Cycle magazine February/March 2024 FULL by Cycling UK

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

CONTENTS FEATURES

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

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

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

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.

cycle TH E WO ND ER FU L WO RL A SH O RT TO UR ARO UN D

D O F CYCLIN G Shop Window

MORE ITEMS ON PAGE 20

Bike tech

Pashley Multi-trike

carry two lti-trike, which can out Pashley’s new Mu the drive is x, bo go car The curious thing ab in its 0 litres of luggage 24 to ivates up act /or nks and cra children rator at the chain or belt. A gene a wire to t jus re’s system. There’s no the so ls, s on the rear whee It’s battery-driven motor be mounted lower. a is that the box can ide The r. we po und £6,500. aro t transfer cos to ed ect year and is exp due sometime this pashley.co.uk

You ride

Heidi Barker

Nine-year-old fundraiser and influencer

oungest of the 100 Women in Cycling 2023, nine-year-old Heidi Barker from Cheshire has raised more than £21,000 for charities through cycling and walking. Her first challenge saw her walk the distance from Land’s End to John o’ Groats. She is about to finish her current fundraiser, cycling the distance from Paris to London. Since April 2023, Heidi has been plugging away at the 214-mile total in rides of about 1.5 miles, doing longer ones on weekends. She loves sport and being out in nature, even enjoying the experience of learning to ride in an empty pub car park in 2020 – spurred on no doubt by her dad’s promise to pay her £1 for every 20 metres her feet didn’t touch the ground. Heidi hasn’t just focused on her own cycling, however, but encouraged her friends and family to cycle more. Her cousin Lillie loves it now, and best friend Ella started cycling to school after Heidi explained how it wakes you up in the morning and gets you ready for school. She’s also taken social media by storm, encouraging her 10K followers to ‘join’ her on rides by posting about them using the hashtag #RidewithHeidi. Her favourite experience so far was going for a ride with cycling influencer Sigrid the cat. “It makes me feel really happy and free”, she says.

100 WOMEN IN CYCLING 2024 Nominations for this year’s 100 Women in Cycling awards open on International Women’s Day, Friday 8 March. To nominate someone you find inspiring, visit cyclinguk.org/100women.

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Really?!

Heidi has already raised more than £21,000 for charity

Air Seat Classic kit

Rear Mudhugger To stay clean(ish) and dry(ish) on soggy UK trails you need a rear mudguard with good coverage that sits close enough to stop spray but not so close it’ll jam. This is it. The Rear Mudhugger is compatible with a dropper post and/ or bikepacking seatpack as it fixes to the seatstays. The longer Mk2 version is pictured. It’s £34.99 from themudhugger.co.uk

“The world’s first fullfloating saddle suspension system designed for bicycles”, which fits between your bike’s seatpost and saddle, is strongly reminiscent of a Brooks sprung saddle. It weighs 250g and costs NT$2,800 – about £71. One advantage is that you can keep using your favourite saddle. Another is that… no, that’s it. airseatliyida.com

Bike hacks

Secure your grips Friction-fit grips are easier to install and often stay put better if you use hairspray. Lightly spray the grip area of both ends of the handlebar. Fit the grips while the hairspray is still damp as it’ll act as a lubricant. It dries like tacky glue, however, giving your grips more ‘hold’ (sic). If the grips are too loose, add a couple of wraps of electrical insulation tape around the grip area before applying hairspray. Then refit the grips. (Note that silicon grips often require isopropyl alcohol for fitting, so don’t use hairspray for them.)

On my bike

Hannah Dobson

Try this

Visit cyclinguk. org/rebellion-way

Why do you cycle? For fun, and because it connects you with your surroundings and the people in it.

If you’re planning on riding one of Cycling UK’s long-distance routes this year, Norfolk’s Rebellion Way is a good place to start. A 373km meander on quiet, mostly flat back roads, byways, cycle paths and bridleways under panoramic skies, it’s a fantastic introduction to multi-day touring. Cycling holiday company Saddle Skedaddle is offering a five-day trip that will give you the option of donating to Cycling UK to help with the upkeep of the route and others like it. What’s more, the company will also make a donation for every mile ridden on the Rebellion Way by each of its customers. skedaddle.com/uk

How far do you ride each week? No idea. I find stat monitoring generates an inadequacy complex, so I just ride. Which of your bikes is your favourite? My e-cargo bike is one of the greatest things I’ve ever bought. But if I wasn’t always testing new ones, I’d need a gravel bike and mountain bike, and I think then I’d struggle to pick a favourite.

