycling author and IT expert Dave is a cycling author and IT professional who has written his own open-source route planner.

any cyclists have seen their riding enhanced by a bar-mounted navigational computer. Combined with digital mapping, these GPS devices facilitate the planning of rides without paper maps and simplify the task of navigating along the route. A modern smartphone comes with a GPS receiver built-in, a larger screen, and more computing power than a bike-specific GPS. A myriad of apps can be downloaded to aid with route planning and navigation, and a phone often has more storage for mapping and other information. Assuming you already have a smartphone, it’s a much cheaper option than a dedicated GPS cycling computer. When used on a bike, consider the phone’s mounting and weatherproofing. Phones are more fragile than GPS computers: you’ll need a robust case (that’s rainproof if your phone isn’t) along with a phone-specific mount. When used for anything other than navigation a phone will consume power quickly; you may need to turn off mobile data and other background tasks to conserve power.

Mapping

should be able to use the app on both your phone and in a web browser on your home computer.

A clear, up-to-date and detailed base map is critical for navigation. You want an app that uses current data and enhances it with cycling-specific features such as cafés, dedicated cycle routes, and the all-important contours to tell you where the hills are. Ordnance Survey mapping is a bonus for those used to handling a paper map.

You may not have internet connectivity to download maps or data in remote areas. It is vital that your navigation app can handle this. Significant battery power can be conserved by using your phone offline.

Route Planning

Cycling route planning algorithms are sophisticated but not flawless. It’s important to be able to override a suggested route or add in your diversions/ suggestions. You

Offline Use

Sharing & Discovery

You should be able to share the routes you’ve ridden whilst using the recommendations of others. A good app makes this easy and allows you to add annotations and advice.

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GROUPTEST

N AV I G AT I O N A P P S

Verdict All the apps enable you to plan, navigate and share cycling routes. Most come with a free option or trial period, which is worth using to decide which works best for you. The OS Maps app is the least functional but good value if you’re wedded to OS maps. Outdooractive is worthy of consideration, with its OS mapping layer and several innovative features. However, it’s expensive and lagging behind the others on UK routes. Komoot and Ride with GPS are both excellent apps with a vast array of routes to be discovered and explored. They are fairly intuitive to use and come with good community support. Komoot is better geared to the touring cyclist looking to find new routes and experiences, and has the bestvalue lifetime subscription.

Battery backup?

Pack a small power bank for long rides. Or see: cyclinguk.org/cyclemagazine/reviewcompit-smartphoneholder

More online

cyclinguk.org/advice

1 Outdooractive 2 Komoot

3 Ride with GPS 4 OS Maps app

Outdooractive supersedes the discontinued Viewranger. Routes can be planned on a variety of base maps, including OS and Harvey. The planner is easy to use, and being able to flip between map types is a bonus. It’s feature-rich, including a “skyline viewer” for augmented reality and the ability to add photos to your ride whilst you navigate. It supports the planning and sharing of a group ride. So far the content appears to be geared more towards Europe and the USA than the UK.

Komoot is designed for those looking to discover routes from its database or to plan their own. The curated routes include lots of detail, such as photos, road surface types and technical difficulty. Route planning is easy: a start and destination are set and then Komoot calculates the route – which can be modified. Navigation is also easy, with spoken instructions if desired and the ability for others to track you if you wish. Komoot uses custom Openstreetmap mapping.

This app is designed just for cycling and comes with a database of routes created and rated by users. It’s simple to plan a route, with the ability to add waymarks, distance markers and cues. The app irons out any deviations you might accidentally plot and tells you the road surface type. The interface is excellent, allowing custom data fields and route modifications while riding. Live logging allows you to share your location. It uses Openstreetmap mapping.

The OS Maps app gives access to up-to-date OS mapping, including the National Cycle Network. Finding routes in an area can be frustrating as summaries are hard to get to. Route planning is easy. You can plot tracks without any automatic routing or switch on the “snap” function to route you along roads/paths. The navigational interface is basic: you follow the line on the map. There are no cues and minimal statistics. An augmented reality mode helps you identify landmarks.

Some interesting features but lacks UK-specific content

An excellent app for discovering and planning new routes

A solid app with features akin to a dedicated GPS computer

Great route planner for OS map fans but few cycling features

iOS/Android/web

£26.99/YR, £53.99/YR ALL FEATURES, FREE BASIC OPTION outdooractive.com

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

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J U NE / JU LY 20 22

iOS/Android/web

£3.99-£8.99 ONE UK REGION, £29.99 WORLDWIDE, £59.99/YR FOR PREMIUM FEATURES komoot.com

iOS/Android/web

FREE BASIC OPTION (NO OFFLINE MAPS), £39.99/YR BASIC, £79.99/YR PREMIUM ridewithgps.com

iOS/Android/web

£2.99 PER MONTH OR £23.99/YR SUBSCRIPTION explore.osmaps.com

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CYCLE

TRAVELLERS’ TALES

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Share your story We’d love to hear your Travellers’ Tales! Email: editor@cyclinguk.org

