Cycle magazine October/November 2020

cycle THE MAGAZINE OF CYCLING UK

On test

TANDEM TOURERS CARRADICE SEATPACK CYCLIQ CAMERA/LIGHT CHILD SEATS & MORE

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020 £3 OR FREE TO MEMBERS

CYCLING FOR ALL DIVERSIFYING CYCLING’S DEMOGRAPHICS Page 49

P lu s KING ALFRED’S WAY OFF-ROAD RIDE CYCLE-FRIENDLY EMPLOYERS ARE YOUR LIGHTS LEGAL? AND MUCH MORE

CONTENTS 40

40 Bikes mean business How employers can help the bike boom

49 Cycling for all Why it’s important to diversify cycling’s demographics

52 Down the Rhine Cycling from Switzerland to the North Sea

Products 20 Shop window Previews of new products

22 Gear up Components, accessories, and books

62 Separable tandems Thorn Raven Twin and Circe Eos touring tandems on test

69 Child seats

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Four options for preschool passengers

Regulars 04 Freewheeling Bits and pieces from the bike world

07 This is Cycling UK Changes to the Highway Code; ‘Pop up’ cycle mechanics in England and Scotland; Why Cycling UK is Pumped Up; and more

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Richard Holden, Tandem pilot for the partially sighted. And Cat Dixon and Raz Marsden, round-the-world tandem record breakers

31 Letters

On the cover

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

16 You are Cycling UK

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Ellis Palmer (p4) by the River Mersey, photographed

by Robby Spanring

Your feedback on Cycle and cycling

46 Weekender 40-miles through the Galloway Hills

57 Cyclopedia Questions answered, topics explained

73 Travellers’ Tales Cycling UK members’ ride reports

CYCLING UK: Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford, GU2 9JX E: cycling@cyclinguk.org W: cyclinguk.org T: 01483 238300. Cycle promotes the work of Cycling UK. Cycle’s circulation is approx. 51,000. Cycling UK is one of the UK’s largest cycling membership organisations, with approx. 68,000 members and affiliates Patron: Her Majesty the Queen President: Jon Snow Interim Chief Executive: Pete Fitzboydon. Cyclists’ Touring Club, a Company Limited by Guarantee, registered in England No 25185, registered as a charity in England and Wales Charity No 1147607 and in Scotland No SC042541. Registered office: Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford, GU2 9JX. CYCLE MAGAZINE: Editor: Dan Joyce E: cycle@jamespembrokemedia.co.uk Head of Design: Simon Goddard Designer: Katrina Ravn Advertising: Harvey Falshaw T: 020 3198 3092 E: harvey.falshaw@jamespembrokemedia.co.uk Publisher: James Houston. Cycle is published six times per year on behalf of Cycling UK by James Pembroke Media, 90 Walcot Street, Bath, BA1 5BG. T: 01225 337777. Cycle is copyright Cycling UK, James Pembroke Media, and individual contributors. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission from Cycling UK and James Pembroke Media is forbidden. Views expressed in the magazine are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or the policies of Cycling UK. Advertising bookings are subject to availability, the terms and conditions of James Pembroke Media, and final approval

by Cycling UK. Printed by: William Gibbons & Sons Ltd, 26 Planetary Road, Willenhall, West Midlands, WV13 3XB T: 01902 730011 F: 01902 865835 Founded in 1878

Top to bottom: Joolze Dymond, Andy Catlin, pannier.cc, Sophie Gordon

Across the UK we’ve seen a surge in cycling caused by (temporarily) quieter roads and a growing awareness of the health and social distancing benefits that bikes provide. This surge has been supported by pop-up cycling infrastructure and a commitment to increased spending.

That’s as it should be: national and local governments have the biggest role to play in embedding cycling into our transport culture. But there are issues for others to address.

It would be useful if the UK cycle industry were bolder in importing transport bikes that normal people can comfortably ride in normal clothes. No demand? Customers won’t demand what’s invisible, which – outside of Cambridge and York – sensible bikes sadly are.

It would help, given the postlockdown focus on cycle commuting as a transport solution, if employers supported cycling staff more. Cycle commuters are more punctual, more productive, and take fewer days off sick. Investing in them benefits the bottom line – especially now.

So let’s have cycle parking that isn’t hidden around the back by the bins. Let’s enable staff to buy a bike at a discount through the cycle-towork scheme. Let’s have showers for those who wouldn’t commute without them. Let’s underscore something that, in the pandemic, society is finally acknowledging: bikes mean business.

Cycle Editor

34 King Alfred’s Way A 220-mile trail through historic Wessex

Welcome

DAN JOYCE

Features

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

Shop Window

Cover star Ellis, who has cerebral palsy, started cycling earlier this year

You ride

Ellis Palmer, handcyclist

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rowing up I always wanted to cycle, but as a wheelchair user it was something I viewed as impossible. Last year I found a website where I could get a handcycle, and in January I got one.

“Having cerebral palsy has not been as much of a problem as I thought. Hills are a challenge, especially considering hand bikes have a third of the power, but I make it work.

“A lot of elements of lockdown life haven’t been ideal. Working remotely has been tough. But one element has been amazing: cycling. Here on the Wirral, on the banks of the River Mersey, is where I did my first cycle with my dad.

“My grandparents are from Hull, and I always wanted to go from East Hull along the coast to Hornsea: 47 miles. During lockdown, I did it. Breathing in that fresh sea air… that coast… it’s mesmerising. A lot of places on the coast were inaccessible to me. Now I can get to them with my bike. It means a lot. It means freedom.”

Left: Robby Spanring

MORE PREVIEWS ON PAGE 20

New tech

SENA R1 EVO

/ guk.org/publication helmet in 2017 (cyclin esh ‘M s ha n We reviewed a Sena rsio ve s Thi mber-2017). cycle-magazine/dece t up to half a mile more cyclists can cha so ’, gy olo hn tec ™ om /cycling a.c Intercom sen 9, £16 g? ial distancin apart. Handy for soc

Bike tech

Out there

Classified hub

7MESH Thunder Pant

This 2-speed hub (100% and 70% ratios) works with an 11-speed cassette to give wider-range 1× gears. Hub/derailleur combos aren’t new but this has wireless shifting, powered at the hub via induction coils and not a battery.

Clever. £tbc, classifiedcycling.cc/en/

PUMPED UP PORTRAITS Ellis is one of our Pumped Up Portraits, in which cyclists describe what motivates them to ride and what they get out of cycling. For more, visit: cyclinguk.org/pumpedup/portraits

Event ONLINE VOLUNTEER CELEBRATION

As with many events this year, our Volunteer Celebration on 3 October is going online. There will be virtual workshops and presentations on safeguarding, diversifying cycling groups, subconscious bias, a ‘Big Bicycle Quiz’, and more.

It’s free to register, or you could watch the sessions afterwards on the website. cyclinguk.org/volunteer/going-extra-mile-our-volunteering-awards 4

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Sounds like something from Viz Comic.

Turns out it’s a pair of expensive waterproof trousers made not from Teflon-coated Mulberry silk but – you guessed it – Gore-Tex. Moneysaving tip: for a dry bum, fit a rear mudguard. £280, 7mesh.com

On my bike

Dame Sarah Storey DBE

Try this

Paralympic cyclist, Active Travel Commissioner for Sheffield, & one of our 100 Women in Cycling 2019

PUMPED UP CREW Join our Pumped Up Crew and help us inspire and encourage more people to start and continue cycling. There are three levels of involvement. As a PROMOTE volunteer, you’ll use your social media skills to spread the word. As

a PEDAL volunteer, you’ll organise a ride or take friends/family cycling.

Or join us as a PARTNER volunteer and campaign for cycling provision in your area or help with a bike maintenance session. cyclinguk. org/pumpedup/get-involved

Why do you cycle?

It’s my job! Training is usually 6-10 days in a row, then a rest day.

How far do you ride each week?

It varies from 300-700km.

Which of your bikes is your favourite?

The one that’s right for the ride I’m doing.

Picture this Cycling UK’s #12nightsoutin1year photo competition has run throughout the year, offering great bikepacking prizes for the best pictures. Here’s July’s winner, which was taken by Chris Goodman. Find out how to enter at cyclinguk.org/12-nights-out-in-1-year.

What do you always take when cycling?

Drinks bottles, food, my phone, and my bike computer.

Who mends your punctures?

I do, but I’ve been riding tubeless for a year or so and there’s not been one to change.

It’s raining: bike, public transport, or car?

I work from home so I go on the turbo!

Lycra or normal clothes?

Mostly I ride for training, so then it’s lycra.

If you had £100 to spend on cycling, what would you get?

I’d save it until I needed something.

What’s your favourite cycle journey?

I love the ride that takes me to Mirador del Rio in Lanzarote.

Bike hacks

ENJOYABLE ENERGY FOOD Parkin is Yorkshire ginger cake. It goes down better than energy bars after a long ride. Here’s how it’s made

by Bank View Café, one of our Cyclist Cafés of the Year 2019.

Mix 12oz golden syrup, 6oz butter, 8oz black treacle. Loosen for 2 min in the microwave. Pour into a bowl of 13oz oats. Add three eggs, 7oz self-raising flour, 9oz dark brown sugar, 3tsp milk, 3tsp ginger powder. Mix well. Pour into a lined tin. Bake at 160° for 45 min.

What single thing would most improve matters for UK cyclists?

There’s a combination of things that are needed. There’s been a piecemeal approach, which is why cycle rates are still so low in the UK. Sarah has supported #PinYourThanks in 2020.

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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

Cycling’s revival With UK bike use surging since lockdown, Interim Chief Executive Pete Fitzboydon looks forward to a better future for cycling

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t’s been a rollercoaster ride.

When I took over as Interim Chief Executive at the end of April, the country was still in strict lockdown.

The streets were free of traffic.

Shops, pubs and restaurants were closed. The skies above our heads were empty of planes.

My first week coincided with the Prime Minister returning to Downing Street after a coronavirus health scare. The pandemic was yet to reach its peak. Group cycle rides were restricted. We couldn’t meet up with anyone outside of our household bubble.

It was an extraordinary period of change but also a time of hope, as cycling for exercise and wellbeing was not only permitted but actively encouraged by governments. People who’d forgotten about their bikes were rediscovering the joy of cycling. Families rode together for fun and fitness. Key workers were jumping in the saddle to avoid public transport.

Main photo: Joolze Dymond

Changing up a gear The government in England announced an emergency active travel fund to encourage pop-up bike lanes. In all four nations, cycle journeys were up and, as a result, Cycling UK had never been busier. Many other charities have struggled to survive.

Up to 60,000 jobs in the sector could be lost as a result of the pandemic, as could over £2bn of income.

That’s a tragedy not only for those who’ve lost jobs or are under threat of redundancy but for all the beneficiaries of those charities. Thankfully, our membership means we’re less reliant on trading, street collections, and events fundraising I’m proud of how we’ve managed not only to weather the ongoing storm but to achieve so much. We launched a Big Bike Revival Scheme for key workers, making sure those who were keeping the country running had access to bikes

Stay connected

facebook.com/CyclingUK

50%

Government target for cycling and walking’s share of urban journeys

and the support to ride them. We’ve rolled out a pop-up Big Bike Revival repair scheme across England, and continue to deliver a Scotland Cycle Repair Scheme.

In August, we launched our Pumped Up campaign to encourage people to keep riding after the lockdown restrictions were lifted. In September, we put on the Worlds’ Biggest Bike Ride, encouraging and inspiring tens of thousands and showing how important cycling is for the UK. We launched King Alfred’s Way, a 350km circular trail around the heart of historic Wessex. And all the while, in the background, our campaigning and lobbying work continued.

In England, the Prime Minister’s vision for “a golden age of cycling” was published under the title ‘Gear Change’, setting out the most progressive vision for cycling in decades. Our job now is to hold them to delivering it. With local elections next year, we have a chance to demonstrate to those seeking power that the public demands the type of welcoming environment we witnessed during lockdown.

None of these achievements would have been possible without you and the powerful voice your membership gives us. That’s why I was so pleased you voted in favour of our membership changes at this year’s AGM. It makes our funding sustainable and gives us a great base to build on our membership numbers.

So it’s with mixed feelings that I leave Cycling UK to hand over to your new chief executive, Sarah Mitchell. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together over this most difficult period of our history, and glad to have been at the helm at such a pivotal moment for the charity. I wish Sarah the very best in her new role. She joins at a time when the future of cycling has never looked brighter.

Twitter @wearecyclinguk

www.cyclinguk.org

(Gear Change)

The public demands the type of welcoming environment we witnessed during lockdown

cycling@cyclinguk.org

01483 238301

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31/03

Left: Dave Walker. Right: Wayne Fox

Cycling UK’s financial year is changing and will run from 1 April to 31 March

CRACKING THE CODE

DIVERSITY MATTERS Cycling UK has been promoting rides to mark the festivals and religious celebrations of members from minority groups. In July, the focus was the Buddhist festival of Dharma Day and the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha. Future rides will recognise Diwali, as well as traditional UK calendar dates like Hallowe’en, Bonfire Night and Christmas. Email ideas to volunteering@cyclinguk.org.

A Highway Code that protects vulnerable road users such as cyclists is within our grasp. Duncan Dollimore explains how you can help make it happen

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e’ve been lobbying the Government and campaigning for a review of Britain’s Highway Code ever since I joined Cycling UK five years ago, so I was relieved at the end of July when the long-awaited consultation on proposed changes to the Code was finally published.

Clearer rules and guidance on overtaking distances and car-dooring were central to our Too Close for Comfort and Dutch Reach campaigns, but it was your support for our ‘Cycle safety: make it simple’ campaign in 2018 that finally made the Department for Transport (DfT) commit to the first major review of the Code in 13 years. Over 10,000 people supported our suggestions, including a key change to junction priority rules: that vehicles turning at junctions without traffic signals give way to pedestrians or cyclists going straight ahead across their path, unless traffic signs or markings indicate otherwise.

Over the last two years we’ve worked with the DfT to influence many of the changes set out in the consultation document. The one that could make the

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Birmingham cyclists celebrate Eid by bike

most difference for all vulnerable road users is a hierarchy of responsibility. Road users most at risk in the event of a collision would be at the top of the hierarchy: pedestrians – in particular, children, older adults, and disabled people – followed by cyclists and horse riders, then motorcyclists.

This wouldn’t remove the need for any road user to behave responsibly but would mean that people in charge of the largest vehicles, with the potential to cause the most harm in a collision, bore the greatest responsibility to take care and reduce the danger they pose to others. So a lorry driver would have a greater responsibility to those driving a car or motorcycle, and cyclists would have more responsibility than pedestrians.

Over 8,000 people have already emailed the DfT to support this and other important changes. We are expecting objections from motoring groups before the consultation closes at the end of October. So if you haven’t responded yet, visit cyclinguk.org/ highwaycode to send an email to the DfT and help us secure a Highway Code that’s better for everyone.

Covid-19

GUIDANCE FOR GROUPS Advice for safe cycling in all four nations of the UK during the coronavirus pandemic continues to be regularly updated on the Cycling UK website. As we went to press, the rules – which had been loosened – were tightened again for England and Scotland.