Watch this Cycling UK volunteer Robert Tomlin recently undertook an in-person course held for volunteers at our Golspie Bothy in Sutherland in north-east Scotland. He made a video of it, which is at bit.ly/cycle-golspie-rlt. Cycling UK’s free online ride leader training module is still available to all registered member group ride leaders for another few months. Through the course, you will learn how to manage a group safely, how to carry out a risk assessment, what to do in case of an emergency and much more. Visit cyclinguk.org/ride-leader-training.

What do you always take with you when cycling? Gloves. And I always carry a pump and multitool. Who mends your punctures? I rarely get them, and I ride tubeless which is usually easy to fix with a plug. It’s raining: bike, public transport or car? Bike and all the waterproofs. I live in the Pennines – it’s always raining. Lycra or normal clothes? I hardly have any normal clothes. It’s nearly all mountain bike clothing and test gear.

Offer

Get the Oldie, raise money for Cycling UK The Oldie (theoldie.co.uk), the humorous magazine founded by Richard Ingrams in 1992, is offering Cycling UK members a trial subscription of six issues for £6, a saving of £25.50. And for each one of you who takes up the offer, the Oldie will donate £5 to Cycling UK. The offer is for UK addresses only. After you receive your first six issues, you can either cancel the subscription or continue at the reduced rate of £25.75 for every six issues thereafter, saving 96p per issue. Simply go to checkout.theoldie.co.uk/offers and enter code CYC2024.

If you had £100 to spend on cycling, what would you get? Probably a ticket to a Sisters In The Wild weekender or similar bike festival.

Below: Sam Saunders, FlickrCC

Right: Jordan Gibbons

Rebellion with a cause

Managing editor of Singletrack World magazine, 100 Women in Cycling judge

What’s your favourite cycle journey? It’s hard to beat a big day out on the moors on a sunny day in May. What single thing would most improve matters for UK cyclists? Normalise bikes. Let’s have as many pump tracks as we do swing sets and slides. Introduce bikes as fun, and people will want to keep riding them.

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Stay in touch Be in the know on all things cycling related. If you’d like to hear more about Cycling UK’s work – our projects, training, campaigns and fundraising, and how you can get involved – sign up to hear more: cyclinguk.org/subscribe

The route ahead Cycling UK is looking forward to a busy year, with a new strategy this spring, campaigning work ahead of the general election, and lots of programmes to deliver. Sarah Mitchell reports

he new year is a time when many of us make resolutions and start forming plans for the year ahead. That might be an adventurous route to discover or a new destination to explore by pedal power. At Cycling UK, we’re also busy making exciting plans for 2024. Work continues apace on our new strategy, which comes into effect in April. It will be a bold and ambitious plan because that’s what is required to fully realise the vast potential of cycling to improve people’s lives and help shape a better society. We can’t do that alone, so we will build new collaborations to achieve our aims. This will also allow us to offer you new and enhanced member benefits. That work has already started, and we’re delighted to now be partnering with the world’s biggest sporting goods retailer, Decathlon, to bring you a new 10% discount on a wide range of cycling products. Continuing to look ahead, a key focus of our policy and campaigning work this year will be the general election, which is widely expected to take place in the autumn. We will be taking every opportunity to move cycling up the political priority list, with several key events already planned to help us push for better policies and more investment in