Misty Glen Kendrum

Scotland

Ranging far on eMTBs Electric mountain bikes aren’t just for trail centres, as John Whittle and his friend Rob proved

ow practical is mountain ‘touring’ on an eMTB? Rob (68) and I (72) were keen to find out. As an initial test last June, we tackled an overnighter from Callander to Killin via Glens Kendrum and Dubh and back via Glens Ogle and Ample: 80km and 1,150m of ascent, using cycle routes and MTB-only tracks. E-bike range is a combination of surface, weight, ascent, weather, tyre type and pressure. Using Bosch’s calculator, my 500Wh Scott was at its theoretical limit for day one; Rob’s 625Wh Scott could make it easily. The return was within easy reach of both. From Callander, NCN 7 was smooth gravel along the side of Loch Lubnaig to Kingshouse (aka Mhor 84), where we had coffee and flapjacks. A rough climb to the misty pass between Kendrum and Dubh led to a tricky, steep descent to a potentially dangerous ford – we crossed with ‘walk assist’ – down the east bank, then via the old railway line to the summit of Glen Ogle. Sadly, the chuck wagon that serves food in the car park was closed. In warm rain and midge clouds, we sped down into Killin. After 4.5hrs, I had 4km of battery assistance remaining.

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Having shared a battery charger, we reversed our route the next morning before joining the famous descent to Lochearnhead. Glen Ample was the highlight of our journey. It has a just-rideable track that crosses several shallow fords and climbs steadily through wild country. Once across the col we enjoyed the descent to a café on the shores of Loch Lubnaig. After a short section of main road, we rejoined NCN 7 to return to Callander. After 3.5hrs of riding, I had 18km left. Rob and I have now done over 5,000km of eMTB riding across northern England from our homes in Cumbria, much of that off-road – including the lovely Alnwick Classic, a Cycling UK sponsored ride. This year we’re doing The Sandstone Way: 193km in four days, with three stops to sleep and recharge.

Glaciers created lowland ponds

Herefordshire

Ice age cycling Explore geological history by bike with Ian Fairchild and Mike Brooks’s app LANDSCAPES TELL STORIES of the ice age. Everyone knows about the U-shaped valleys and arêtes (sharp mountain ridges) of upland landscapes, but the lowlands are just as fascinating. A great place to combine finding out about the ice age with a good day out on the bike is western Herefordshire, which was invaded by glaciers from Wales near the end of the last ice age about 20,000 years ago. Hummocky landscapes are dotted with ponds where ice melted. Strange valleys, often dry, were cut by meltwater under the ice, and the major rivers of the Wye and Arrow cut gorges as they had to find new courses when the ice retreated. A 60-mile loop west of Hereford through rolling hills and mostly on quiet lanes takes you through this landscape. To do it justice we’ve broken it into 30-mile circular trips, including off-road options. You can download the app – which is free – and the same material is on the website iceageponds.org. These aids help you see the landscape in different ways. Photographs are overlaid with features that can be seen. The contours of the land are brought into sharp relief with LIDAR images. Best of all, it helps you feel at one with the scenes you are travelling through. Ian’s favourite section is the deserted Noke Lane by the Arrow Valley, which emerges from a landscape that combines an incised valley, rolling hills, and secret ponds.

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TRAVELLERS’ TALES

Lunch stop, 2022 (Below) 1926

Not far from Rhayader

Scotland

Mid Wales

Elan Valley explorers The lanes and cycle tracks around these Welsh reservoirs make a great family break, as Richard Scrase discovered

ave you ever taken a shower or flushed a loo in Birmingham? We’ve just cycled around your water supply – some 80 miles away in central Wales – and we promise we didn’t take a swim in it either. Just to the south and west of Rhayader, the dams, reservoirs and 73-mile aqueduct of the Elan Valley were built 100 years ago to supply clean water to Birmingham. It was an epic feat of civil engineering that’s set within an area of outstanding scenic beauty. Now the water takes around two gravity-driven days to run from Wales to Birmingham. Today, the dams, reservoirs and surrounding hills provide some lovely

cycle routes, much of it off-road. We camped a few minutes’ ride from a visitor centre just below the Caban Coch Dam, the lowest of the sequence of four dams built into the Elan Valley. The visitor centre was vital for our holiday. I could charge up our electric car at one of the charge-points nestling behind the building, and more importantly, the playground next to it was the beacon of fun and reward for our youngest at the end of a hard day’s riding around the valley. A railway line was constructed in 1893 as the building work for the dams began. This railway moved workers and materials up and down the valley, and much of our riding was on the bed of this railway. This meant an easy route, views, and little worry about traffic. In three day rides we explored most of the easily-accessed Elan Valley area. We split a Lost Lanes route in two to travel north around the reservoir behind Craig Goch Dam and over the hills to Rhayader, and then the next day rode south on quiet roads in another circle that touched Rhayader. On the last day we climbed up to the Claerwen Dam and pretty much freewheeled back.

