cycle THE MAGAZINE OF CYCLING UK
On test
EBCO STREET 2 E-BIKE TUBELESS REPAIR KITS RAVEMEN LIGHTS THULE BIKE RACK & MORE
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2024
E XPLO RE YO RKS H I RE ’ S COAST AN D M OO RS Page 46
WINTER FIXED
£800 Spa Cycles Audax Mono on test
BORING TO DULL
Transcontinental twin-town tour
P lu s FEWER FLATS: TUBELESS TECH TINKERING UK TO SPAIN ON AN E-BIKE TANDEM CYCLING UK’S NEW YEAR RAFFLE AND MUCH MORE
OUR ELECTORAL ROLE
PERSUADING POLITICIANS TO SUPPORT CYCLING
MEMBERSHIP FROM JUST £3.88 A MONTH!*
CONTENTS FEATURES
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34 Boring to Dull 3,861 miles across the USA, Iceland, Ireland and Scotland
Welcome
DAN JOYCE Editor
40 Our electoral role What Cycling UK is doing to get candidates and parties to support cycling ahead of the general election
49 Fewer flats Tubeless benefits for those with tubes
52 A long ride home UK to Spain on an e-bike tandem
PRODUCTS
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20 Shop window A cross-section of new products
22 Gear up Components, accessories and books
62 Spa Cycles Audax Mono Classic drop-bar steel fixie for £800
65 EBCO Street 2 An urban e-bike for less than £1,400
69 Tubeless repair kits Four ways to plug holes that don’t seal
REGULARS 04 Freewheeling Bits and pieces from the bike world
07 This is Cycling UK
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Fill That Hole relaunch; mixed messages from Scotland’s budget; Manchester, European Capital of Cycling; great prizes in the Cycling UK New Year raffle
18 You are Cycling UK Cycling UK trustee Nadia Kerr
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31 Letters Your feedback on Cycle and cycling
On the cover Jenny Graham and Mark Beaumont riding Route YC through Dalby Forest © Markus Stitz
46 Weekender 91-mile gravel ride on the Yorkshire Coast
56 Cyclopedia Questions answered, topics explained
73 Travellers’ tales Cycling UK members’ ride reports
CYCLING UK: Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford, GU2 9JX E: cycling@cyclinguk.org W: cyclinguk.org T: 01483 238300. Cycle promotes the work of Cycling UK. Cycle’s circulation is approx. 51,000. Cycling UK is one of the UK’s largest cycling membership organisations, with approx. 70,500 members and affiliates. President: Jon Snow Chief executive: Sarah Mitchell. Cyclists’ Touring Club, a Company Limited by Guarantee, registered in England No 25185, registered as a charity in England and Wales Charity No 1147607 and in Scotland No SC042541. Registered office: Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford, GU2 9JX. CYCLE MAGAZINE: Editor: Dan Joyce E: editor@cyclinguk.org Designer: Christina Richmond Advertising: Jacob Tregear T: 0203 859 7100 E: jacob.tregear@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: Acorn Web Offset Ltd, Loscoe Close, Normanton Industrial Estate, Normanton, WF6 1TW T: 01924 220633 Founded in 1878
Top to bottom: Mark Wedgwood; Alamy; Paul & Maxine Rogers; David Futter
Another of the great things about cycling is that it can be an escape from everyday problems, things that are churning over in your mind. Pedalling through green places, feeling the breeze, you can focus on the here and now instead of things like – oh, I don’t know – the state of British politics and the anger, despair or weary acquiescence that this engenders. That last one most of all. “They’re all the same, politicians,” people say. “Nothing changes.” Wrong. They’re not. It does. Look at how the cycling environment has and is changing in parts of the UK. Take London. When I started on Cycle in late 2000, I’d ride across the capital and see handfuls of other cyclists. Sometimes I’d pull alongside a fellow pedaller at the lights and give a nod. We brave few! Now there are rivers of cyclists on segregated cycle lanes. It’s a better city for cycling. How about Wales? Just last year the Welsh government introduced a default speed limit of 20mph in built-up areas. This is huge for cycling, making it safer and more appealing. Then there’s Scotland. The spend there on active travel has climbed to £41 per person. In England, for more than 40% of English local authorities, it’s less than £2 per head… These differences are political decisions playing out. And they’re why Cycling UK’s campaigning to win support from candidates and parties ahead of the general election is so important. It won’t turn the UK into the cycling equivalent of the Netherlands overnight. But anything that turns the political dial in favour of cycling is a win for everyone who cycles – and anyone who could, would or should.