Photo: Phill Stasiw

Routes like Traws Eryri inspire adventures

Stay connected

facebook.com/CyclingUK

Nearly

200,000 potholes have been reported via Fill That Hole, which we have relaunched

cycling. We know that the collective voice of Cycling UK and our 70,000-plus members is one of our biggest strengths, so we will be calling on your support to help achieve the positive change that we all want to see. Our award-winning programmes to help people experience the benefits of cycling will go from strength to strength this year. From supporting Community Cycle Clubs in Plymouth to reaching people in some of Scotland’s most remote communities through our Rural Connections programme, we will help tens of thousands more people across the UK discover the joy of cycling. This time of year is when the scourge of potholes hits the headlines, so it was a fitting time to relaunch Cycling UK’s Fill That Hole app and website. They’ve been updated thanks to funding from our partners Fletchers Cycle SOS. Reports via the tool go directly to the relevant highway authority, and they have a legal responsibility to check and repair where necessary. Nearly 200,000 potholes have been reported since Fill That Hole was first launched in 2007. We’d love you to add to that tally and help to make our roads safer for everyone. Manchester has become the first ever European Capital of Cycling. It’s well deserved recognition for the city’s impressive commitment to promoting and growing cycling. Cycling UK is pleased to have collaborated on the bid alongside other key partners, building on our long-standing work in the city through programmes like the Big Bike Revival, Making cycling e-asier and Community Cycle Clubs. I was so proud to see Cycling UK receive the Community Builders Award in the Singletrack World Awards recently. The award is all about getting more people outdoors and on bikes, and it was voted for by the readers of Singletrack. Seeing our charity’s role in supporting mountain biking recognised in this way is a huge honour. Whatever your plans and aspirations are for this year, I’d like to wish you all the best for 2024. Thank you for your ongoing support for all that Cycling UK does. We couldn’t do it without you..

@wearecyclinguk

www.cyclinguk.org

I was so proud to see Cycling UK receive the Community Builders Award in the Singletrack World Awards

cycling@cyclinguk.org

01483 238301 CY CL I NGUK . O RG cycle 7

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ride ideas for great adventures this year: cyclinguk.org/article/ 24-cycle-routesfor-2024

Media

Fill That Hole makes reporting defects child’s play

Road safety

FILL THAT HOLE Fed up with dangerously cratered roads? Cycling UK’s pothole-reporting website and app have just been relaunched, as Sam Jones explains

here are national days and weeks celebrating pretty much everything now; National Pothole Day was on 15 January. It was less a celebration and more a gentle mocking of a serious problem. It was also a fitting day for the relaunch of Cycling UK’s refreshed Fill That Hole road defect reporting tool, funded by Fletchers Cycle SOS. As old as the iPhone, our Fill That Hole app and website was launched back in 2007. We knew our members and the wider cycling community had had enough of potholes and wanted to see the problem fixed. Potholes plague roads across the UK. While media attention is often on the problem they present for driving, when cycling they can become a hazard that far too often has resulted in serious injury or even loss of life. Prior to Fill That Hole, there was no easy way to report potholes and other road defects without working out which highway authority was responsible for each stretch of our road. So we created a simple one-stop shop and have since seen nearly 200,000 potholes reported. It’s easy to blame local authorities for our poorly maintained roads, especially on those

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quieter country lanes more regularly used by people cycling. The reality is that governments in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are not funding local roads well enough, meaning the full-scale repairs to our crumbling road network that Cycling UK believes is necessary just isn’t possible. Local authorities nevertheless have a responsibility to keep the roads in good repair. It’s impractical for them to monitor all their roads all the time, and therefore they prioritise the roads they survey. This means the busier A-roads are checked more regularly, the quiet lanes less so. That’s where Fill That Hole comes in. Reports via the app or website go directly to the relevant highway authority. The highway authority then has a legal responsibility to check the defect and repair it where necessary. If the authority fails to take action, these reports can help individuals should they need to claim for damage or injury against the council if that road defect caused them to come off their bike. More often than not, however, we hear of potholes reported and soon fixed, and hope to see this continue with the updated version. fillthathole.org.uk

Left: Robert Spanring

CYCLING UK WINS AWARDS Last year saw Cycling UK scoop three gongs from the cycling press for our campaigning work and our efforts to make the UK a better place for the wider cycling community. We won the BikeBiz award for Advocacy. Cycling Plus recognised head of campaigns Duncan Dollimore (pictured) with a lifetime achievement award. And Singletrack World gave us their Community Builder award. Here’s to mirroring that success in 2024!

Honours

MBE FOR CYCLE CAMPAIGNER Cycling UK member, 100 Women in Cycling recipient, chair of Cyclox in Oxford and long-time cycling campaigner Dr Alison Hill received an MBE for her services to cycling in the New Year Honours list. Alison has been a fantastic advocate for cycling over many years and we are thrilled that her dedication and hard work to improve cycle safety has been recognised.

Scotland

POLICE, CAMERA, INACTION

Read our top tips for cycling in icy conditions: cyclinguk.org/article/ how-stay-safecycling-and-drivingicy-roads

Police Scotland has dropped plans for a new road safety portal allowing the public to submit video evidence of road crimes quickly and easily. This system is needed to improve road safety for all, while saving valuable police time. Police Scotland – the only force in Great Britain without such a system – had committed to piloting a reporting portal in March 2022, after a campaign led by Cycling UK and supported by 32 organisations.