A century of cycling Ian Nicol of Fife & Kinross CTC describes their centenary ride THIS YEAR IS the centenary for Fife and Kinross CTC, which was inaugurated in 1922 as Fife District Association. To celebrate Walter L Browne and the other pioneers of the group, we prepared a circular ride into Kinross-shire, starting and ending in Burntisland. Many of the minor roads across Fife and Kinross familiar to our founding members are still available for us to ride today, and the route used as many of them as possible. Members from neighbouring and historically-linked Cycling UK groups, Lothians and Tayside, joined us to help commemorate all the folk who have cycled with us over the years. On 23 April, a group of 14 cyclists set off in bright sunshine with a steady easterly breeze to tackle the hills leading away from the coast. It made for a chilly if energetic start. Others joined along the way. By the time we stopped for lunch at Lochore Meadows Country Park, our ranks had grown to 23 riders plus several social attendees. At the lunch stop there was a centenary birthday cake, which was cut for us by Sarah, Walter’s granddaughter. Our calendar of ongoing centenary events, including our dinner in October, is here: cyclinguk.org/local-groups/fife-kinross

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TRAVELLERS’ TALES

With medals at the finish

West Country

The Great Weston Ride Bryn with bikes (Below) Roof of Odessa station

Eastern Europe

Ukraine by train Bryony Nicholson recalls the Ukrainian couple who helped get them on a train home in 2019

fter months cycling across Europe, we were ready for the final leg of our journey: travelling home by train with two bikes. Odesa station slumbered under a heavy July sky. We had been told by everyone – the ticket office, Ukrainian railways, online – that we could take our bikes on this train. The guard took one look at us, held up a hand and declared: “Impossible!” This was the only train that would take us across Ukraine to Poland; the only route that would get us home in time for our friends’ wedding. With some gesticulating, my partner Bryn negotiated access to the train, while I optimistically set about removing luggage from both bikes. Minutes later, Bryn leapt from the train followed by a lively young Ukrainian man, who introduced himself as Ivan and declared himself a keen cyclist. He returned to the guard, seamlessly switching from English to Ukrainian. “He says we can try!” Ivan said. And so we began. Ivan scooped up panniers and ferried them to the compartment, while Bryn and I dismantled the bikes. Mila, Ivan’s wife, set about rearranging their modest belongings, and we squeezed all our luggage into the compartments beneath the lower bunks.

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Bike wheels, each encased in a bin bag, were flung to the upper bunks. Finally, we carried the dismantled bikes themselves past the begrudging guard. After 20 minutes, of sweating, cursing, grumbling, adjusting, pushing and pulling, we managed to shove the two bikes into a gap above the carriage aisle. Triumphant, we sat down to share the food and drinks we had brought, and spent the night teaching each other card games. A new friendship formed as our train trundled across Europe. Postscript: Mila has left Ukraine and is in Poland with their son. Ivan is still there. They are seeking donations to support Ukrainians who remain: zrzutka.pl/en/ pomocukrainie#

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Last year Sue Hoddell relished being able to take part in a mass ride again THERE IS A CERTAIN law that says the day of any significant bike ride will be the wettest or the hottest of the year. Given the choice, I would go for the hottest – and this is what we got for the Great Weston Ride, a charity ride from Bristol to Weston-Super-Mare. We decided to take the bus transfer from Weston-Super-Mare to Bristol so that at the finish we could collapse with a beer and a burger. After collecting our event numbers at Ashton Gate, we were bunched together and set off in small groups. Mainly quiet roads took us out toward the airport and then sent us circumnavigating the Chew lakes. The first stop was a pub at the base of the only significant climb, allowing us to fill up on coffee and cold drinks. Fully refreshed, we set off up a steady climb, in and out of the shade and finally onto Burrington Combe, where we admired the views. After the climb came the whooping delight of the downhill. The Somerset Levels beckoned. As the actual distance from Bristol to Weston-Super-Mare is only about 24 miles and we were doing 57, there was plenty of meandering around small lanes and quiet villages. Déjà vu was a common experience. Finally the signs for WestonSuper-Mare appeared and we followed the backroads towards town. The final approach paralleled the seafront, then turned us into the welcome area where we were greeted by cowbells and applause. Medals collected, it was time to rehydrate properly with a beer and kick back in what remained of the glorious afternoon. It was wonderful to be back riding with groups of friends and fellow cyclists again.

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Cycle magazine June/July 2022

Articles inside

Going Dutch?

Electric commuters

Letters

Freewheeling

NC500 for seniors

Bombtrack Beyond

The Cantii Way