Outside of specific, riskassessed situations, the limit for group rides in both countries is now six cyclists. For the latest advice, visit cyclinguk.org/ coronavirus.

Website

PACKED WITH INFORMATION Cycling UK has built up a library of bikepackingrelated content online, much of it appearing first in Cycle. It includes group tests, great rides, guides, and tips. Find out how to set up a tarp using your bike, which lightweight stove is best for camping, or learn more about our latest trail, King Alfred’s Way, all at cyclinguk.org/ bikepacking.

Find out more online about bivvying by bike

Governance

TRUSTEE ELECTIONS It’s election time again for Cycling UK’s Board of Trustees. You’ll find statements from the shortlisted candidates, as well as a voting form, on the insert included with this issue of Cycle. Details for voting are on the form.

If yours is missing, please contact Cycling UK’s membership team during office hours on 01483 238300 or alternatively email membership@ cyclinguk.org.

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£15 Price of our new 6-month membership package. See cyclinguk.org/ back-your-bike

Big Bike Revival centres like Glos Bike Project are now providing ‘pop up’ repairs

Big Bike Revival

BRINGING BIKES BACK TO LIFE

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ycling UK is running two new schemes to fix up people’s bikes and get them riding.

The Scotland Cycle Repair Scheme is providing free £50 repairs to people across Scotland who couldn’t otherwise afford to get their bike into shape. Thanks to Scottish Government funding, we’re working with over 280 bike shops and mechanics to provide repairs to 30,000 people.

Accessing the scheme

is simple: people contact their nearest participating bike shop or mechanic to get their repair booked in. Since launching on 3 August, interest in the scheme has been massive.

In England, bikes are being given a new lease of life by the Big Bike Revival Pop Up Repair Service. Free repairs and maintenance are on offer to communities across England, thanks to ‘popup’ Dr Bike sessions in 150 locations. The scheme is

Transport

NO TIME FOR SELFIES Since 2017, there have been more than 160 near misses with cyclists at level crossings across Britain’s railway network. That’s 160 too many: there are clear signs in place across each of the 6,000 crossings to keep everyone safe.

Cycling UK has teamed up with Network Rail to create a guide of how to keep safe at level crossings. Most of it is common sense, like “no selfies”. (It does happen!) Find out more at: cyclinguk.org/level-crossings.

funded by the Department of Transport.

Bikes are given a full safety check and minor repairs, with those needing more work being signposted to the nearest independent bike shop participating in the Government’s £50 Repair Voucher scheme.

For more details, visit cyclinguk.org/ ScotCycleRepair and cyclinguk.org/bigbike-revival-poprepair-service.

Crossing diagonally?

Walking may be best

Near left: Susan Keywood. Far left: Robby Spanring

this is

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Riding in family groups: Covid-19 compliant

The first of Cycling UK’s Pumped Up Crews assembles in Manchester in August

Family cycling

Left: Robby Spanring. Right: Peter Cornish

NEW FOREST CYCLING WEEK

Engagement

PUMPED UP Our new campaign provides inspiration and support for new and returnee riders to prevent the UK’s cycling renaissance from sputtering out. Adrian Wills explains

T

o build on the bike boom we’ve seen this year, Cycling UK launched its Pumped Up campaign in August to celebrate the joy of cycling and to remind people about the fun and freedom it unlocks.

We began by travelling the length and breadth of the UK to capture images and stories of people for whom cycling has become a way of life. Our Pumped Up Portraits featured people who ride for their health, those who inspire others to ride, and cyclists who use their bike for fun and freedom.

Pete Fitzboydon, Interim Chief Executive, said: “Pumped Up is all about capturing that spirit of what cycling means to us and why we all love it so much. We want to share that enthusiasm and inspire even more people to get in the saddle. Our Pumped Up Portraits demonstrate the range of backgrounds and diversity of people who cycle in the UK.” Cycling UK followed up Pumped Up Portraits with the launch of its Pumped Up Crew at an event in Manchester at the beginning of September. Described as “the AA of cyclists”, our volunteer crews can be found across the country offering safety tips, local knowledge, advice and support

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for new cyclists looking for that little bit of encouragement.

Jenny Box, Cycling UK’s head of behaviour change and development in England, said: “With a 146% increase in cycling since March, it’s never been more important to help new and returning cyclists feel welcome and supported on the road.”

Crew member Vicky Palethorpe, from Warwickshire, said: “A lot of people might feel a bit nervous if they’re new to cycling so we’re here to help. If you see us we can help with advice, fix a tyre (if it’s not too damaged), or just give you some socially-distanced highfives!” cyclinguk.org/pumpedup

10 Ideas to improve town centres: cyclinguk.org/ article/ten-wayscreate-tenminute-town

While most of Cycling UK’s events this summer were cancelled, the New Forest Cycling Week at Avon Tyrell at the end of July went ahead. With appropriate hygiene and social distancing measures in place, riders of all ages cycled in small groups to the beach, cafés, and other destinations. For next year’s event, see: cyclinguk. org/local-groups/newforest-cycling-week.

Cycling UK

NEW CHIEF EXEC STARTS Cycling UK has appointed Sarah Mitchell as its new Chief Executive. She joins from Heart of the City, a social business, and takes over from Interim Chief Executive Pete Fitzboydon in mid-October. Sarah is keen to encourage people from all communities to cycle more, not only to improve the nation’s health and the environment but to enrich their lives. Former Chief Executive Paul Tuohy stepped down in April.

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200%

Increase in cycling journeys during lockdown

Clockwise from this photo: The concessionary rate will be available to members of any age who meet the criteria. Your support is vital to make cycling more accessible to others. It also funds our campaigning work to make cycling safer. Dan Howard

Membership

A VOTE FOR CHANGE

The motion to amend Cycling UK’s membership structure was passed at the AGM in September.

Adrian Wills outlines what’s different – and why

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Photos: Robby Spanring (except car dooring: Julie Skelton)

arlier this year, we proposed some fundamental changes to our membership, which have now been voted on and approved at our AGM. The changes will come into effect from 1 November and will have an impact on all members.

It means we can offer you more for your fees, such as increased insurance and retailer discounts, provide more tailored content to suit the type of cycling you’re interested in, and it will help us increase our membership numbers.

From 1 November, on renewal, our concessions will be solely based on the ability to pay rather than related to age. In other words, we will no longer be offering a senior discount.

The change was essential to ensure our fee

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structure is fairer overall and our funding is sustainable for all those things you want us to carry on doing, such as our vital campaigning work to improve cycling conditions for everyone.

Dan Howard, Chair of Trustees, said: “Many members supported the changes but we also very much appreciate that they caused concern for some, and we’re grateful to everyone who took the time to call and email with their feedback. Hopefully, we were able to allay many of the fears they might have had, and they went away with a better understanding of why the changes, particularly to the fees, were necessary.

“We’ve received a great deal of valuable

feedback, which we’ve already used to shape how the new membership package will be implemented. And we’ll be working hard to support our senior members over the coming year because it’s important to us that you stay with us and keep supporting cycling and our important work.

“The changes mean that we now have the opportunity to double down on all the good work we’ve started, whether that’s campaigning for better infrastructure and justice for cyclists, helping more people to start and continue cycling, or inspiring and encouraging more women to cycle.“ The motion for change put forward at the AGM followed a wide-scale survey of members and detailed research into membership packages provided by similar-sized charities.

It also forms part of our drive to increase our membership numbers so our collective voice becomes even louder.

What happens next We’ll be contacting all members who currently fall into the senior age bracket well in advance of their renewal to explain their options. That

this is

might mean we’re able to move you onto a concessionary rate if you meet the criteria, such as being in receipt of pension credit or if your sole income is the state pension. There is also an option to move to a £75 household membership if you live with another member.

Or you could take out a lifetime membership, which reduces the cost based on the number of years you’ve been a member. This option is both a great way to support the charity over the long term and great value for money, significantly reducing the lifetime rate to recognise your loyalty to the charity – and it’s something very few other organisations currently offer.

Finally, there is an option for older members to take out our new supporter offer, which is perfect for people who no longer cycle but who wish to stay involved and support us. For a minimum £2 monthly donation, you’ll still receive your Cycle magazine, a benefit we know is highly valued by members, but you won’t be paying for insurance cover.

Furthermore, we’re freezing the adult rate this year to support those people transitioning from the previous senior rate.

How the changes will help These changes mean we can build on our membership foundations and become a more

Concessions will be solely based on the ability to pay rather than related to age.

We will no longer offer a senior discount

powerful voice for cycling with a greater influence over governments and key decision makers. It will allow us to lobby for more funding for cycling, to push for improvements to highway laws, to work with police on driver education, to support more women to cycle, and to fight injustices in the courts.

This year has been an extraordinary one in many respects, not least because of the enormous impact coronavirus has had on all our lives. It’s meant that group rides have been curtailed and limits placed on our movements, but at the same time we’ve seen a massive increase in the numbers of people cycling. Government figures reported that at one stage during the lockdown, cycle journeys were up a staggering 200%.

This has presented a huge opportunity for us all in the cycling community. More people cycling means greater pressure can be brought to bear on making cycling safer, more accessible, and more accepted – at all levels.

After years of lobbying by Cycling UK, the government in England this year announced its most comprehensive package of measures ever to improve walking and cycling To build on that momentum, we’re already looking ahead to next year to see how we can shape Bike Week, the Women’s Festival of Cycling, and the Challenge Ride series, as well as continuing to lobby and campaign for infrastructure improvements, Highway Code amendments, and fairer treatment of cyclists through the courts.

We’re working closely with groups and volunteers to improve your cycling experience, looking at how we make CycleClips and Cycle magazine even more relevant to you. We’ll continue to build on our behaviour change programmes, helping even more people into the saddle.

Dan Howard added: “I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who took the time to vote or attend our AGM. I know how unsettling change can be but I’m pleased that the majority of members understood and appreciated our reasons for the changes.

“It’s important to us that we’re able to support those members on low incomes who would struggle to pay the full rates, which is why the team will be providing lots of support not only to senior members but to all our membership, because every member is important to us and we want you to stay.

“We need you to help us reach our ambitious target of 100,000 members and supporters, because this will ensure we remain financially sustainable for the future and grow in statue and in voice to represent the rights and needs of cyclists everywhere.’

What do I need to do?

You don’t need to do anything now. Just wait for your normal renewal reminder letter and emails, which will set out all your options in more detail and give you plenty of time to transition to the right option for you.

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RICHARD HOLDEN Cycling UK member Richard volunteers as a tandem pilot for visually impaired cyclists. He also helps maintain the bikes

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couple of years ago I saw a post on my local chat group from Merton Sports and Social Club for the Visually Impaired, who were looking for front riders to pilot tandems with blind and partially sighted rear riders (stokers). I was recently retired and wanted something useful to do with my time. As a lifelong cyclist and a qualified bike mechanic, it seemed perfect. I called the number and agreed to join the next ride on my solo bike.

It was a cold November day, but despite the conditions, everyone was very friendly and upbeat. The main organisers were Richard and Terry. Terry, who is visually impaired, gave me a brief rundown on how to be a useful companion for someone with limited vision. We were then off to Kent and our refreshment stop near Biggin Hill. The route was hilly, the lunch was good, and I went home thinking this could be fun.

Before the next ride I had my first go on a tandem. The difficult bits were starting, stopping, and dealing with traffic. I was also aware of my responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of the person on the back. Still, I must have done okay, as Terry, who had courageously ridden with me, proclaimed I was good to go.

My first proper ride as a pilot was quite an intense experience. I had to concentrate to ensure I coordinated with my stoker, managed the traffic, and didn’t fall over when we stopped! When we got to our refreshment stop, I had to consider my stoker’s needs, guide her to a table, ensure she knew what was available, that her order was taken, and that when it arrived, she knew what was in front of her and where.

This was all made easy by my stoker, who was fun to be with and had a wicked sense of humour.

The stokers had a range of experiences. Some were blind from birth, others lost sight later in life, and some had limited sight in different circumstances. I also discovered that they were parents, working professionals, artists, funny, serious – all sorts of things on top of being visually impaired.

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This photo: Richard (front right) wasn’t previously a tandemist Below: The group rides throughout the winter too

I have now done dozens of rides and have become a lot more confident piloting tandems. I particularly love the longer rides, such as a ride with an overnight stay in Sussex last summer. These rides allow us to escape to rolling countryside and quiet lanes. It also means we have the opportunity to enjoy a bit of racing, and the joshing that goes along with that.

In addition, I am involved in repairing and maintaining our tandems, some of which are quite elderly. We had no budget for this, but with the support of the bike shop where I work we have kept them on the road.

The club is about cycling, but it is also more than that for many of the visually impaired members. For example, one of the stokers has told me how she felt the club has given her confidence in her own abilities, not only on a bike but in her life in general. She has started to accept her sight loss and strive to live life to the full nevertheless.

It’s not all one way either. I have gained so much from becoming a member of MSSC: I’ve made some new and interesting friends, both sighted and visually impaired, and I’ve gained an insight into living with a disability. Plus I’ve learned a lot about tandems.

Riding a tandem is a sociable and rewarding experience, not just for the visually impaired stokers, who enjoy the freedom, camaraderie, and physical exercise, but for pilots like me who also appreciate the exercise and the company.

More Info The website for Richard’s group is: www.mssc.org.uk

For information on volunteering for Cycling UK www.cyclinguk.org/volunteer

you are Tech Spec

ALICE THE TANDEM

CAT, RAZ, AND ALICE Record breakers Cat Dixon and Raz Marsden were named two of Cycling UK’s 100 Women in Cycling for 2020. Dan Joyce spoke to them

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ny round-the-world record attempt is a race against time. For tandemists Cat Dixon and Raz Marsden there was the added pressure of impending lockdowns. They caught the penultimate passenger ferry from Caen, France, to the UK, completing their circumnavigation in Oxford on 18 March. Their time of 263 days 8 hours and 7 minutes broke the men’s record by more than 17 days, as well as being a new women’s record.

“It was a bit of a dash across Europe,” Cat admits. “We got out of France on the day the country locked down. Guinness set a minimum of 18,000 miles, which we’d done before crossing the Channel, but the travel ban would’ve been hugely problematic for us: you couldn’t exercise together.”

On a tandem, they’d have been stuck. They nearly were anyway: their ferry tickets were for the following Saturday. “We just turned up at the port,” says Raz. “Fortunately, because we didn’t have a motor vehicle, they could fit us on with the bike.”

The bike was ‘Alice’, a customised Orbit Summit from JD Tandems. Why Alice? “Our club, Cowley Road Condors in Oxford, had a competition to name the bike,” Raz explains.

“Alice was suggested because it stands for, I think, Awesome Ladies In Cycling Extravaganza. Plus, there’s ‘Alice Through The Looking Glass’; Lewis Carroll was from Oxford. So it all works.”

Riding a tandem – especially when doing 100-mile days for months – requires camaraderie. Even via video chat, it’s clear that Cat and Raz have that: they finish each other’s sentences and there’s gentle banter. (Raz, grinning: “I’m taller than Cat, obviously.” Cat, wryly: “She’s not, actually.”) So it’s a surprise to discover they only began riding together three years ago.