this is Thanks to you, our last raffle raised over
£34,000 to continue our important work
Raffle
WIN BIG THIS NEW YEAR! You could win some great prizes – and every ticket helps support Cycling UK’s work. Here’s what’s up for grabs
I
t could be you – on a return trip for two on the Caledonian Sleeper, an extraordinary trip through the beautiful Scottish countryside. As well as this star prize, there are more than 20 other incredible prizes to be won. You could win a cycling tour or clothing and accessories from top brands like Eurocycle, Cycle Breaks, Ortlieb, Rab and more. Tickets are only £1, and each one you buy helps us continue our work to make your world better by bike! Here are some of the prizes you could win:
• 1st prize: Caledonian Sleeper return trip for two in Club Room En-suite accommodation on the iconic overnight train (inc. breakfast, lounge access where available and priority club car access). Worth up to £800. • 2nd prize: Eurocycle Adventures ‘Cycling the Cantii Way’, a three-day, fully guided bike tour for two worth £550 (valid on their threeday tour on 28-30 June 2024). • 3rd prize: Two-day, circular, self-guided ‘Suffolk in a spin’ tour for two from Cycle Breaks. Includes B&B, bike hire (hybrid), luggage transfer, emergency support and a detailed route. Worth £426. • 4th prize: Eurostar ticket for you and your
bike, worth £165. • 5th prize: Ortlieb Seat Pack 16.5L, matt black, worth £159. • 6th prize: Rab Men’s Ultimate Technical Pants, worth £135. • 7th prize: Meadow Farm Camping, free tents and beds for up to four, worth £120. (Open weekends only from 24 May, then every day from 24 Aug until 31 Aug.) • 8th prize: Le Col The Pedal Cover cycling top, worth up to £120. To view the rest of the prizes and to buy your tickets, scan the QR code or visit cyclinguk.org/ raffle. Tickets are just £1 each. By taking part in this online raffle and encouraging your cycling friends and family to join in, you’ll help support our vital charitable and campaigning work. If you’d like to support us but don’t want to play the raffle, you can donate via the website: cyclinguk.org/donate.
HOW TO PLAY Enter online at cyclinguk.org/raffle and pay by debit or credit card. Entries must be made by 11:59pm on 28 February 2024. Your raffle ticket numbers will be emailed to you. The draw will take place on 1 March 2024. Winners will be notified by email or telephone within a working week. Full terms and conditions can be found at
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cyclinguk.org/raffle. If you have difficulty entering online, you can place a raffle ticket order by phone on 01483 238301. To cut our administration costs and maximise your support, the New Year raffle is online only. You must be 16+ to take part and live in Great Britain. Please gamble responsibly.