“We met when we were cycling from London to Paris for charity,” says Cat. “Then we started riding together – things like the Étape, Liège-Bastogne-Liège. We started talking about an adventure, and I’d always had this ambition to cycle around the world. It turned into ‘Why not on a tandem?’”

Riding a tandem meant they could go for the world record

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Top: It was one of the last records to make the 2021 book Below: Cat (pilot) and Raz (stoker) rode self-supported

without competing with one another on solo bikes. “It was great,” Cat says. “The teamwork, riding together… it’s good fun.

But it’s hard work. A tandem is a big, heavy bike.”

That was most evident on climbs – and there were some long ones. Raz says: “One day we spent about 50 kilometres–” Cat: “Miles!”

Raz: “Fifty miles up a mountain. Fifty miles up! But you just set your gears, set your head, and pedal.”

They rode across Australia in 45-50º heat, into a desert headwind, covered in flies. Raz says: “Going eight, nine miles an hour is fine until you do the maths and think: ‘We’re going to be doing this for ten, 11 hours.’ So you don’t count the hours.

You just go.”

Their demanding schedule didn’t stop them enjoying the trip. “Every day was a different adventure,” says Cat. “We went through some fantastic places. I loved Italy; it was like being a tourist. The Croatian coast was amazing. India was just madness. Big Sur in America was beautiful. Crossing the AnzaBorrega desert, you saw the hummingbird, Raz.” “It was so delicate and tiny,” says Raz, “and right beside us on a flower. We stood transfixed for about ten minutes watching it. It was fantastic. That was a highlight.”

Cat and Raz will be in the 2021 edition of the Guinness World Records. They might appear again in the 2022 book. Cat is coy but talks about higher-intensity speed training.

“We’ll let you know,” she says.

More Info Cat and Raz have raised over £40,000 for Oxfam and The Motor Neurone Disease Association. tandemwow.com

Make & model: Orbit Summit with S&S couplings Frame & fork: Reynolds 853 frame, Orbit steel fork.

Wheels: 32-622 Schwalbe Marathon tyres, Alex G6000 aero rims, DT Alpine III triple butted spokes, Orbit large flange 48-hole hubs.

Drivetrain: Shimano PD-M540 pedals, 170mm Stronglight Impact chainsets (pilot: crossover drive; stoker 34-50t), Shimano UN55 bottom brackets (pilot: in eccentric shell), KMC chains, 11-42 11-speed cassette. Shimano Ultegra STI shifters and derailleurs. 22 ratios, 22-123in.

Brakes: TRP Spyre disc brakes with 203mm rotors, plus XT rear V-brake.

Seating: Selle Italia Diva+ saddles, Satori Elegance suspension stoker seatpost tandems.co.uk

P roduct News

SHOP WINDOW

Autumn is normally trade show time. Not this year.

Dan Joyce trawled the infinite halls of the internet instead

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Brompton Basket Bag in Liberty Fabric £80

Brum, brum

The Cycle Show (16-18 April now) is moving from Birmingham’s NEC to London’s Alexandra Palace. cycleshow.co.uk

Brompton luggage too utilitarian? This 23-litre nylon/polyester front-carrier bag has a floral ‘Thorpe print’ from Liberty Fabrics. brompton.com

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Cube Acid 200 Allroad £349

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Tumbleweed Mini Pannier Rack $140

A lightweight rack for bikepackers with big tyres (up to 29×3.5in or 26×4.7in), it supports small panniers or bottle/accessory cages. tumbleweed.cc

Garmin GLO 2

£89.99 Some phones have poor GPS performance, while many tablets are wifi-only.

This device enables you to use either for accurate on-bike navigation. garmin.com

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Available from October, this do-it-all Reynolds 631 steel frameset takes 650B or 700C wheels and whatever luggage and derailleur gearing options you fancy. fairlightcycles.com

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Yes, that’s hub dynamo lighting on this 20in-wheel, 1×7 geared junior bike. It also has a kickstand and clip-on mudguards – or you could fit ‘real’ ones. cube.eu

Fairlight Faran 2.0 frameset £899

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Parkis

from £279+VAT Vertical parking for those who struggle to lift their bike, the wheel holder rises up on a spring. Could be ideal for e-bikes. New MTB version pictured. bellsure.co.uk, parkis.eu

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N-lock £107.35 More space saver than high security, the N-lock stem fastens the bike’s handlebar at a 90º angle. An integrated 60-150cm cable lock is an optional extra. n-lock.com

More online

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

cycle@jamespembroke media.co.uk

Other options

GO PRO HERO 7 BLACK £249.99

Pros & cons + Powerful, programmable light + 1080p video – Strap attachment

Classic action camera packed with features, but lacking lights and bonus cycling features such as Strava metrics overlay.

gopro.com

Cycliq

Fly6 CE Gen2 Easy-to-use camera that doubles as your rear light £165 cycliq.com

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any police forces now accept video evidence to report dangerous driving. This camera/rear light combo represents a top-of-therange option for obtaining such footage. Although the Gen3 model is shipping imminently, that should hopefully mean a drop in price for this version.

The light is fantastic. It’s powerful enough to be visible in daylight, while handy customisability lets you disable individual settings, saving you from cycling through your less favoured options.

As you’d expect at this price,

the 1080p video quality is equally impressive: you’ll have no problem picking out number plates. And its waterproof credentials proved themselves on several rainy rides.

It’s also straightforward to use once set up – one click and you’re away. The SD card (included) will continuously overwrite old footage unless a segment’s been ‘locked’, which will happen automatically if you’re involved in a collision so there’s no risk of the memory filling up. (It can also be locked manually.) While regular charging is needed for any such

device, the battery life of up to six hours is adequate. In terms of its core functions, it’s very hard to criticise.

The attachment options aren’t so good. The Velcro strap that secures the unit snugly to your seatpost showed early signs of wear, and it’s awkward to attach elsewhere if your seatpost is occupied by a saddlebag.

I was disappointed to find that the recoded footage isn’t viewable wirelessly on the dedicated app. You need to plug it into your computer or transfer the SD card to your phone – which isn’t possible on many.

The option to overlay Strava metrics is nice but finicky to do.

This isn’t a camera for sharing your rides on YouTube. Instead, it’s optimised to be left to its own devices, ready to be relied upon when you need highquality footage of a dangerous incident.

Keir Gallagher

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.

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CROSSTOUR CT7000-FR ACTION CAMERA £29.99 One of a number of budget options on Amazon.co.uk. Also lacking lights etc.

crosstour.co/ ct7000new

Verdict

The core functionality is impressive: stable 1080p video, powerful LEDs, and ease of use.

Finicky editing and attachment issues detract from an otherwise highquality device.

REVIEWS

GEAR UP

Pros & cons

+ Doesn’t sag onto rear wheel + Carrying handle – Harder to mount/ dismount bike

Other options

Carradice

Bikepacking Seatpack

ALPKIT KOALA £74.99

Two sizes (7L or 13L), three colours, three fabric types. Exorail attachment is an optional extra as is a 10L dry-bag liner.

Large, durable bikepacking bag that doesn’t sag or sway £90 carradice.co.uk

alpkit.com

I

f you own a luggage rack and panniers, you may not give this handcrafted seatpack a second glance. But if you want something lighter (some racks tip the scales at nearly 1kg) or if your bike isn’t designed to take one, Carradice have a typically smart solution.

In a nutshell: capacity 12-16L; weight 335g; choice of three colours; anti-sway bracket that attaches to your saddle rails; and a day-glow internal liner for extra wet-weather protection.

Carradice have been making bags for bicycles since 1930.

They’re based in Nelson, Lancashire, and every bag now has a label inside signed by the person who made it. (Thank you for making this one, Zaneta!)

To avoid faff when fitting the seatpack, Carradice include a stainless support weighing

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200g. This makes the seatpack quick to take on/off, super stable, and keeps the load away from the rear tyre even on small frames. The underside has a wipe-clean panel that acts as a mudguard.

The pack can be rolled down fully for minimal cargo, or filled to capacity with an extra strap provided to compress heavier loads (up to 6kg). A lightweight, daisy-chain, multiple-hook system means you can adjust capacity to suit. Rear light attachment? There are three loops, so one of them will be in the right spot.

There are two seatpack features unique to Carradice: ample use of 3M reflective strip for side and rear visibility; and up-cycled innertube lining the Velcro strap where it meets the seatpost, for extra grip

and minimal chaffing. There’s an elasticated cargo net for stuff you want stashed on the outside, e.g. damp clothing.

Anyone who’s owned a Carradice bag will know how durable they are. Here, 1000-denier military grade Cordura is used. If you do ever need a repair, I’ve always found Carradice go above and beyond, even if you’ve had the bag for decades.

Liz Colebrook

Verdict

Robust, sizeadjustable, and intelligently designed. The support bracket and dry-bag included in the price make this excellent value. It gets my vote.

APIDURA BACKCOUNTRY £93+

Three sizes: 11L, 14L, and 17L. Top notch all-weather fabric.

No support bracket so needs plenty of seatpost for stability. apidura.com

REVIEWS

GEAR UP

Pros & cons

+ Looks good + Lightweight – Rim clearance/ compatibility

Other options

TEKTRO CR720 £23 EACH

Basic but competent wide-angle cantilever using slim V-brake-style blocks.

tektro.com

Avid

Shorty Ultimate Lightweight cantilever brake with a largely redundant ‘wide angle’ option £108 each sram.com SHIMANO CX50

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vid’s Shorty Ultimate offers a choice of wide- and low-profile configurations in one cantilever brake. The cable arm and brake block post are separate components clamped together by twin hex bolts via one of the two pairs of holes that provide the alternative set-ups.

One arm houses a cable adjuster, the other the straddle cable clamp; the brake uses a simple straddle wire with stirrup rather than a Shimano-type link wire. The Ultimate uses replaceable Shimano-pattern road brake blocks in shoes that can be adjusted for toe-in and to match the rim’s brake track angle. The retracting springs engage with bosses clamped to the spigots. These can be

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£35 EACH

turned using a 15mm spanner, once the fixing bolts have been slackened, to ensure precise centring of the blocks.

Avid claim 20% greater power in the low-profile configuration.

My test rides backed this up.

In wide mode, the brake has a harder feel at the lever, which is indicative of a lower mechanical advantage and less power.

The Shorty Ultimate is a clever-looking design but not without issues. It seems designed for a 19mm wide rim.

Mounted on spigots at 80mm spacing, the brake’s blocks can be angled to meet a 22mm wide rim correctly, but on a 24mm rim the washer system does not allow enough articulation.

In low-profile mode, the outboard washer fouls the

arm when positioned near the bottom of the slot, limiting height adjustment. The washers can’t be swapped to accommodate rim width as the outer one won’t pass over the shoe mounting post. The adjuster barrel is drilled for the 1.5mm diameter straddle wire provided; a standard 1.6mm brake cable won’t pass through and spares don’t appear to be widely available.

Perhaps the Ultimate’s designer missed a trick. The shoe post section is offset towards the rim from the spigot centreline but by so much that it can’t be reversed to offer more clearance. A little attention here would make the brake the versatile design it aims to be.

Richard Hallett

Chunky-looking but highly effective lowprofile design with loads of adjustability.

shimano.com

Verdict

Lightweight at 120g per wheel but expensive, complex, and supplied with an unusual straddle cable, the Ultimate works well in lowprofile mode on a rim of suitable width.

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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

TURN PAGES ABOUT TURNING PEDALS

King Alfred’s Way YOU CAN TELL Guy Kesteven used to be an

archaeologist. His enthusiasm for all things ancient is catching, and will make you look twice at any oddly-shaped lumps of earth or neatly arranged stones that you happen to pass while out riding this new off-road route. But the book isn’t just a history lesson:

Details

By: Guy Kesteven Publisher: Cycling UK Price: £14 (15% off for

Cycling UK members)

it also has practical advice about the best bikes, kit, and stopovers for riding King Alfred’s Way. The OS maps at the back are handy too, pointing out alternative options to the main route and detours to interesting places.

Sophie Gordon

Gears for Queers WHAT DOES IT take to call yourself a cyclist? Or feel like a ‘proper’ tourer? Lilith and Abi ask themselves these questions as they embark on their first tour.

As anyone who’s set off with a loaded bike will be aware, behind the smiling photos and fabulous views lurks an array of mechanical mishaps, navigational errors, and questionable detours on terrain your tyres were not designed for.

I really enjoyed reading this book. After Details months of lockdown, it was wonderful By: Abigail Melton & to meander around the cycle paths of Lilith Cooper Western Europe, albeit vicariously. The Publisher: Sandstone personal writing style draws you close Press to the authors as you experience the Price: £8.99/£3.39 emotional ups and downs of their trip.

ISBN: 978-1912240968 As someone who has been known to try to cram too many miles into my cycle trips, I found it interesting to read about a very different style of tour, with less riding and more time to look around.

This is not an heroic tale of overcoming personal barriers on an epic endurance challenge. It’s a frank and honest discussion about acknowledging your own challenges and learning to live with them, whether it’s struggling with mental health, body image, or finding a sense of identity in a rapidly changing world.

Sophie Gordon

Going digital If there’s a price after a forward slash, the title can be downloaded for that amount as an e-book. You’ll need a Kindle e-reader or a phone/tablet app.

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Tough Women Adventure Stories

Details

By: Jenny Tough Publisher:

Summersdale Price: £9.99/£5.99 ISBN: 978-1787833005

THIS SERIES OF short stories provides snapshots of some of the challenges faced by inspiring women from across the globe. Their adventures take many forms: bikepacking, open-water swimming, mountain climbing, scientific expeditions, and more. As well as the adventures, there are stories of loss, injury, long-term illness, mental health struggles, and the challenges of motherhood. This book will leave you with a reading list and a wish to find out more about everyone featured.

Ellen Holmes

How to Build a Bike JENNI HAS HELPED thousands of people fix

or build their own bikes at the London Bike Kitchen. Her book is not aimed at capable bike mechanics but those of us who have no idea where to start. Beautifully designed,

Details By: Jenni

Gwiazdowski Publisher: Frances Lincoln Price: £14.99 ISBN: 978-0711238985

with photos using pre-loved frames and bike parts, it shows that building your own bike is not just the preserve of those who can afford the best. Her writing is friendly and approachable (and sometimes a bit sweary). It has simple steps and checklists to help you stay on track. I found it inspiring.

Victoria Hazael

O p inio n

Letters

Get in touch

THIS MONTH ENJOYING THE JOURNEY, AN ALPE D’HUEZ ALTERNATIVE, TIGHT TYRES, FLIGHT-FREE TOURING, AND MORE

LETTERS are edited for space, clarity and, if necessary, legality. The Editor reads and acknowledges all letters to Cycle but publishes only a selection and doesn’t enter into correspondence. Feedback for the next issue must arrive by 30 October.

WRITE TO: Cycle, PO Box 313, Scarborough, YO12 6WZ or email cycle@jamespembrokemedia.co.uk

Left: Adrian Wills. Right: Simon Warren

There’s more to cycling than staring at your bike computer, reckons Ben Morris

th Letter of the mon

Smell the flowers

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here are many more cyclists about these days. A good thing too. Not only does it mean that motorists are getting more considerate, but all those people are getting healthier. Many of the newer cyclists seem to fall into one of two categories: those trying to beat their last lap time; and those who are exercising. I don’t see many of them enjoying the ride.

It is a trap I fell into when I took up cycling again in my 30s (nearly 50 years ago now). I focused on ‘getting there’. Gradually, I realised that the best part is the journey. Since then, I have stopped to watch vultures in Northern Spain; chatted to a man in Crete who gave me prickly pear to try and related (without any common language) how he lost his eye to a Stuka dive bomber in WWII; paused to take in the heady aroma of the lemon blossom in Mallorca; and more.

When I was sitting on a wall in France, a man and his companion screeched to a stop and asked if they were going in the right direction to find his hotel. I said he wasn’t and suggested a pretty, slightly longer route. He retorted: ‘Haven’t got time for pretty!’ And they raced off.

When you are out on the bike, remember to smile, wave, and say ‘hi’. Give an appreciative wave to considerate drivers. You may even want to stop to chat with me. We can exchange cycling stories.

Ben Morris

Stay connected

facebook.com/CyclingUK

Win a Lezyne Macro Plus GPS worth £100 The letter of the month wins a Lezyne Macro Plus GPS, courtesy of Upgrade Bikes. It pairs with your phone and offers turnby-turn navigation, Strava Live Segments, training integration, optional horizontal orientation, a best-in-class run-time of 28 hours, and more.

For details about this and other Lezyne GPS computers, or to find your local stockist, visit upgradebikes.co.uk

Twitter @wearecyclinguk

D’Huez differently

There is a better ride than going up and coming down the same way. CTC Tours leader Sheila Simpson used to organise an Alpe d’Huez audax.

Start in Bourg d’Oisans, ride to the top of the famous climb, then continue through the town and climb the narrow road over the Col de Sarenne (elevation 2,000m).

The descent of 1,000m meets the valley floor at the Barrage du Chambon. Another climb reaches a balcony road, which joins the Alpe d’Huez road at La Garde. Finally, there’s a fast descent to the finish.

The distance is 56km.

Malcolm Fletcher

Old lags still riding

These two gentlemen are honorary members of the Lancashire Road Club, a Cycling UK affiliate group.

They are, left to right, 87-year-old Tom Grimshaw and 88-year-old Jack Farrimond. They have consistently been averaging around 4,000 miles a year, riding with our ‘Old Lags’ group.

John R Greenhalgh

cycling@cyclinguk.org

cycle@jamespembrokemedia.co.uk C Y CL I NGUK . O RG

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YOUR FEEDBACK

Right: Anna Hughes. Below: Alamy

LETTERS

in Europe. The rise in obesity in the young is even more worrying. Just a fraction of those NHS costs could go a long way to promote cycling as one aspect of prevention. And the more folk who cycle, the more it will be seen as a normal form of transport.

Simon Kenwright

Flight-free touring

Your cost comparison of train versus plane for bike touring is way off the mark. Ryanair charges £60 each way for a bike. So your £25 return ticket to Barcelona immediately becomes £145. You could rent a bike on your arrival in Spain but you’d be lucky to get a good one for less than €100 a week. Bike-rail can be cost effective as well as environmentally friendly.

Simon Geller A useful website for cycling in France with bikes is en.oui.sncf/en/trainticket, which lets you find trains that take bikes and book tickets.

Nigel Barraclough

Weight on one’s mind

There’s an app for that

Last issue, Graham Fletcher wrote about coming across a cyclist in the road who had had a heart attack. Both the Red Cross and St John Ambulance provide apps that talk you through first aid situations and the correct response. I recommend that everyone has these apps on their phone, but particularly cyclists. As a Cycling UK ride leader and also a Bikeability instructor, I would feel much more confident dealing with an emergency with these apps to hand.

Simon Leach

Tight-fitting tyres

I always use tie-wraps to save If only the statement of £6.1billion straining my fingers when fitting spent by the NHS on obesity-related tyres. Using, say, five of them makes problems were anywhere near the job a literal pushover. Just force the truth. Diabetes.co.uk estimates the tyre and tube tight into the rim£14billion per year for diabetes alone well and secure with one tie-wrap (10% of the total NHS budget), with opposite the valve, then add two 90% of diabetics having the obesitymore on each side. It’s like having related Type 2. Add in the increased mole grips for all your tyre problems. incidence of a number of common Plastic waste can be avoided by cancers, the rising incidence of liver using large, chunky tie-wraps that and cardiovascular disease, and can be released instead of being cut. need for organ transplantation – as Mike Branson well as attempts to treat the I sometimes do this too. obesity itself – and the total Note that all cable-ties cost is way above the Obituaries (tie-wraps) are reusable figure quoted in Cycle.

Are published if you have a penknife We already have online at cyclinguk. to disengage the pawl the second most org/obituaries. in the cable-tie head. overweight population Contact publicity@ cyclinguk.org 32

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Solo cycling

Solo cycling has become a bit of a theme for this summer. I’m looking forward to meeting up with friends from Swindon CTC for mid-week rides again.

Andrew Maiden

CYCLING UK FORUM

Get immediate feedback from other members at forum.cyclinguk.org. Here’s an abridged extract from a popular recent thread: cyclinguk.org/cycle-narrow-lane CYCLING IN NARROW LANES markbiker: Cycling along a narrow lane, a car came up behind me. There was nowhere to pull over so I kept going. The driver hooted a dozen times.

I pulled over to let the driver past when I could. What are cyclists’ rights in this situation?

Cyril Haearn: If there is no room to pass, one must wait. Sounds like a normal driver, trying to bully you out of the way. roubaixtuesday: You did the right thing.

Engaging with folk like that can result in bad outcomes. You already know they are a rude, impatient bully. You don’t want to discover they’re violent too. thirdcrank: You behaved correctly.

Indeed, it’s hard to see what else you might have done. ncutler: You have as much right to be on the road as anyone else.

If in any doubt about space for overtaking, move out towards the centre of the lane so overtaking is not possible.

DaveBeck: Try and find a book called Cyclecraft,

by John Franklin. It gives a lot of useful advice about various road situations.

Pete Owens: What are cyclists’ rights in this situation? Exactly the same as motorists’ rights.

Oldjohnw: Some people do this to other car drivers: drive close up or flash their lights or sit on their horns. They are selfish idiots in any circumstance. lbomaak2: Last week I was hauling myself up a 1-in-7 hill when a driver coming down it saw me and pulled into a passing place. When I reached him, he leaned out of his window and said, “Well done.

You are putting me to shame.”

Great Rides

KING ALFRED’S WAY

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SAM JONES Sam is Cycling UK’s comms manager and a keen on and off-road tourer

When lockdown ended, Sam Jones and four companions rode 220 miles through historic Wessex to try out Cycling UK’s newest off-road trail

Details Where: Southern England Start/finish: Farnham Distance: 350km (220 miles) Photos: pannier.cc & Robby Spanring

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K I N G A L FR ED ’ S WAY

Top L: Brewing up at camp Top R: Avebury stone circle Below R: Actual gravel

Do it yourself

King Alfred’s Way

What bike is best suited?

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G R E AT R I D E S

Visit cyclinguk.org/ article/what-bikebest-king-alfredsway-and-otherquestions

rip was impossible. Half an hour’s worth of rain had turned the Ridgeway’s chalk trail into slippery paste. While Katherine Moore (from Unpaved Podcast) was providing a masterclass on wet chalk, the rest of us were slipping then plodding along this part of King Alfred’s Way.

ENGLAND TRAILS BEHIND Alfred was king of Wessex, the largest of the eight Anglo-Saxon kingdoms at the end of the ninth century. He wouldn’t have made a good touring cyclist: he famously nodded off on cake-watching duty, letting said cakes burn. But he was some war leader. He drove the Vikings out of the South West and beyond the Midlands, earning his epithet.

Alfred is closely associated with the landscape of Cycling UK’s latest long-distance off-road route so we named it after him: King Alfred’s Way (KAW).

Connecting four National Trails (the Ridgeway, North and South Downs Ways, and Thames Path), King Alfred’s Way is the latest piece of the jigsaw in our development of off-road routes.

Campaigns officer Sophie Gordon explains: “Thanks to Cycling UK’s work around Scotland’s 2003 Land Reform Act, cyclists can enjoy similar access to the countryside as walkers and other outdoor enthusiasts. In Wales and England it’s a very different story.”

In these two countries, almost 80% of the rights of way network is barred to you. After five years of campaigning by Cycling UK and OpenMTB (cyclinguk.org/trailsforwales), the winds of change are blowing in Wales. The Welsh Government is exploring how they can change their

rights of way, giving cyclists and horse riders more opportunities to enjoy the countryside.

“England needs to play catch up,” says Sophie.

“We have 15 national trails, yet only two of them can be cycled end to end: the Pennine Bridleway and South Downs Way. That’s why Cycling UK aims to capture the public’s imagination and support by honouring the original purpose behind our national trails and filling in the missing links.”

SOCIALLY-DISTANCED CYCLING King Alfred’s Way was due to be launched in June.

With the country in lockdown since March, the necessary work – reconnaissance, photo shoots, and a safety audit – was not possible. Like the rest of the UK, we had to wait. In England, this meant until restrictions lifted in July and overnight stays at campsites were allowed.

That moment came on 6 July. The next day, I left my home in the Surrey countryside and raced down lanes and trails to the Izaak Walton in East Meon, Hampshire, for a rendezvous with the first group to ride the KAW. My riding companions – Stef Amato and Dave Sear from Pannier, Katherine, and Sophie – had started earlier that morning at Farnham. Since then they’d battled through the Surrey sands around Frensham and Hankley Common, discovered a downed bridge en route, waded the Wey, and braved Butser Hill.

It was a strange meeting, a sign of the strange times we currently live in.

Before that day I’d never met Katherine,

Distance: 220 miles over four days.

Route: It passes through Winchester, Salisbury, Reading and Farnham.

Conditions: English summer, so rain and shine along bridleways, byways, and minor roads.

Expect chalk, sand, mud, and gravel.

Nearest stations: Winchester, Reading, and Farnham stations are all on the route.

Accommodation: Tents, camping huts, and a pub Recommended equipment: Gravel/ adventure bikes work well with a lightweight bikepacking setup.

In winter, a hardtail mountain bike would be better.

Maps/guides: King Alfred’s Way guide and OS maps for planning.

Garmin Edge Tour for navigation I’m glad I had…

Wide gear range on my tourer, hand sanitiser, and some fine companions.

Next time I would…

Aim for a lighter setup and take more time out to enjoy the historic sites.

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G R E AT R I D E S

K I N G A L FR ED ’ S WAY

Top L: Uffington hill-fort Top R: Frensham Common Below R: Devil’s Punchbowl

Fact file

Blazing trails

Dave or Stef – nor had I seen anyone apart from my partner and neighbours for four months. It felt odd.

“Do we bump elbows?” someone asked. Touring in a pandemic is different. It was great, however, to escape the cramped confines of lockdown at last.

FINE VIEWS & HILL FORTS Buzzing with energy, we flew along the lanes to our intended campsite for the evening at Meon Springs Fly Fishery. The assembled anglers looked on bemused from motorhomes as five cyclists rolled up and began pitching tents, hanging hammocks, and prepping dinner. Dave broke the ice by unfastening his portable rod from his top tube and asking where the best spots were. They soon opened-up, offering us freshly-smoked trout with our supper, while we traded questions over our chosen hobbies.

These fleeting encounters are part of what makes a tour worthwhile. As well as the fishermen, we met off-road motorbikers in Tilshead who were returning to the Peak District from Cornwall. They were as curious about our bikes as we were about theirs.

The other important part is the landscape you travel through. Stef probably said it best: “Sewing together a real patchwork of different landscapes from chalk downs to rolling crop fields and leafy forest, King Alfred’s Way showcases some of the finest off-road riding in the South.”

For me it was the perfect combination of engaging trail and road, which takes you past a long list of popular holiday destinations. And the best thing? No traffic jams to reach them! For two days, from East Meon to Wantage, we were spoiled.

Every slope we fought our way up would reward us with fine views, Iron Age hill-forts, and descents that

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would leave you gripping and grinning for dear life.

Passing through such a rich landscape of archaeological and natural wonders, it’s hard to pick highlights. Some might say Avebury and Stonehenge, the Vale of Pewsey, or the Ridgeway.

For me it was Salisbury Plain, an ancient landscape that has flourished under military custodianship.

Skylarks sang as we rolled along the Imber Range perimeter path (cyclinguk.org/route/imberperimeter-path). Only tank tracks and warning signs showed that this land was different. Even the weather was generally kind, until the end of our penultimate day when the heavens opened.

I started the final day with a heavy heart.

Lockdown legs unused to such riding needed a rest, but this little adventure, this break from a world of bleak news bulletins, was coming to an end… on what the map indicated would be a dull day.

I shouldn’t have been concerned about riding nor scenery. From a field black with rooks like a Van Gogh painting in Mapledurham to the surprisingly punchy climbs along the Thames Path or the frankly unbelievable trail out of Reading skirting the A33, this final day of constant surprises culminated in a whoop-inducing 100-metre descent to our finish in Farnham town centre.

More Info Download the GPX file of the route and order a copy of the guidebook from: cyclinguk.org/kingalfredsway

The Countryside Act in 1947 paved the way for National Parks, Areas of Outstanding National Beauty, and long-distance national trails. The Hobhouse Report envisaged these as “continuous routes which will enable walkers and riders to travel the length and breadth of the Parks, moving as little as possible on the motor roads.”

For 70 years this vision has largely ignored cycling.

Cycling UK’s current mission is to right this wrong, which meant until recently only the Pennine Bridleway and South Downs Way could be ridden endto-end. In 2018, we launched a continuous riders’ route for the North Downs Way, followed by the 800mile Great North Trail in 2019. Now, in 2020, King Alfred’s Way links four national trails.

We want to recapture the dream from 70 years ago that the Cyclists’ Touring Club would no doubt expect from Cycling UK in its modernised incarnation. The national trails should be for everyone – and we’ll campaign until they are.

Feature

BIKES MEAN BUSINESS A SURGE IN CYCLE COMMUTING IS GOOD NEWS FOR EVERYONE. JOURNALIST LAURA LAKER LOOKS AT WHAT EMPLOYERS CAN DO TO HELP – AND WHY THEY SHOULD

BIKES MEAN BUSINESS

F E ATU R E

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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he UK is experiencing a cycling boom, under circumstances few of us could have predicted at the beginning of 2020. Cycling levels exploded as people took up cycling en masse for exercise and then for everyday trips. According to Government data, cycling levels grew to more than three times pre-Covid levels at weekends – and, as people headed back to work, the cycling surge continued into the week. Cycling numbers doubled on many week days in June and July.

This growth in active travel is a bright spot amid a global crisis that has killed three quarters of a million people and wreaked havoc on our lives. As we return to work, with public transport capacity reduced, it’s important to limit short car journeys to fend off gridlock and maintain access for emergency services.