P roduct news
SHOP WINDOW Along with cycle holiday planning, window shopping is one of the ways to bring colour to a dull February day. Dan Joyce goes browsing
Ways to save
As a member, you can save up to 50% on a wide range of cycling products and services. Visit cyclinguk.org/ member-benefits
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Stooge Dirt Tracker £720
A rigid steel MTB with bikepacking braze-ons and plus tyres, a bit like the Jones Plus LWB. Some nice touches but only one size (18in). Price is for the frameset, not the bike. stoogecycles.co.uk
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Garmin HRM-Fit
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Asgard Gladiator Bike Shed × 14
Launched too late for our hip packs test last year, Restrap’s 6-litre waterproof bag doubles as a bar bag. Each mesh side pocket can hold bidon-sized loads. restrap.com
£2,760 Bike bunkers are great for the garage-less but tend to hold only two or three bikes. This sturdy 7×18ft metal shed stores up to 14 and doubles as a workshop. asgardsss.co.uk
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Van Rysel In’Ride 100 home trainer
£99.99 Smart trainers are all the rage but an inexpensive, magnetic resistance model like this can do just as much for your off-season fitness. Don’t forget your discount (p14)! decathlon.co.uk
Restrap Utility Hip Pack £94.99
£139.99 Garmin’s new heart rate monitor clips to the bottom band of a sports bra. It’s a neat idea with a premium price; Garmin’s HRM-Dual strap is only £59.99. garmin.com
BMB RR Stem
$400 As a higher handlebar fan, this Raised (150mm) Reversed (–15mm) stem intrigued me. Intended for enduro, it could have wider application. That price, though! bemorebikes.com
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Pirelli P Zero SmarTUBE Evo
£36.99 Not riding tubeless? Pirelli has launched a range of TPU tubes – including this 38g 700×25-28C one, which promises lower rolling resistance and a 50% smaller pack size. pirelli.com
More online Check out our in-depth reviews of the latest bikes and gear online at: cyclinguk.org/cycling-advice
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G R E AT R I D E S
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B O R I N G TO D U LL
cycle FE B R UARY / M ARCH 2024
B O R I N G TO D U LL
G R E AT R I D E S
Opposite: Boring was paired with Dull in 2012. It has since also been linked to Bland, Australia Left: Mark’s second visit to the small village of Dull. He first passed through on his ‘Ride all the OS maps’ tour in 2022
Great Rides
BORING TO DULL
ONE IS IN THE USA, THE OTHER IN SCOTLAND. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF MILES BETWEEN THEM – MOST OF THEM INTERESTING, AS MARK WEDGWOOD DISCOVERED
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he best adventures have a way of finding you, even if you weren’t looking for them. I think big cycle trips need a purpose, with a definite start and end. I also like them to be somehow unique or unusual. In 2022 I became the first person to cycle through all of the 204 Ordnance Survey Landranger maps in numerical order. This unlikely journey began in May in Shetland and ended in Cornwall, more than 7,000 miles and six months later. Little did I know that this first cycling adventure would lead to my second one.
I was in Scotland for many glorious weeks. Towards the end of a sunny day on map 52, just after Loch Tay, I encountered a large road sign saying ‘Welcome to Dull, paired with Boring, Oregon, USA’. I took a photo for my blog, finished my day and went out for a wellearned curry, thinking little more about it. In January 2023 I flew to South America, with nothing planned for when I returned in late March. I don’t like that feeling: it is always better to have something to look forward to. Then a friend invited me to hike the Pacific Crest Trail for the whole of July, south to north across the mountains and wilderness of Washington state to the Canadian border. I jumped at it. Then I learned we would be starting near Portland, Oregon. A memory flickered in the recesses of my mind. Oregon is a big place but our trail started just a few miles from Boring!
A BORING SEND-OFF I decided that after the hike I would cycle home. Or at least across America. One spring day, the concept of Boring to Dull arrived and wouldn’t go away. Internet research revealed that the state of Oregon passed a law in 2013 designating 9 August as ‘Boring and Dull Day’, which is celebrated in Boring every year. I knew what I had to do. I had a week to prepare after my month of hiking, then I could be there in person to start my next cycling adventure. Of course, I needed a bike. The obvious choice was the same Sonder Colibri that took me through all 204 OS maps in 2022. After a comprehensive service, it was FedExed to a friend’s house in Seattle, where it was waiting for me after my hike, along with my trusty old Carradice panniers. I was ready to ride. C Y CL I NGUK . O RG cycle 35