Cycling is a great way to do this – and employers have a role to play, not only in helping more staff cycle but in keeping those employees cycling as normal life resumes. Long-term, it could help reduce transport’s role in the looming climate crisis, too.

Photo by Joolze Dymond

PEDAL: THE MESSAGE The Cycle-Friendly Employer (CFE) scheme focuses on what employers can do to promote cycling among staff. Set up in 2017, its aim is to support and showcase employers doing great things for cycling to work.

James Palser is Cycling UK’s Cycle-Friendly Employer accreditation project manager. Palser says interest in the scheme doubled or tripled over normal levels following the first wave of Covid restrictions, as employers looked to get as many employees back into the office safely.

“It has always been a no-brainer that cycling is better for people; that they are healthier, will take fewer sick days,” he said. However, prior to the pandemic “businesses rarely looked at the way that their people commute.”

Palser believes businesses can have a huge influence on the way people travel. Employers can

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F E ATU R E

BIKES MEAN BUSINESS Clockwise from this photo: Cycle-Friendly Employer accreditation project manager James Palser walking the talk. Bikeability’s Emily Cherry. John McCann of Queen’s University Belfast. Brompton BIke Hire made 3,000 bikes available to NHS workers. Northern Ireland’s Department for infrastructure is a silver-accredited CycleFriendly Employer.

Julian Scriven of Brompton Bike Hire

make cycling to work easier and more appealing by providing showers and lockers, training or route planning, or offering the Cycle to Work scheme for tax-free bikes and equipment.

Palser points out that overcoming perceptions is as important as overcoming physical barriers to cycling.

“As we know, cycling is seen as a bit of a niche activity,” he said. “Telling people ‘it’s okay’ and promoting it is a really big part of increasing uptake – but it needs to be done regularly.”

That might involve putting on a calendar of events, such as Bike Week in June and Cycle to Work Day in August, plus bike breakfasts and other communal activities and promotions.

“It’s not going to be for everyone but there’s a percentage of people who would cycle given the opportunity,” said Palser. “The time is now.”

MORE REASONS TO RIDE Raleigh Bikes, a CFE-accredited company, pays staff 10p for every mile cycled, which can go into their pay packet or to charity. This autumn, Raleigh encouraged staff to cycle for a month, even if they weren’t commuting, as part of Cycle September. Staff are also encouraged to log their miles via the Love2Ride app (lovetoride. net). In March, experienced cyclists at Raleigh led rides from Mansfield and Derby to the Nottingham offices for less experienced colleagues – and 40 staff took part. One of the most successful changes, however, were women-only showers. Bikes are available for staff to borrow, too.

Access to cycles can help people try cycling, and Brompton Bike Hire offers this service to businesses. The company’s biggest initiative this year

OVERCOMING PERCEPTIONS IS AS IMPORTANT AS OVERCOMING PHYSICAL BARRIERS TO CYCLING

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has been Wheels for Heroes, 3,000 NHSbranded Brompton bikes available to NHS staff for a free loan period, after which they can hire the bikes or buy their own.

Jonathan Kelly, Divisional Manager at Barts Heart Centre and Cardiac Network, administers Wheels for Heroes for the Trust’s London hospitals. He believes almost none of the participating hospital staff have stopped cycling since starting.

He said the Hospital Trust is keen to improve its cycling facilities, having almost doubled its cycle parking spaces to 260 using two-tier racks. Kelly said: “Even people who have done a 12-hour shift say ‘I would much rather cycle than get on the tube, it’s better for my mental health’. It’s about keeping up with demand now.”

Julian Scriven, MD of Brompton Bike Hire, said companies can have corporate access to one of its 50 nationwide docking stations, which he plans to grow by a further 19 due to post-Covid demand. Average hires are three to

four days. Larger companies, and even residential developments, can have their own docks; a 32-bay dock takes up the space of a single car. At Sony, a couple of staff taking up cycling will become ambassadors to encourage others to follow them.

Scriven said: “For me there are three obstacles to getting into cycling. Firstly, it’s perceptions of safety: people will see the same roads very differently.

Secondly, price, the cost of buying a bike. Thirdly, it’s perceptions of competence, and I always say that there’s a reason why people say ‘It’s like riding a bike’: within ten minutes you’re back into it.

“If you can give people access to a bike, you get over that cost barrier and, crucially, you’re giving the opportunity to ‘try before you buy’, which can also give them that competence.”

TRANSPORT CYCLING SKILLS Lesley Lau is a photographer, who bought an electric bike after lockdown

BIKES MEAN BUSINESS

F E ATU R E

Going for gold What is Cycle-Friendly Employer accreditation and why should companies sign up to it?

Transport cycling tips Got a friend, neighbour or colleague who needs advice? Point them here: cyclinguk.org/ commuting

to carry her equipment for work, including a tripod, around London.

“I feel like it’s life-changing getting a bike in London,” she said. “Before I was using public transport and, if I had loads of stuff, an Uber. I’ve always wanted to cycle and I tried once but got really scared. Like so many people, lockdown gave me that push to start again, and now I’m cycling to work pretty much every day.

“My husband cycles to work; he took me on lessons, effectively. I love it and I’m annoyed I didn’t start earlier. Quite a few of my friends are in the same position.”

Training can be a crucial part of the puzzle in building confidence.

Bikeability is the national body delivering what used to be cycling proficiency – and much more. Emily Cherry, Bikeability CEO, says instructors can also offer bespoke journey planning, even accompanying novice riders on an appropriate commuting route. The Bikeability Trust is funding 3,000 adult

cycle training places; Covid scuppered school-based training. “We think the key for adults is that it has got to be bespoke,” said Cherry. “Our offer is based on what the person needs.”

With kids returning to school in the autumn, and with more parents working flexibly, the Bikeability Trust is looking at developing kids’ cycling skills in tandem with adults’.

MAKING IT BETTER BY BIKE Training makes a difference but for the surge in cycling to stick, we’ll also need more hospitable road conditions for cyclists. On a local level, this is something that companies can get involved in – by lobbying local councils.

John McCann from Queen’s University Belfast is doing this in Northern Ireland.

“People will say it’s too dangerous to travel to the university by bike,” he said.

“That’s why it’s important to make it as safe as possible to get to work. There are people who maybe could be encouraged to cycle but feel they don’t want to share

Cycle-Friendly Employer accreditation recognises a high standard of cycling provision that removes barriers to employees cycling to work, from obvious things like cycle parking and showers, to participation in campaigns like Bike Week or bike breakfasts to help normalise cycling.

To achieve accreditation, an employer is scored on compulsory measures across a number of categories. The higher the scores, the higher the rating the organisation is given: bronze, silver or gold.

Companies can sign up via a free online tool and answer questions on their existing facilities and activities.

Cycling UK will arrange a site assessment, which since Covid can be conducted virtually via Zoom, to give advice on potential improvements, before issuing an audit report and award an accreditation.

Potential measures cover every element of cycling to work, from information and support with route-finding to physical facilities.

Cycling UK offers a ‘onestop shop’ for employers wanting to boost employees cycling, as well as negotiated rates for cycle training and maintenance. Resources also include promotional material and practical advice on its website, such as what to wear as the seasons change. For more details, visit: cyclinguk.org/ cyclefriendlyemployer

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BIKES MEAN BUSINESS

Photo: Joolze Dymond

F E ATU R E

Benefits for business Cycling UK Employer Membership is designed to help organisations: adapt the way staff travel to work; and demonstrate a commitment to investing in their employees’ health and wellbeing by championing cycling and its benefits. Employer Membership provides:

PEACE OF MIND

For employers and employees. £10m organiser’s liability insurance for all company cycling activities. £10m third-party liability insurance for employees, in case they are involved in an incident whilst on their bike.

30 days’ free bike insurance and comprehensive accident insurance.

A cycling-specific legal advice line.

Traffic-free infrastructure is a big factor for new and returning cyclists.

Employers are in a good position to lobby local authorities to provide it

the road space with a 40-foot articulated lorry. It’s a big concern.

“We want to see more cycle lanes, and we are engaging with the Northern Ireland’s Department for Infrastructure, which is responsible for sustainable travel. We have requested a meeting with the minister.”

For Paul Smith, a pop-up cycle lane made his 10km commute to Manchester City Centre possible by bike. “I tried to cycle on the road before and it was horrible,” he said. “The A56 is a four-lane road. I occasionally cycled in on the canal towpath, which was okay but it’s a gravel path, it’s narrow, there’s some steps on it, it’s not direct, and on the last

THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO COULD BE ENCOURAGED TO CYCLE BUT WHO DON’T WANT TO SHARE ROAD SPACE WITH A 40FT LORRY

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EMPLOYER SUPPORT

bit there’s loads of pedestrians.”

The A56 pop-up cycle lane on a road he used to drive has transformed his commute into a leisurely bike ride.

“I cycle in my work clothes, on my hybrid,” said Paul. “I think when you drive somewhere you steel yourself for a battle. You sit at your desk afterwards full of adrenaline. There’s something more calming and relaxing about cycling – and I feel less guilty about my lunch choices.”

Tim Hayter works in Canary Wharf as Finance Director for a fish wholesaler.

When driving to work to avoid public transport became ever slower, as roads got busier after lockdown, he dusted off an old bike from the shed.

“I save a lot of time,” said Hayter. “I feel more awake cycling in than I did getting in on the Tube or by car. You feel like you’re ready to go. It’s worth it for any company; I think it probably promotes wellbeing.

“It’s one of the problems we’ve been wrestling with during Covid: keeping our staff safe on their commute. A bike is an option where they aren’t forced into a small space with other people who are potentially infectious. It’s something we want to encourage.”

The tools to get employees on bikes.

Access to our Employer Tool Kit and Digital Guides to encourage commuting.

Advice on how to become a Cycle Friendly Employer.

Discounts on additional services from specialist cycle partners (e.g. bike maintenance, cycle training and storage/pool bikes).

Help on location-specific commute and route planning.

WAYS TO INSPIRE STAFF

Fun activities to encourage more regular cycling.

Hints and tips on how to manage a cycling commute and have fun on your bike.

Engaging content like stories of how other people got started on their bikes.

Challenges and activities to share and encourage cycling.

PARTNER DISCOUNTS

£££s off bikes and cycle equipment from Halfords, Raleigh, and others Money off outdoor gear.

Insurance for travel and health.

For more information, email workplaces@cyclinguk.org.

Top to bottom: Curnelloch Burn, looking north towards Craignaw. Crossing White Laggan burn. Craignell Farm. Runic axe head

Weekender

Galloway Hills The gravel track between Clatteringshaws and Glentrool offers spectacular Scottish scenery. Jeff Frew is your guide

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JEFF FREW Cycling UK Jeff is the Cycling UK Development Officer for Dumfries and Galloway, Ayrshire and Arran, and North and South Lanarkshire

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he narrow valley that links Clatteringshaws with Glentrool takes you through a landscape of lochs and glens in a wild corner of south west Scotland.

I was introduced to this route by Galloway Cycling Holidays (gallowaycycling.com), a friendly local cycling business.

You can start at either end. From Clatteringshaws, you soon join National Cycle Route 7. Remnants of tarmac take you as far as the Old Edinburgh Road, then the surface becomes the hardpack and gravel typical of forestry access roads.

The Southern Upland Way runs to the north of the Clatteringshaws Loch, and it merges with Route 7 on the approach to the Loch Dee. The views will make your spirits soar, while the gravel riding is some of the finest in the world. Our day was made perfect when, on the shores of Loch Trool, we spotted otter kits and adults after hearing their whistling calls.

Nearby is the site of an unorthodox battle fought in 1307, when Robert the Bruce tumbled boulders down the steep slopes onto an advancing English army.

While you can retrace your route from Loch Trool, it’s worth adding a loop through Glentrool Forest. The return to Clatteringshaws offers different views from before – plus coffee at the café if you time it right.

O C TO B E R / NOV EMBER 2020

Bags of fun

This route is fine in autumn too. You might even camp out… cyclinguk.org/ autumnbikepacking

G A L LO WAY H I L L S

WEEKENDER

Weekend ride

GALLOWAY HILLS Route name: Clatteringshaws to Glentrool. Start/finish: Clatteringshaws Visitor Centre. Map: OS Explorer 319. Ride length: 63.4km (39.4 miles). Climbing: 798m. Bike type: gravel, CX, hardtail MTB, tourer. Ride level: regular (beginner with care). GPX file: cyclinguk.org/route/galloway-hills

Loch Dee After a little over nine miles you get your first views of Loch Dee and the high mountains surrounding your route. White Laggan is a bothy to the south of the loch. Look for the Saltire painted on the gable end.

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G LENTROOL VISITOR CENTRE There’s ample parking here if you’re doing this ride in the opposite direction. There’s also a café on the banks of the Black Linn if you can’t wait until House o’ Hill for something to eat.

Glenhead Crossing over to the north side of Loch Trool over a foot bridge at Glenhead, the feel of the ride changes. You ride under a canopy of oak and beech, with cascading falls tumbling from the peaks high above on your right.

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Rune stone To the right of the track is a flat sculpture of a stone axe head, with an ancient Irish poem called ‘The Mystery’ engraved on it in runic text (poemhunter.com/poem/ the-mystery-11/). Up ahead you can see The Merrick, the highest peak in southern Scotland, from whose summit you can see Snowdon.

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B RUCE’S STONE There’s an amazing view of Loch Trool from here. It’s said to be the least lightpolluted place in the UK. (All of this ride is within the 300 square miles of the UNESCO Dark Sky Park.)

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House o’ Hill Hotel A good place for a meal, a pint, or a bed for the night.

The ride continues on tarmac for a while, with tight bends and a steep descent under lichen-covered oak and beech trees. From the Visitor Centre (5), retrace your route to Clatteringshaws.

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Start/ finish

Dumfries & Galloway For more information about riding in Dumfries and Galloway, plus links to local cycling groups, visit: c yclinguk.org/cycle/cycling-dumfriesgalloway

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Map © Crown copyright 2020. Ordnance Survey. Media 015/20. Photos by Jeff Frew & Alamy

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Left: Andy Catlin

Feature

CYCLING FOR ALL

Cycling is open to everyone – but it’s more open to some than others.

Christina Bengston spoke to several groups who are helping to change that

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ycling is an accessible activity already: all you need is a bike, right?

If it were that simple, cycling’s demographic would match that of the wider UK population. It doesn’t. The following are all much less likely to cycle than ablebodied, heterosexual white men: women; people from a black, Asian, or minority ethnic background (BAME); the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities (LGBT); and people with disabilities. How less likely? Visit cyclinguk.org/statistics.

I spoke to some of our groups to ask them what they are doing to increase and encourage underrepresented groups to cycle, and to find out why it’s so important to have groups aimed at specific demographics.

Cycle Brothers Mohsin Vawda got back into cycling as an adult through the Fatima Elizabeth Phrontistery, a weekend education centre for Muslim children that was providing monthly cycle rides for parents

CHRISTINA BENGSTON Cycling UK Communications & Media Officer

whose children attended. He says: “I participated in these rides for around a year, which got me looking into more regular rides.”

Mohsin looked for a group that “provided group rides at suitable times that fitted around family commitments and had members from a diverse range of backgrounds.” Not finding a group he identified with, he set about creating Cycle Brothers with the help and support of Fatima Elizabeth Phrontistery and Sarah Javaid, founder of fellow Cycling UK group, Cycle Sisters. “Sarah offered guidance and assistance with obtaining ride leader training, bike maintenance courses, council loan bikes, and invaluable experiences from her own club,” says Mohsin.

Cycle Brothers formed in 2019. “Since our launch, we have three additional ride leaders and have had over 100 cyclists register and join our rides,” says Mohsin. “They come from a variety of races, cultures and backgrounds. One of my main aims is to promote cycling in our local Asian community within Waltham Forest, so we have set up an outreach programme via one of the local mosques.

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CYCLING FOR ALL

SINCE OUR LAUNCH, WE HAVE THREE ADDITIONAL RIDE LEADERS AND HAVE HAD OVER 100 CYCLISTS JOIN OUR RIDES

Cycle Brothers started last year in London’s Waltham Forest

PRiDE OUT

“It is important to understand the needs of the participants in order to make them feel welcome, accepted, and comfortable. Cycle Brothers provides a perceived safe space to begin a journey into cycling without the fear of being judged.” www.cyclebrothers.co.uk

Bury Tandem Club Bury Tandem Club has been supporting visually impaired cyclists since the 1980s. “Our club is unusual in that we operate more as a cycling club rather than a cycling charity for disabled people,” says Ben Colman, who has been a pilot for the group for over 20 years. “We meet up on Sunday mornings, we have our own club kit, and we ride 40-60 miles, with a café stop in the middle.”

Many of the club’s stokers were keen cyclists before becoming visually impaired. Ben says: “Being blind or partially sighted is much less of a disability on a tandem than in other walks of life. In fact, some of our stokers are our strongest riders.”

Rashid Khan, one of the visually impaired stokers, recalls his first tandem ride. “I didn’t want to get off,” he says. “You become a team.

Even though I don’t know this guy, I’m putting my trust in him.

“The first session was like a punishment; I couldn’t feel my legs, my bum. But I absolutely loved every minute of it. It’s fantastic. It’s the whole package: physical health, mental health, and the social aspect.”

“Stokers say they get a sense of freedom and power,” Ben adds, “and that they’re not disabled while on the tandem. It’s also an opportunity to meet other visually-impaired people who all have different strengths and talents. They’re all linked by a love of cycling rather than their disability.” www.bury-tandem-club.org

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STOKERS SAY THEY GET A SENSE OF FREEDOM AND POWER, AND THAT THEY’RE NOT DISABLED WHILE ON THE TANDEM

“We’re a cycling club, not a charity for disabled people”

Richard Hearne took up cycling five years ago and, after riding alone for a year, decided to find a group to go out with. But as a gay man, he was nervous: “I dreaded going along if there was going to be a café stop where it would be all men who knew each other and I’d be asked: ‘Do you have a girlfriend?’”

Richard looked in vain for a cycling group for LGBT people in Manchester. He says he thought: “There has to be a need for a cycling group that welcomes some of the 200,000 LGBTQ+ people in Greater Manchester.” He didn’t find one, so in June 2019 he founded PRiDE OUT, a group that aims to make cycling more accessible for the LGBTQ+ community, no matter what their identity or ability.

“Sport tends to be dominated by white men,” he says. “Women, the LGBT and BAME communities are underrepresented. They struggle to see people who they identify with, and this creates a fear of being made to feel unwelcome or an outcast.

CYCLING FOR ALL

JOINING A SOCIAL GROUP CAN BE TERRIFYING FOR ANYONE. GROUPS LIKE OURS MEAN THERE’S ONE LESS HURDLE

PRiDE OUT is for any LGBTQ+ cyclists in Greater Manchester

“It’s about creating a safe space, where there’s less of a worry. Joining a social group can be terrifying for anyone. Groups like ours mean there’s one less hurdle for people to overcome.

“Since building this group, I’ve never had so many people I know – acquaintances, friends, and people to go out on a bike ride with – and it’s just the best feeling, feeling part of a community, feeling like you belong.”

PRiDE OUT has just launched its new website and already has big plans for the future, aiming to establish LGBTQ+ cycling chapters across the country. www.prideout.co.uk

Liskeard Ladies Cycling Group After suffering a bad knee injury playing hockey, 40-year-old Megan Evans was told that if she didn’t want to end up having a full knee replacement before she turned 50, she should find a different sport. Being used to team sports, Megan found cycling alone difficult: “It was easy

to find an excuse not to go out on my bike,” she says, “particularly as I didn’t know how to fix a flat tyre or put a chain back on.”

Megan joined a local cycling group. “It was a mixed sex group but mostly men. I struggled to keep up and I stopped going. Then I was given a flyer with details of a new cycling group for ladies, which Ann Wendik, who cycled with the mixed group, decided to start.

“I went on the inaugural ride and I’ve been going ever since. From that very first ride, it was clear that the women felt more relaxed. There was no pressure, and it was very sociable and supportive.”

Megan helps organise and lead rides now. “I think it’s so important that no one gets left behind,” she says, “and that we support each other. A few words of encouragement can help someone keep going. Diversity comes in all shapes and sizes, ages, colours, and cycling abilities. I don’t think we necessarily have to separate the sexes when cycling but for some women, particularly those who are just starting out, it’s a safe environment.” www.liskeardvelo.org.uk

F E ATU R E

Cycling UK and diversity Alex Cuppleditch, Cycling UK’s Head of Volunteering, also leads on diversity and inclusivity. She says that groups aimed at specific demographics play an important role.

“As an organisation, increasing diversity within cycling is embedded into everything we do.

Diversity is the theme of this year’s virtual Volunteer Celebration on 3 October. We want to encourage people from all walks of life to volunteer with us and to get involved with cycling. Cycling is for everyone and should be available for everyone, no matter their background.

“Many of our groups are very welcoming to people from all backgrounds, but this doesn’t always go far enough.

We have to be open and flexible to create spaces and groups that help people feel supported to go cycling. What is comfortable for one person may feel very different to someone else.”

IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE WOMEN FELT MORE RELAXED. THERE WAS NO PRESSURE, AND IT WAS SOCIABLE AND SUPPORTIVE

Members are encouraged to bring their children with them

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Details Where: Europe Start/finish: Oberalp Pass, Switzerland, to Hook of Holland Distance: 1,400km Pictures: Sophie Gordon

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DOWN THE RHINE

G R E AT R I D E S

SOPHIE GORDON After a few UK tours, this was Sophie’s first foray onto foreign shores

Great Rides

DOWN THE RHINE The Rhine is one of the longest rivers in Europe, flowing 760 miles from Switzerland to the sea. Sophie Gordon followed the cycle route alongside

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ur holiday had been put on hold. It wasn’t the coronavirus pandemic; this was before. My friend and touring companion, Jethro, fractured his tibia ten days before we were due to depart in 2018.

A year later we were at Gatwick at 11pm, stuffing frames and wheels into bike bags. Despite my insistence that we didn’t need to fly, the logistics were complex and the train to Basel was three times as expensive… Fortunately, the bikes arrived unscathed. After the faff of putting them back together, Jethro announced: “Well, that’s the difficult bit done. Now we just have to cycle 900 miles!”

STARTING ON A HIGH We were riding the River Rhine EuroVelo route, one of 16 colourful lines on a map promising enticing adventures through multiple European countries.

The Rhine emerges from a mountain pass near Andermatt in Switzerland, loops its way through Alpine valleys to join Lake Constance, then winds through France, Germany and the Netherlands, reaching the sea at the Hook of Holland.

The first few days through Switzerland were glorious. After climbing from Andermatt up to the source of the Rhine at Oberalp Pass, we plummeted down nerve-wracking zigzags, passed chocolate-box Alpine villages, and wound our way through lush green vineyards framed by dramatic peaks.

Every time we crossed the river we crossed

Do it yourself

Getting there By train: Eurostar from London to Paris, high-speed train to Basel or Zurich. Advice at seat61.com and cyclinguk.org/ cycle/eurostar.

By plane: Fly to Basel or Zurich.

From Basel, a small train then takes you up through the mountains to Andermatt.

The easiest way back is by ferry, either Hook of Holland to Harwich or Rotterdam to Hull.

the border, barely noticing as we hopped between Switzerland and Germany. The blackened remains of bridges destroyed during WWII reminded us that this was a luxury we shouldn’t take for granted.

My favourite moments were the early mornings: setting off in hazy blue, with the sun breaking through and dissolving the mist in the distance.

The miles disappeared beneath our wheels on the smooth, traffic-free cycleways.

At the other end of the day there was the blissful coolness of jumping into the water whenever we could after a long day of riding. This was interrupted once by a thunderstorm brewing as we wild camped near Lake Constance, making us run back to the tents and hope the willow tree sheltering us wouldn’t be struck by lightning.

CROSSING BORDERS Within a few days we had looped around from Andermatt back to Basel. As it was such a lovely evening, we decided to carry on for a couple more hours into France. We coasted along, enjoying the golden early evening light reflected on the canal.

That night we wild camped on the edge of the forest, illuminated by a full moon.

Crossing into France felt significant: through Switzerland, Germany and a brief spell in Austria, the signs were always in German. Seeing the language change gave a much stronger sense of being in a different country.

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G R E AT R I D E S

DOWN THE RHINE

Top: Vineyards near Bad Ragaz, Switzerland Below: Rhine Gorge

Fact File

Down the Rhine

The Danube

Another great cycleway – for all ages: cyclinguk.org/ article/great-ridesdown-danubecycleway

After a few days in France we were back in Germany. I was struck by the prevalence of e-bikes. One gentleman, after examining our loaded bikes when we explained where we were going, looked at us incredulously and said: “But you have no motor!”

It was fantastic to see how the combination of e-bikes and extensive traffic-free cycle networks keeps people cycling. I was particularly impressed by what we termed the ‘silver pelotons’ – small groups in their seventies and eighties, meandering around town together. Imagine what that does for the health of a nation!

HISTORY AND INDUSTRY The Rhine countryside is mostly flat. The exception is in central Germany, where medieval castles perch on rounded hills like Drakensfel (‘dragon’s hill’). One hill is watched over by the colossal Niederwalddenkmal monument. The steep climb up to it was rewarded with a fantastic view back down the shimmering river.

After the Rhine Gorge, tourist ferries were replaced by freight barges chugging their way through an increasingly industrialised landscape.

Heading towards the sprawling city of Mannheim, home to the biggest single-site chemical plant in the world, the view became steel and concrete as far as the eye could see, a maze of pipes and tubes and funnels belching out steam. It was like a scene from a sci-fi film.

The Rhine route is well travelled and we found we kept bumping into the same characters along the way. There was Bern, a quiet Swiss chap who

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glumly announced that all his stuff was rain-soaked the second time we saw him. There was the bloke on a trike who looked so leisurely but always seemed to reach the campsite before us. And the couple from Stockport on a semi-recumbent tandem, full of stories from seven years of touring on it.

There were also those little surprises that make a trip memorable. We caught a volleyball world championship game in Lichtenstein; discovered a hidden sculpture garden made from discarded objects; and explored the fascinating fortified town of Neuf-Brisach with its star-shaped outer wall.

After two weeks of cycling, 1,400km, and five countries, we emerged where the Rhine meets the North Sea at the Hook of Holland. I had imagined an industrial port so it was a surprise to find beach cafés and bars and hundreds of people on sun loungers on the beach.

Before we joined them, we decided to finish the ride properly by cycling out to the end of the milelong pier, until we were surrounded by sea and could ride no further. The next day we rolled onto the ferry back to Harwich – a breeze compared to the hassle of flying.

More Info Read more about taking a bike into Europe by train: cyclinguk.org/cycle/ riding-rails

Distance: Guidebook said 1,372km (853 miles). We did a few detours, riding around 100km per day.

Route: Curving along the SwissGerman border from Andermatt to Basel via Lake Constance, then north-west through France, Germany, and the Netherlands to the Hook of Holland.

Conditions: Mainly dry and sunny, a couple of wet days.

Excellent traffic-free cycle routes for much of the way. Mostly flat.

Accommodation: Camping. We wanted to be flexible so didn’t pre-book campsites.

Bikes used: Hybrids.

Ridgeback Element (me), Giant Escape 2 (Jethro).

Maps/guides: The Rhine Cycle Route (Cicerone).

Viewranger was useful to check navigation.

I’m glad I had…

Some camping meals for the first few days – Switzerland is very expensive – and a friend who enjoys doing all the planning.

Next time I would…

Go over some French and German. Everyone speaks English but I’d like to be able to say a few basics.

Further info: en.eurovelo.com/ev15

Advice

CYCLOPEDIA

Questions answered, subjects explained – Cyclopedia is your bimonthly cycling reference guide Health

Hamstring pain

Q

I’ve noticed that, when pushing reasonably hard on my road bike, my right hamstring feels tight and uncomfortable. It’s like cramp. Sometimes after the ride, I do cramp up. Am I just pushing beyond my body’s ability (it doesn’t feel like it), or is there something I can do to stop this happening?

Peter F, via the Cycling UK forum

A

A disc rotor can crack, overheat, and collapse when it wears too thin

Disintegrating disc

Your Experts

Q

This rear brake disc disintegrated whilst cycling! I was lucky: the 10 second warning I got was just enough time to make a controlled stop. Do brake discs normally disintegrate in this way? A locked rear wheel is very dangerous.

John Duncum

A

It is unusual, to say the least, for a cycle disc brake rotor to fail in this manner if subject to routine inspection. Without checking the disc first-hand, it is impossible to say for sure why it happened, but the picture suggests that the brake pad tracks – the section of disc on which the pads press during braking – are well worn due to the inevitable abrasion, perhaps to below the minimum permissible disc thickness.

This is marked on the disc and is typically around 1.5mm. Once the pad track wears to this at its thinnest point, the disc must be replaced. Failure to do so leaves the disc prone to cracking and/or rapid overheating and, ultimately, to physical deformation once the stainless steel material becomes Coronavirus too thin to support the forces imposed For up-to-date by braking, at which point it may cyclists' advice catch on the calliper or pads with regarding Covid-19, results much as shown. visit: cyclinguk.org/ Richard Hallett coronavirus

DR KATE HATTERSLEY Cycling GP {Health}

RICHARD HALLETT

Left: Alamy

Q & A

Technical

Your hamstrings are crucial as part of the leg muscle group that provides the power turning the bike pedals. The top of the muscle is in your buttock and is important in pushing the pedal down. The lower end, behind the knee, helps the upstroke. Your position on the bike will predispose the top end to get loose while the lower end gets tight and contracted.

Cramp may be due to a tight muscle or a lack of adequate hydration. If you have been training hard and pushed your limits, the muscle damage will be painful before you get the subsequent gains and increased power.

You may just need to rest up a little.

You say you don’t think you have overdone it, so perhaps you need some good stretches or massage to break down any scarring in the muscle fibres. There is lots of useful information online or you could consult a sports physiotherapist. A regular stretching routine before and after cycling might sort out the problem.