Feature
OUR ELECTORAL ROLE
TRANSPORT IS ALREADY ON THE AGENDA FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION. DUNCAN DOLLIMORE EXPLAINS WHAT CYCLING UK IS DOING TO GET CANDIDATES AND PARTIES TO SUPPORT CYCLING
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THE ELECTION
F E ATU R E
DUNCAN DOLLIMORE Cycling UK head of campaigns
Left: Alamy
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owards the end of each year, I’m always asked about Cycling UK’s campaign plans and priorities for the year ahead. My response for 2024 is starting to sound a bit like a Donald Rumsfeld answer. For the former US Secretary of Defence there were known knowns, known unknowns and unknown unknowns. In the world of cycling policy and campaigning, the 2024 known known is that, legally, there has to be a general election before 28 January 2025. That almost certainly means an election in 2024. The known unknown is when, and the unknown unknowns include whether Cycling UK and others passionate about the benefits of getting more people cycling will be able to make this relevant to politicians and candidates in an election year. That’s our big challenge for 2024. Spoiler alert: we’re not going to do that by talking about more people cycling as an end in itself. To get wider political support, we need to talk about the benefits of more people cycling, and to show how that’s relevant to the cost of living, the environment, public health and other issues that are on the political and public agendas. We need to frame cycling as a solution or, as journalist Peter Walker so eloquently describes it in his book, a miracle pill. Of course, many decisions relating to cycling, including funding, are taken by devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, so some of you might be wondering how relevant a Westminster election is in those nations. The answer depends on whether you’re looking purely at manifesto commitments or more broadly at the wider political support for cycling and the context in which cycling, active travel, speed limits and transport policies are discussed. C Y CL I NGUK . O RG cycle 41
FAU X T U B E L E S S
Feature
FEWER FL ATS The puncture-sealing benefits of tubeless tyre setups can also be enjoyed with tubes. Technical editor Richard Hallett explains how
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ever mind reduced rolling resistance or improved ride comfort, for many cyclists the real attraction of tubeless tyre technology is that when you get a puncture, you generally don’t get a puncture. At no time of year is this more welcome than winter, when roadside maintenance is a miserable business – as a flat tyre on a recent wet ride forcibly reminded me. For the last five years, I’ve almost exclusively ridden tubeless tyres. But not that day. While getting my hands filthy replacing the tube and removing the offending flint from the tyre, I had a thought, which I’ll call ‘faux tubeless’.
RICHARD HALLETT Richard is Cycle’s technical editor and also a frame builder
GETTING STUCK IN A tubeless tyre is not proof against punctures but resists subsequent air loss either by retaining the offending sharp object, which then plugs the hole it made, or, should the object fall out, by clogging up the hole with sealant. This doesn’t happen with an innertube, which will lose air even if the sharp thing is stuck fast in the tyre. Simply putting tubeless sealant in an innertube won’t fix this. The sealant will have a hard time sealing a hole as the tube wall isn’t thick enough to let a plug of sealant granules build up. The usual result is simply a loss of sealant to the gap between tyre and tube. So the question I asked myself was: why not glue the tube to the inside of the tyre and then add some sealant? This would make the tube an integral part of the tyre. A thorn stuck in the tyre would also
Why not glue the tube to the inside of the tyre and then add some sealant? This would make the tube an integral part of the tyre
F E ATU R E
be stuck in the tube, while the sealant would be as effective as in a tubeless tyre since it could not escape into the tyre/tube space. Furthermore, a tyre plug would work as intended, since it would plug both tyre and tube simultaneously. Once home I put the idea into practice. My first efforts resulted in the tube sticking to the tyre unevenly, distorting the tyre on inflation. But after several attempts I found a process that works well and which is described below. The results, trialled in several pairs of tyres over more than 1,000 miles in rubbish conditions, have exceeded expectations. An offending thorn could not be prised from one tyre, which has lost no pressure in four weeks. There’s no discernible loss of performance or ride quality compared to the same tyre and tube run conventionally. And, since the tube shrinks back into the tyre when deflated, a faux tubeless tyre can be removed easily from the rim – without sealant loss, of course.
WHY BOTHER? Why go to such lengths when a tubeless system proper does the job without the bother? • Wider tyre and rim availability Faux tubeless can be used with any tyre and rim combo. I was riding tubed because the tyre concerned – the excellent Grand Bois Hetre – is not available tubeless. When you ride with tubes you also don’t need to worry about the limited availability of tubeless-ready, rim brake-compatible 650B/27.5in rims; the same goes for 26in (559mm) tyres and rims and, to a lesser extent, 700C. • Less mess, uncertainty and difficulty Tubeless tyres come with their own problems. Even a straightforward installation can result in spilled sealant, and removal or refitting means going though the whole process again. Once installed, a tubeless tyre may not stay up for as long as hoped – sealant slowly dries out, resulting in air leakage, while a softening tubeless tyre may lose enough air to completely deflate overnight. Most tubeless tyres are a very tight fit on the rim to provide an effective seal, which makes fitting and removal more difficult, and often demands a high-flow pump or gas canister to seat the tyre. • Convenience Once ‘made’, a faux tubeless tyre can be put on a rim and inflated easily with a regular hand pump. It will retain air as well as a standard tubed tyre, and can be removed or swapped between wheels as often as required without mess or loss of sealant. There are other minor benefits: the system will hold a higher pressure than tubeless as the innertube helps lock the tyre bead to the rim hook; it won’t burp air if it hits a bump; and only half the usual amount of sealant is needed because it doesn’t C YCL I NGUK . O RG cycle 49
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CYCLOPEDIA
w o h w o Kn Making sense of commonly misunderstood subjects
JULIE RAND
Cycling UK volunteer communications officer
Cycling incidents
Photo: volunteer photographer Robert Tomlin
What do I do if there’s an incident on my group ride?
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ou’re leading a ride, happily pedalling along, when out of nowhere disaster strikes. While such incidents are rare, it’s important to know what you, as the person in charge of the ride, should do next. Firstly, familiarise yourself ahead of time with our recommended incident checklist, which covers the immediate aftermath. This will help you to stay calm, take control of the situation and provide reassurance to everyone else. If there has been a collision or near miss with someone who is not part of the organised ride, contact the Cycling UK Incident Line on 0330 1071 789 for legal advice. This service is provided free to Cycling UK members; non-members may be offered a free initial consultation. If you think somebody on your ride (or at an event registered with us) could be held liable for any injury or damage sustained as a result of their negligence, whether as organiser or participant,
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call Butterworth Spengler, our insurance brokers, on 0151 494 4400. Note that Cycling UK members are automatically covered for damage or injury caused to other members up to £10m. You, or another responsible individual, should complete an accident/incident form as soon as possible. This is available via the links below. It goes directly to both Cycling UK and Butterworth Spengler, with a copy sent to you for your records. If there are safeguarding concerns within a group, whether involving an adult or a child, a separate safeguarding report form will also need to be completed by the safeguarding officer. Disagreements between riders, or situations where a rider could be deemed a danger to themselves and others, should be resolved by the safeguarding officer in the first instance. But as ride leader you have duty of care to the other riders, so if you think somebody could be a danger to themselves or others, you must request that they leave the ride if need be. Again, an accident/ incident report form should be filled in. We are currently offering a free online training course for our member group ride leaders only. This discusses many of the topics here. Visit cyclinguk.org/ride-leader-training to find out more. For other resources, follow the links below. • What to do if there’s an incident on a group ride: cyclinguk.org/group-ride-incident • What to do if you have a cycling crash: cyclinguk.org/crash-advice • Local groups and cycling clubs: cyclinguk.org/local-groups • Insurance for cycling: cyclinguk.org/insurance
Liability cover Volunteers registered with Cycling UK – ride leaders, event organisers, marshals, other ‘officials’ – are covered for up to £10m for injuries or damage that may be attributable to their negligence, as long as the rides or events are run in accordance with our policies. Such volunteers are also covered if a non-member at their ride/event causes injury or damage, leading to a claim against them. A Cycling UK guideline is that there should not be more than 10 non-members on any one ride, and nor should they participate in a Cycling UK ride more than three times. Members of Cycling UK are also covered for up to £10m by our thirdparty insurance against claims for any injury or damage caused by their negligence. Up to 10 non-members or ‘guest’ riders with Cycling UK member groups (not affiliate groups) are also covered against their negligence for the duration of the ride, but only up to a limit of three rides per guest rider.