Dr Kate Hattersley

Cycle’s Technical Editor {Technical}

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

Cramp can be caused by lack of hydration or by exercising beyond your normal levels

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Q&A

Pressure point

Q Panaracer's Gravelking Slick TLC is available in 27.5×1.5 (38-584) as well as 27.5×1.9

Technical

Tyres conundrum

Q

I bought a Cannondale Slate, which came with 42mm Cannondale tyres. They punctured on the first ride and regularly thereafter, so I replaced them with WTB Horizon 47mm tyres that proved very robust but slow uphill. I wish to replace these with 35mm tyres but find it difficult to understand tyre manufacturers’ codes, i.e. which are tubeless.

Michael Weaver

My new road bike tyres have, the sidewalls say, a max weight of 70kg. I’ve seen weight limits on wheels but not tyres. At 86kg, I’m unlikely to get within the limit. Should I worry?

Jon Asbridge

A

While motor vehicle tyres are marked with legally-enforceable maximum weight and speed limits, as excessive weight and speed may lead to overheating and catastrophic tyre failure, cycle tyres are generally marked with an advisory maximum inflation pressure. If exceeded, this may lead to the tyre’s bead blowing off the rim.

Rider and cycle weight is shared between the tyres, around 35% on the front, 65% the rear. A 108kg rider plus cycle would be close to a 70kg limit for a rear tyre, and would need it inflated to 130psi to provide the same contact patch as a 75kg rider on a 90psi rear tyre. So the weight limit here offers guidance similar to a maximum inflation pressure.

Richard Hallett

A

The first point to make is that the increase in tyre size goes some way to explaining the loss of climbing performance with the new tyres. It’s a difference of some 160g per tyre, for example, between the two comparable versions of Panaracer’s Gravel King TLC. Secondly, tubeless 650×35B tyres are hard, if not impossible, to find; a good starting point would be a slightly wider 650×38B model (27.5×1.5in) such as Panaracer’s Gravelking Slick TLC (pictured above).

As so often in the cycling industry, there’s no real consensus on nomenclature, with various designations used to indicate that a tyre can be used without an innertube on a tubeless-type rim.

Usually printed as part of the tyre’s label on its sidewall, these include TLC (TubeLessCompatible), TLR (TubeLessReady), TC and TL. If in doubt, check the manufacturer’s website. Schwalbe’s G-One Allround (schwalbe.com/en/tour-reader/ schwalbe-g-one-allround) is shown in a wide range of sizes, some of which are listed as TLE (TubeLessEasy).

Richard Hallett

Inflation pressure is simpler. To work out tyre weight loads, assume 35% on the front, 65% on the rear

says little on this matter. Rule 170 requires that motorists watch out for pedestrians crossing a road into which they are turning. If a pedestrian has started to cross, they have priority and motorists are to give way. This protection extends to cyclists, as they are also vulnerable road users.

In the absence of clear guidance, we then turn to case law and the use of good judgement. When a motorist is proceeding towards an unregulated cyclist crossing (no lights or crossing sign), the motorist holds right of way and cyclists must wait until the road is sufficiently clear to cross safely. When waiting to cross, you must ensure your own safety. The case of Lee v Williams [2001] found a cyclist 40% liable because he was waiting to cross at a junction, astride his bike on the pavement, with his wheel overhanging the road (which is what the defendant collided with, throwing the claimant from his bike).

However, once a cyclist is crossing, they then hold right of way.

When attempting to determine liability, it is seldom cut and dried. If you were in the middle of the road when it had been safe to cross, on a bright and sunny day, and a driver came speeding around the corner, failed to brake and collided with you, the majority of blame would rest with the motorist. However, cases are rarely so clear cut. If you are involved in a road traffic accident, contact a trusted solicitor to help guide you through the legal issues.

Richard Gaffney

Left: Robby Spanring. Centre: Alamy

Technical

CYCLO PE D IA

Legal

Who has priority?

Q

We have a network of cycle tracks locally, many of which cross T-junctions at side roads that lead onto the main road. There are no markings or signs to indicate who has right of way at such junctions. Is it a case of first come, first served? And if it led to an accident, who would likely be adjudged to be in the wrong?

Norman Crossley

A

When crossing a road along a designated cycle route, there is an argument to be had that it should be ‘first come, first served'. The Highway Code

The give way markings indicate that the cyclists have right of way over side-road traffic

Get in touch EMAIL your technical, health, or legal questions to cycle@jamespembrokemedia. co.uk 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: 0844 736 8452.

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CYCLOPEDIA

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

DAN JOYCE Cycle Editor

Lighting regulations

How do I ensure my bike is road legal at night? hite front light, red rear light: that ticks the legal boxes for riding in the dark, right? Wrong. While you’re unlikely to be stopped by the police, it’s not enough to comply with the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations (gov.uk/government/ publications/pedal-cycles-lighting). If you were involved in an incident on the road on a non-compliant bike, you might be deemed partly at fault. To avoid that possibility, you need the right lights and reflectors.

Let’s start with reflectors. Between dusk and dawn, your bike must be fitted with a red rear reflector and amber pedal reflectors, which must conform to BS6102/2. A red rear reflector is easy: new bikes come with them, and one can easily be added to a seatpost, rear rack, or mudguard. Some lights incorporate them too.

Pedal reflectors can be fitted to most flat pedals and many come with them. Clipless pedals seldom have or accept reflectors. There are exceptions: trekking/commuting pedals with cleat on one side and a flat pedal surface on the other, such as Shimano’s Deore XT T800. Or you may be able to fit clipless pedal reflector adapters, such as Shimano’s SM-PD22.

Left: Andy Gollogly

W

Good enough for the police, possibly not for a driver's lawyer…

Lights are more complicated. There’s a difference between lights that are legal and lights that are approved. A light is legal to use as additional illumination if it’s the right colour and doesn’t dazzle. But you must also have front and rear lights that are approved, which means conforming to BS6102/3 or “a corresponding standard of another EC country”. Oddly, it’s easier to find battery lights that meet German standards – they’ll be listed as meeting StVZO – than it is to find battery lights meeting BS6102/3.

Approved dynamo lights are easy to find, since such lights generally do meet German standards. Bicycles aren’t obliged to show lights when they’re stopped, incidentally, although most modern dynamo lights do have a standlight function that keeps them shining for a while when stationary.

Shining examples A selection of battery lights with StVZO approval.

Lezyne Lite Drive Pro StVZO/Strip Drive Pair £85 lezyne.com

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CatEye GVolt50 £43.99 cateye.com

Busch & Muller Line Permanent 50mm £34 bumm.de/en

Sigma Cubic £9.95 sigmasports.com

Flashing lights Flashing lights are permitted on cycles so long as they’re the right colour. Some flashing lights are okay to use as your only lights even if they don’t meet BS6102/3 or StVZO. Firstly, they must only flash. If there’s a steady mode, even if you don’t use it, the light must meet BS6102/3 or StVZO. (Note that most flashing lights do have a steady mode.) Secondly, they must flash one-tofour times per second.

Thirdly, they must emit at least four candela.

One candela is about 12.5 lumens, so that’s 50 lumens. Many flashing front lights will meet this stipulation but that’s unusually bright for a flashing rear light.

See the light More on lights and regulations at: cyclinguk.org/cycle/ lighting-uptime

Biketest

Separable tandems Transporting a tandem for a tour is easier when it packs smaller. Richard Hallett reviews two that do: a Circe Cycles Eos and a Thorn Raven Twin Mk3

R

RICHARD HALLETT Technical Editor Richard builds bikes as well as testing them.

Cycle reviewed one in 2017: cyclinguk.org/ cycle/bike-testroad-plus-bikes

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adically different in design and construction they may be, but the two tandems on test here offer surprisingly similar riding experiences: stable at speed, comfortable, equipped for serious touring duty, and fitted with brakes and gears suitable for challenging roads.

They also feature frames that can be taken apart for storage or convenient transportation – in effect, addressing the primary checklist of a tandem owner’s requirements.

Frame Of the two, the Thorn is by some margin the more conventional, and will appeal to many potential buyers on this basis alone. Built with beefily TIGwelded, heat-treated, Japanese-made ‘mega-oversized’ cro-moly steel tubes, its classic ‘direct lateral’ frame has a central frame spar running from the middle of the head tube to the junction of the seat tube and ‘drainpipe’ bottom tube, offering an excellent

combination of torsional and vertical stiffness at a very acceptable weight.

Size L/M gets a ‘double marathon’-style frame, with a second central spar running between the seat tubes and below the stoker’s top tube to a pair of secondary seatstays, adding useful stiffness to a large structure potentially carrying a lot of weight.

All Raven Twins come with S&S frame couplers as standard. The frame design necessitates the use of three of the couplers, which are sited forward of the captain’s seat tube. The frame therefore separates within the front triangle, some way forward of the machine’s mid-point.

This, according to Thorn, leaves the main section shorter than a regular bicycle with its wheels fitted. It’s not exactly ‘suitcaseready’ – it won’t fit in an S&S case or similar – but it’s small enough to be fairly manageable and to fit in a solo cycle-sized space. The other advantage of this layout is that it leaves the transmission, including the timing chain, undisturbed; there's no need to faff about with oily components.

Circe’s Eos could hardly be more different, although its frame is also TIGwelded. The material is high-strength 7005 aluminium alloy, while the structural solution chosen is very large diameter tubes – two of them, as there’s no central spar. So effective are the two tubes that the frame can be exceptionally lowslung, especially at the rear, without compromising on vital torsional stiffness

BIKE TEST

S E PA R A B L E TA N D E M S

First look

One-size-fits-all touring tandem that packs into a couple of cases for transport. Takes 24in or 26in wheels

The Circe is versatile and adaptable, and its low standover heights make dismounts easier for shorter riders

Tech Spec

CIRCE CYCLES EOS or load capacity, although fork developed by Circe there’s a maximum stoker specifically for tandem use weight of 80kg. and able to take a low-rider If not as gracefully front rack. With this and a proportioned as the Thorn, rear pannier rack, carrying the Circe is highly versatile capacity is considerable, and adaptable, and its low while the load is kept low standover heights make thanks to small, 24in wheels. dismounts easier for shorter Components riders. Large-diameter Disc brake-equipped as seatposts, secured by quickstandard but with bosses on release clamps, provide the seatstays for cantilevers sufficient stiffness for or V-brakes, the Eos can be heavier riders. fitted with either 26in (ISO Incorporated into the Top: The belt drive at the front 559 ISO) or 24in (507) wheels. frame is Circe’s ‘separable is silent in use and enables disassembly without making Narrow 28mm tyres are system’, an optional extra your hands oily fitted to the 26in wheels for adding £600 to the cost of Bottom: Large diameter aluminium tubing means more athletic riding, while the machine. Removable ample frame stiffness without the 24in wheels of the test tubes replace the two main a diagonal bracing tube machine are fitted with fat spars in the stoker section 47mm tyres for the comfort and allow the Eos to be and durability required for touring. packed into a couple of bags or small While the Raven will also, in theory, cases for transport. Although it employs accept more than one wheel size, this four clamped joints, the assembled frame in practice requires Thorn’s alternative feels impressively flex-free. The system can fork for the Raven – a disc brake-specific be retro-fitted by Circe, albeit at a higher unicrown design, which has exceptionally cost than if fitted on initial purchase. rigid heavy-duty legs designed for the Where Thorn opt on this build for stresses involved with discs. If fitted with a sturdy all-steel fork with twin-plate this fork, and with discs front and rear, the crown, Reynolds tandem-spec blades, Raven can be ordered with 26in (559), 650B and cantilever brake bosses, the Eos (584) or 700C (622) wheels. Thorn's sales has a massive carbon fibre disc-only

Price: £4,200 (inc £600 separable system upgrade) Sizes: one size Weight: 17.8kg (no pedals) Frame & fork: TIG-welded 7005 aluminium alloy frame with Circe separable system.

Fittings for 3 bottles, mudguards, rear rack, canti/V & disc brakes. Circe EOS carbon tandem fork for disc brake, tapered steerer.

Wheels: 47-507 Schwalbe Marathon tyres, Airnimal 32h rims, Shimano Deore front hub, Shimano FH-MT400 rear hub (142×12 mm), Sapim Strong stainless steel spokes.

Transmission: Shimano FC5703 105 cranksets front Dimensions in millimetres and degrees 42 600 55

& rear with 170mm cranks, Gates CDX Carbon Drive timing chainrings, 44t RaceFace Narrow/ Wide chainring, Shimano Tiagra Hollowtech II bottom brackets, Gates 250t Carbon Drive timing belt, KMC X11-93 drive chain. Shimano Apex 11-speed r/h shifter, SRAM Eagle SX rear derailleur with Jtek Shiftmate 9 adapter, SunRace MX80 11-speed cassette, 1150t. 11 ratios, 21-96in.

Braking: Avid BB7 mechanical disc, 203mm rotors, SRAM Apex levers.

Equipment: Racktime aluminium rack, SKS Cromoplastic mudguards. circecycles.com

700 550

510 640

73˚ 650 370 588 72˚ 170

500

142

200 170

270

67

72˚ 400

507

275

47

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Join the club

BIKE TEST

S E PA R A B L E TA N D E M S

For tandem group rides, advice, and second-hand bargains, join The Tandem Club (£15 per year): tandem-club.org.uk

First look

Steel touring tandem with 26in wheels, V-brakes, and S&S couplings. Lots of configurations possible

Tech Spec

THORN RAVEN TWIN MK3 brochure makes clear that always revealing, glance. the company feels linearThe Thorn’s 14 gear ratios pull V-brakes offer not only are closer spaced, while ample braking capacity but those on the Circe involve the optimum combination of considerable jumps, and power, ride comfort (thanks the Thorn has a slightly to more resilient fork legs), higher top gear and lower and mechanical simplicity. bottom. Indeed, the Raven’s So they do. Despite the Rohloff hub would win the favourable brake torque comparison handsomely ratio afforded by its 203mm but for a whining sound, rotors and small wheels, the accompanied by slight Eos doesn’t pull up any more vibration, in several of the smartly than the Thorn. lower gears. This is said to Nor does the Eos shift lessen with miles covered as Top: Removable V-brake bosses. The Raven frame has gear ratios quite as niftily, the internal gear teeth ‘run disc brake mounts if that's although the SRAM 11-speed in’, but might prove irritating what you prefer Bottom: The twin-platetransmission – with Jtek on a long climb. crown steel fork is sturdy and cable adapter to get the The Circe’s resilient but V-brake only. A right-hand Apex Double transmission, on the other disc fork is an option, however Tap dual-control lever hand, runs noiselessly and and 12-speed Eagle rear amazingly smoothly, thanks mech working nicely together over the in part to its Gates Carbon Drive timing enormous SunRace cassette – has no belt. Although under high tension, as issues anywhere in its range. The Thorn’s required with these belts, there is little Rohloff Speedhub, however, changes sensation of drag or stretch even under gear instantly at a standstill and under hard pedalling. It’s the most impressive load when moving, giving it a slight edge, belt installation I’ve used. It also means especially on a steep gradient. there’s no filthy chain or chainrings to There’s also a gear indicator for the handle when taking the separable system Rohloff, whereas checking gear choice apart, and the belt, which does not have on the Eos requires a backwards, not to pass though a frame loop, can be easily

Price: £4,251 Sizes: S/S, L/S (tested), S/M, M/M, L/M, L/L Weight: 20.05 kg (no pedals) Frame & fork: TIGwelded ‘969’ double butted cro-moly steel frame with S&S couplers, 2× eccentric bb shells, Rohloff dropouts.