BIKE TEST
FIXED-WHEEL ROAD BIKE
Biketest
Spa Cycles Audax Mono
DAN JOYCE
Fixed-wheel bikes have fallen out of fashion but still make great commuters, winter trainers and more. Dan Joyce tests an £800 model from Spa Cycles Other options
DOLAN FXE ALUMINIUM FIXIE £699.98+
Aluminium fixie with steeper angles than the Spa but still with rack and mudguard mounts. Fitted with a flip-flop 120mm hub and 57mm-drop sidepull brakes.
dolan-bikes.com
W
hile the fixie fad has long since faded, you still see a fair few metropolitan singlespeeds with bullhorn handlebars and cheap parts. What’s far less common is the classic, drop-bar fixedwheel bike with mudguards – a bike beloved of roadies in search of souplesse, experienced commuters and audax riders with a mad gleam their eye. The Spa Cycles Audax Mono is one such. I planned to test it alongside a Dolan FXE but couldn’t get hold of one in time. Aside from the Genesis Flyer, which has turned into the old Day One 10 (cyclinguk.org/genesis-day-one), pickings are thin. Which is why this is, literally, a Mono bike test.
Frame & fork
GENESIS FLYER £699
Commuter-focused singlespeed with cable disc brakes, 35mm tyres and a wider rear axle spacing and chainline. Lacks the pep of a lightweight fixie.
genesisbikes.co.uk
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Like a lot of fixies, the Audax Mono has a steel frame. It’s TIG welded from Reynolds 725 chrome-moly. But it differs in two important respects: it has practical frame fittings, including separate eyelets for a rear rack; and the geometry is more audax bike than track bike. The head tube is taller and the seat tube is only 72.5 degrees, so you can sit up and back more instead of being forced down into a handnumbing racing crouch. A shallower head angle and longer chainstays yield a more stable ride,
Until recently, Dan’s town bike was a fixed-wheel Ridgeback Solo World. His time trial/turbo bike is a modified Surly Steamroller
which is particularly welcome on high-cadence descents. The front-centres distance is longer too, reducing the likelihood of toe overlap. (Note that the effective wheelbase and chainstay length will depend on rear wheel setback.) I often upsize when choosing road bikes, to win toe room and get a high-enough handlebar. I didn’t have to with the Audax Mono: the 54cm model was roomy and tall enough, once I’d added another 5mm spacer – something the longer fork steerer allowed. The fork is carbon, with an aluminium steerer, on all Audax Monos except the smallest. The 50cm model uses a steel fork, presumably with more offset. All have mudguard mounts. There’s just enough room here, front and rear, for 28mm tyres and mudguards. It’s fairly tight, however, as the frame and fork don’t utilise all of the space available from 57mm-drop sidepulls. Check out the brake block positions (top right). As well as black, the Audax Mono is offered in this metallic bronze and in Mediterranean blue.
Components For a budget bike, the Audax Mono has nice wheels. Sturdy 17mm cyclocross rims are laced to Sturmey Archer hubs with good-quality, welltensioned spokes. They’re absolutely true and look likely to stay that way.
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TU B ELES S R EPA I R K I TS
GROUPTEST
Details
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
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Grouptest
Tubeless repair kits
Tubeless tyres aren’t immune to punctures. To fix them you need not patches but plugs. Hannah Collingridge tests four repair kits
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HANNAH COLLINGRIDGE Hannah is a keen bikepacker and ex bike mechanic. Only one very old 26in Nobby Nic was harmed during this test – 26 ain’t dead but this one is now full of plugged holes.
Storage
As with any on-the-go tools, lighter and more compact is better, other things being equal. Some tubeless repair kits can be stashed in the ends of a handlebar.
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Safety
How is the spiky end of the tool protected while not in use? The last thing you need is it poking a hole in your spare tube – or in you.
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Ease of use
The handle of the tool that stabs into the tyre needs to be large
and sturdy enough for you to use easily even on cold and wet days. The shape of the fork on the tool determines how easy it is to get the sticky plug onto it, and whether you need to handle the plug before insertion.
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Plug size
Tyre plugs come in different sizes. Think about what size you’re most likely to need for the riding you do. If in doubt, take at least two different widths. Most kits will allow you to stick more than one strip into a hole if required.
ubeless tyre setups are great for reducing the number of punctures you have to deal with. Smaller holes caused by things like thorns and crumbs of glass usually self seal. If the hole is too large, however, the sealant will keep spraying out instead of hardening into a plug. That’s when you need a tubeless repair kit. A tubeless repair kit consists of some pre-glued strips (variously called plugs, worms or anchovies) and a device for shoving those plugs into holes in your tyres. There’s quite often a means of roughening the sides of the hole as well to help the plug adhere. All you do is clean the hole, jab the plug into it to seal it, and reinflate your tyre. Each manufacturer will have specific instructions, and quite often a video, about how to use their kit. Study this before you stick the repair kit in your bag and have to use it in anger; the instructions are usually on the box you’ve just binned. Using a tubeless repair kit is faster and easier, in theory, than stripping the tyre off and putting your spare tube in. But you’ll still need to carry a tube for those rare occasions when a plug won’t work, because the hole is more of a gash.