Fittings: 4 bottle cages, detachable cantilever/V-brake spigots, rear disc brake. Thorn Tandem V fork with Reynolds Tandem blades, lowrider rack bosses.

Wheels: 50-559 Schwalbe Marathon Supreme HD tyres, Ryde Andra 30 26in rims, Shimano Deore HB-T610-L 32h front hub, Dimensions in millimetres and degrees 60 660 51

Rohloff Speedhub 500/14 rear hub with tandem axle plate.

Transmission: Thorn 104/64 PCD 4-bolt triple crankset (front 175mm, rear 165mm), Shimano UN55 73mm cartridge bottom brackets, Thorn 104mm BCD 4-arm reversible single chainrings 3/32in (main drive 46t, timing drive 34t) KMC X1 3/32in chain, 17t sprocket. 14 ratios, 20-103in.

Braking: Shimano Deore XT BR-T780 V-brake front & rear, Shimano Deore XT V-brake levers Equipment: Thorn Expedition racks front and rear, SKS P55 mudguards. thorncycles.co.uk

690 620

810 690 71˚ 175

540 720

73˚ 530

730

135

410 165

275

75

73˚ 430

559

275

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BIKE TEST

S E PA R A B L E TA N D E M S

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

Above: Separable but not into equal halves Near right: The Eos fork: carbon, disc only Top right: The Eos frame is hub-gear ready Bottom right: 14 evenlyspaced gear ratios

removed and stuffed in a bag for transport.

Using in each case a transmission with a single ‘front’ chainring, both tandems have the timing and rear drives on the same side, avoiding the need to take the captain’s effort through the rear bottom bracket axle. Not only does this greatly increase the longevity of the rear axle and its bearings, there’s a notable improvement to the directness of the drive. A crossover transmission can feel soggy as the rear axle twists under load.

Adjusted tightly (as supplied for the test), the Raven’s timing and main drive chains offered the same impressive directness, aided no doubt by Thorn’s informed choice of crank lengths. Many tandem pairings find it difficult to pedal smoothly together at a high cadence, especially where the stoker is smaller. Fitting longer cranks up front should slow the captain’s preferred cadence and should make it easier for both riders to find a mutually comfortable speed. Furthermore, climbing on a tandem can involve hard low-cadence work, where longer cranks may assist the usually stronger captain. The Circe wears 170mm cranks front and rear, which will no doubt suit some pairings.

Final thoughts Last of the obvious differences is front handlebar shape: the Thorn’s flat bar, fitted with Ergon grips and extensions, is

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Other options

CO -MOTION MOCHA £2 ,745+ Touring/all-roads tandem with a huge range of options. Has a TIGwelded steel frame and 650B wheels.

co-motion.com, thetandemshop.com

comfortable to hold but may not provide the variety of hand positions desired by some riders. The flared drop bar of the Eos gives variety but won’t suit those who, like me, find such bars wider than wanted when on the drops. The latter are more easily swapped, not least because there aren’t many drop handlebar brake lever options for V-brakes or shifter options for the Rohloff hub.

Neither of these two impressive machines has a real weakness, both rolling quickly and steering at any speed with aplomb. The Raven’s saddles better suited me and my wife, while the Circe’s low rear standover meant an easier dismount for my 5ft (1.53m) stoker.

Verdict

ORBIT LIGHTNING PRO 700C £3,350 Well-equipped light tourer with TIG-welded aluminium frame, carbon fork, three brakes, and crossover derailleur transmission.

orbittandems.com

Four grand is a hefty wedge to spend on a bicycle, even built for two, but both tandems here offer a specification and performance to match their price tags. Aimed at the touring market, they each feature: a wide gearing range; wide, comfortable and durable tyres and wheelsets; effective brakes; and a separable frame that makes for easier storage and transport.

Circe’s version packs smaller and, along with the one-size, hugely adjustable design, can be made to suit a wide variety of riders. Thorn’s less compact offering has more of a traditional, bespoke look, plus a wider-ranged – and potentially tougher – transmission. (Note that the Eos is also available with Rohloff gearing.)

GROUPTEST

C H I L D S E AT S

Details

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

1

Grouptest

Child seats

A front or rear seat is the simplest and cheapest way to carry a preschool passenger. Ed Shoote and son Orrin test four

T

ED SHOOTE Ed is a keen adventure cyclist who has previously cycled the Pamir Highway. His website is welove mountains.net

here are so many child seats on the market that choosing the right one can be daunting. As well as looking at the age and weight range, you need to consider your bike compatibility and what you’ll use it for most of the time.

Do you want to commute to the nursery daily, for example, or just enjoy some easy off-road trails together at the weekend? For this review I tested two front and two rear seats. All four were quite different in design and intended use.

Orrin turned two just as we started testing the seats, and during lockdown we were out riding every day in Scotland. I used the seats on a variety of surfaces, from road to easy singletrack.

The rear seats were fitted to a gravel bike, the front to a hardtail mountain bike.

Cycle’s test promise

Safety features

Look for straps with good fit and adjustment, which your child can’t slip out of by accident, and easy-to-use foot straps. Clear indicators that the seat is safely mounted provide peace of mind. Many rear seats come with a safety strap to go around the frame.

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Fitting

Rear seats either clamp to the seat tube or attach to a sturdy rear rack, which demands a bike with rack mounts.

Smaller bikes can be challenging to fit front seats to. Most front

seats need a long steerer tube or tall head tube.

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Comfort

Look at the quality of the padding on the seat and straps, and check whether it is waterproof. Also consider head support for mid-ride naps; some seats tilt back to support a sleeping child.

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Swappability

How easy is it to swap between bikes? Some seats simply click on and off, leaving a basic mount, while others demand a spanner for removing fiddly bolts.

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GROUPTEST

C H I L D S E AT S

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Verdict The WeeRide offers a safe first taste of cycling for small children, but I wasn’t keen on the clunky attachment or the kneesout pedalling required. The Shotgun seat, especially with the Mini Bars, will get toddlers to love cycling. It was Orrin’s go-to option for easy off-road trails.

The Urban Iki’s low weight was appealing but it was not robust enough for me to be confident in using it again. Finally, the Hamax is quality Norwegian design. It’s the perfect option for ditching the car and getting an e-bike for the nursery run and other utility trips.

The trailer alternative

Take up to two children, with balanced handling and weather protection: cyclinguk.org/article/ cycling-guide/guidebike-trailers

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More online

4 Shotgun 1 WeeRide 2 Safe Front Deluxe Front Mounted Seat + Mini Bars £129.99 weeride.co.uk

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£120 + £27 kidsrideshotgun.com

Urban Iki 3 Rear Seat with Rack Mount £64.99

For more reviews of bikes, kit and components, as well as how-to guides, visit... cyclinguk.org/cycling-advice

Hamax 4 Caress Rear Seat (Rack Version) £129.99

urbaniki.com/en

hamax.com

THE WEERIDE mounts to a metal bar fitted between head tube and seatpost.

This bar is quite a faff to fit; not all bikes’ head tubes are compatible. The weight is well balanced but even on an XL size bike it forced my knees out a lot, making it awkward to pedal for anything other than short, flat trips. The seat is small, with a low back, although the front rest is ideal for naps. The shoulder straps can slip off if you’re not careful. Ages: 9mths to 3yrs.

THE SHOTGUN clamps to the top and down tubes using a protective rubber mount that’s compatible with most mountain bikes. The seat didn’t affect my riding at all, being narrow and away from my knees. I was nervous on the first ride but, with Orrin between my arms and his feet strapped in, it felt secure. This was Orrin’s favourite seat, and I loved it too. The Mini Bars are useful and a lot of fun for your child. Ages: 2-5yrs.

THE URBAN IKI is a lightweight rear seat at a good price.

I tested the rack-fitting version, which clicks onto a suitable luggage rack. A safety cable around the bike frame adds security. I liked the seat until on one ride it fell off the back – Orrin was luckily unhurt! The seat was probably not fully clicked in. What concerns me is that I had checked it and thought it was on correctly, and also that the safety cable snapped. Ages: 9mths to 22kg.

THE HAMAX CARESS is a high-quality seat with sprung suspension, height adjustment, a reclining option, and tool-free attachment with a builtin lock. The undamped suspension did smooth the ride but tended to bounce a lot off-road. When reclined, the seat shifts the centre of gravity backwards, making handling tricky with heavy children. A version that clamps to the seat tube is also available. Ages: 9mths to 22kg.

Balanced handling but hinders even tall riders. Clunky interface

Suits off-road paths more than road. Child’s handlebar is nice

Minimalist rear seat that worked well – until it fell off the rack!

A quality seat, ideal for nursery runs and smoother bike paths

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O C TO B E R / NOV EMBER 2020

CYCLE

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

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Rough stuff Rough Stuff

SLM

Cycle Breaks

TRAVELLERS’ TALES

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Share your story We’d love to hear your Travellers’ Tales! Email: cycle@ jamespembrokemedia.co.uk

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Llyn Clywedog: 11,000 million gallons of water

Wales Over half the route is on greenways

France

L’Avenue Verte Ruth Hill and husband David sampled the London-Paris route last September

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nother ‘Route Barrée’! I just don’t believe it!” Cycle path closures were a common problem on our way to Paris. In the end we mostly ignored the signs; a bike can usually get through.

The Avenue Verte is a largely trafficfree route between the two capitals.

Yet it proved more of a challenge than we had anticipated. The terrain was varied, from fabulous smooth cycle paths on old railways to considerable climbs on country roads. Some of the off-road sections took us along the edge of arable fields.

We followed the Epte and Oise valleys through the rolling landscape of northern France. There’s a choice of approach routes to Paris; we took the longer, eastern way, which offered great riding along a new cycle path to the cathedral city of Beauvais.

Another 60km took us to Senlis and its cobbled, narrow streets. That was an eventful day. We were flagged down in the forested section by a ranger: there was a tree blocking the road ahead. We couldn’t get through even if we carried the bikes, we were

told. A hastily-found rough track took us round the obstacle.

We arrived in Paris via a fantastic ride alongside the River Seine, and continued along the Canal St-Denis. It was all flat easy riding.

For our return journey, we retraced our route to the split at Neuville-surOise, following the shorter western route back via Gisors to Gournay-enBray. Then we rode to Dieppe along well-signed cycle paths.

We didn’t start from London, choosing instead to cycle from home in Kent. Mostly the sun shone on us.

We cycled 668km there and back over ten days. It was a great, accessible, cycling adventure.

There’s also a map.

Visit avenueverte londonparis.co.uk

Llanidloes loops A five-mile limit in lockdown didn’t stop Barbara Grantham from exploring by bike TRAVELLING IN WALES was very different during lockdown. Government guidelines limited us to a five-mile radius of home. Fortunately I live in Mid Wales on Sustrans NCN Route 8, close to the source of the River Severn. I discovered many amazing circular routes right on my doorstep.

I’ve particularly enjoyed cycling to the spectacular Llyn Clywedog which, as the crow flies, is only a mile away. Various possible routes use parts of Route 8 and 81, as well as the Severn Way and Glyndwr’s Way, and vary from eight to 25 miles, the longer ones taking in the full sweep of the six-mile reservoir.

My regular ride starts with a steep climb, but once at the top there is an impressive view of the dam in the distance. The route goes through gated farmland, down a steep descent and four gates, and back onto a minor road. I usually visit the ‘Look Out’, high above the dam. It has a superb panoramic view of the lake.

The ruins of the Bryntail lead mines are laid out below at the foot of the dam. So far I have been lucky enough to have the place to myself. It’s been quiet apart the sound of the birds and the river.

The return route takes in a short bridleway and a little-used road that wends its way through a shady oak forest, finally emerging at Llanidloes.

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TRAVELLERS’ TALES

Allan with his calendar of penand-ink drawings

Southern England Michael in Carlingford, RoI. NI is across the lough

Northern Ireland

Border weaver Michael Brennan enjoyed frictionless travel over the Northern Ireland border last summer

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efore Covid-19, Brexit was top of the news agenda. I decided to cycle along the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, a line on a map in the middle of rivers and over the tops of mountains. I found myself crossing that line often, pedalling effortlessly in and out of the UK. My start point was Muff, County Donegal, in the Republic of Ireland (RoI). I rode south along the Foyle estuary through Derry/Londonderry/ City of Derry, Strabane, Clady, and Castlederg. After 48 miles I reached Pettigo, RoI, where urban legend says you can sit in Brittons Bar in RoI and pass a pint to a customer in NI. Next day I cycled alongside

River Termon: NI on the left, RoI the right

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Lough Erne through Beleek, Belcoo and Blacklion to end up in another B, Belturbet, in County Cavan, RoI. On day three, my progress was slowed by a mechanical problem with the bike so I only reached Monaghan, RoI. To continue my journey, I used a hire bike. I cycled along the border roads from Glaslough to Keady to Castleblaney, RoI, where pubs were showing the Champions League final between Liverpool and Spurs. Not much interest to this Everton fan!

Another day, another border crossing. The quiet roads of south Armagh took me through Cullaville, Crossmaglen, Forkhill, Jonesborough and Meigh as far as Newry. The frontier then runs south along the Newry Canal; I crossed it for the final time near Omeath, County Louth, RoI. There was little to mark my border crossings. The landscape is the same.

There are no border officers, no police, no official flags, no border post, no frontier discount stores. In cycling terms, there’s no difference at all.

I finished my ride by carrying on to Dundalk, County Louth, RoI. I’d recommend this tour. Let’s hope it remains possible to cycle so freely in future.

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Church going Allan Plumpton takes off his cycle-clips in awkward reverence THE BEDS & HERTS Historic Churches Trust Annual ‘Ride & Stride’ began at 10am.

Fortunately, the nearest church to me was just three minutes away in St Michael’s village. I was its first visitor.

The ride was a loop through southern Bedfordshire and northern Hertfordshire, an area largely new to me. So I rode with a route-sheet and map in view on my handlebar.

My tour proper started north of St Albans in Flitwick, a train ride away. Taking the right road out of Flitwick station, I soon arrived at the next church, St Peter and St Paul. I parked my bike by the porch, then queued with a dozen others to sign in, grab a mug of coffee and biscuit, and gulp them down. It was quite a scrum as we emerged from the churchyard.

And so it went on throughout that day until I ran out of time at 6pm. The last church on my list – in Harlington – had already shut up shop. The visitor sheet had been pinned to the main door, however, so I was still able to record my visit. After a cuppa at a friend’s house in the village, I caught the train home to St Albans.

I raised just over £300 in sponsorship, and it was an interesting day out. Historic churches can be captivating. I’ve made pen-and-ink drawings of many, some of which appear in a calendar of Sussex sights that I’ve just put together (see p56).

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