Cycle’s test promise At Cycle, we are proudly independent. There’s no pressure to please advertisers as we’re funded by your membership. Our product reviews aren’t press releases; they’re written by experienced cyclists after thorough testing. C YC L I NGUK . O RG cycle 69
TRAVELLERS’ TALES
Belgium
On the cobbles The Moray Coastal Trail
Louise Bell rode the pavé of the Tour of Flanders sportive – in the pouring rain
Scotland
Powering through the Highlands An off-road e-bike tour demands plenty of juice, as John Whittle and his friend Rob discovered
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e’d read about the Moray Triangle, a 220km circular route from Aviemore with 1,550 metres of climbing, in Travellers’ Tales in the Oct/Nov 2022 issue of Cycle. But could we complete it on our e-mountain bikes? It looked like it might push us to the limits of our 635Wh batteries. The run down from Aviemore via Grantown-on-Spey to our first night at Craigellachie (70km with 420m of ascent) was a delightful combination of forest track, singletrack, ex-railway line and quiet roads. Nothing too technical and a perfect cycling day. The sole fly in the ointment was a diversion requested by route managers for cyclists to avoid ‘vulnerable’ terrain and to use the quiet road on the north side of the Spey from Cromdale. This included a large, very steep hill. Yet we finished the day with range to spare. Our second day down to Findhorn via Lossiemouth (73km, 591m) began with a tough, rough climb, followed by a long descent on a poorly signed track and partially built muddy path to coffee and cake in Fochabers. We crossed the Spey
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near Spey Bay, encountering miles of forest trails surfaced with trillions of bum-numbing, golfball-sized pebbles. After a recuperative lunch in Lossiemouth, and with about 30% charge left, we set off along a glorious clifftop track to Burghead. The ‘Burma Road’ through the huge sand dunes of Roseisle Forest led to ice cream and sympathy at a chuck wagon in a shaded car park. After more empty, beautiful coastal riding and more shingle, we arrived at our B&B at the Findhorn Community as my battery (and bottom) cried ‘enough!’. The third day back up to Aviemore (75km, 550m) included the notorious 36km off-road climb of the Dava Way (380m!). Besides weight, wind, temperature and tyre pressures, e-bike range responds poorly to rough surfaces. So the last day boded ill. I cracked and asked for a recharge at our lunch stop in Grantown, while Rob, ever the stoic, set his chin upwards to home. From Boat of Garten things went very quiet. He finally ran out of power just as we pedalled into our guesthouse car park.
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AT DOVER, THE start of our bikepacking trip to the Tour of Flanders, we cowered in the face of the roiling brown sea. We would be facing a 40kph crosswind during our ride from Dunkirk to Kortrijk for the sportive the following day… We joined the melee at about 10am the next morning: 16,000 people vying for space on wet, slippery cobbled tracks with 20% gradients. We were nervous as the first challenge, the Koppenberg, loomed out of the driving rain. “I’ll walk this one”, I said. But the novelty of walking in a sportive wears off. We climbed everything else thrown at us – nine climbs in total, and last of all the Paterberg, our redemption for taking the easy route up the Koppenberg. The next day the pros took over. The buses of the women’s team were accessible in a way the men’s World Tour teams are not, and we cycled freely among the cycling greats. Team Jumbo Visma left their bus and rolled to the start, with us following. On our final day the sun shone at last. The wind still raged but miraculously turned 180 degrees and became a cross-tailwind that blew us all the way back home. We had taken a beating. Our bikes were filthy and gritty. But we grinned as we boarded the ferry and shared our adventures of cobbles, chaos and calamitous weather. We would never fear cycling in the rain again.
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