Volunteers

NEW YEAR, NEW SKILLS Cycling UK’s commitment to volunteering has led to us offering our direct volunteers bespoke learning pathways tailored to their roles via our volunteer platform Assemble. Courses on offer include digital skills, safeguarding, health and safety, and communication and leadership, among many others. For more information about your learning pathways, contact your volunteer manager or email volunteering@ cyclinguk.org.

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Active travel budget is now £220m but major roads get £200m extra

Scotland

BUDGET’S MIXED MESSAGES

n its pre-Christmas budget the Scottish Government has once again increased the funding levels for active travel, this time by £31m to £220m for 2024/25. This record investment represents £41 spent on active travel per person in Scotland – the highest per capita spend in the UK. The increase comes at a time of extreme financial pressure for the public purse. With many sectors experiencing cuts, it’s something of a relief to see the money for cycling, walking and wheeling

projects still flowing. This positive step should give councils across Scotland the confidence to bid for funds and make change happen in the coming year. Disappointingly, the financial situation means the long-heralded commitment to spend 10% of the transport budget, or at least £320m, on active travel in 2024/25 has been delayed. At Cycling UK in Scotland, we campaigned hard for the 10% figure to become government policy so the £100m gap is a hard blow to take. We urge government to meet the

target next year. The budget also revealed a growing disparity between the government’s rhetoric on climate action and the reality of where it plans to spend in 2024/25. A huge £200m increase in spending on trunk roads and motorways but reduced money for trains, buses and low-carbon transport gives the wrong signals on the need to provide greener transport options and enable people to leave the car at home. It’s time government rebalanced the transport budget even if that means more difficult choices.

Groups

NEW ONLINE TOOLKIT A recent upgrade to Cycling UK’s website means that the way the group publicity pages (or microsites) work has also changed. Member groups wishing to send emails to members in their areas or view their registered volunteers will for now have to use the old site, while using the new one to register events, update their group information and carry out all other functions. Visit

cyclinguk.org/member-grouptool for details. We’ll be making more improvements to the groups’ toolkit over the next few months. If you have questions or feedback, let us know at: cyclinguk.org/toolkit-feedback.

Left and below: Andy Catlin

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this is 100 cycling women who made a difference in 2023: cyclinguk.org/ 100women/2023

Donations

With spring round the corner, now is the time to plan adventures. What better way to make them even more fun than by fundraising for Cycling UK? You could take on one of our routes and ask your friends and family to donate to your achievement. Every donation to Cycling UK means more people can experience the joy of cycling and helps fund the future of cycling. cyclinguk. org/fundraise-for-us

Governance

2023 TRUSTEE ELECTIONS Following a successful election process and Board ratification, we would like to welcome newly elected trustee Robin Grant to the 2024-27 Board. He said: “I’m honoured that our members have put their trust in me. I’m looking forward to helping Cycling UK enable millions more to travel by bike, making a real difference to the UK’s mental and physical wellbeing, and helping us reach net zero.” Robin Tucker was re-elected to the 2024-27 Board.

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Manchester’s cycle network has been growing

Transport

MANCHESTER: EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CYCLING

anchester has won its bid to become the first ACES European Capital of Cycling. The successful bid involved a collaborative effort from key partners, including Cycling UK. The new title is a celebration of the city’s commitment to promoting its cycling culture. It also recognises the work that Manchester has already done to improve cycling provision. Prior to the decision, Manchester City Council and partners hosted delegates from ACES to showcase the National Cycling Centre and the city’s extensive network of new cycleways. Ellen Holmes, Cycling UK’s cycling development officer in Greater Manchester, worked with the city council on the bid. She said: “I’m delighted that Manchester has been named as the first European Capital of Cycling. Over the past few months I’ve been supporting Manchester City Council and MCR Active with compiling the bid. It’s been a great opportunity to showcase the impact

of Cycling UK’s work in the area through our Community Cycle Clubs, Big Bike Revival and Making cycling e-easier programmes.” The award should act as a springboard for further investment throughout 2024, further enhancing the city’s cycling amenities. The council hopes that its ‘Pedal More in 24’ ethos will encourage more residents to get out on bikes, whether that’s for transportation, fitness or recreation. Visitors and residents alike can look forward to a year of cycling events, club activities and more and better cycle paths. A particular focus will be on inspiring and introducing youngsters to cycling, with the city aiming to play a pivotal role in developing the cycling stars of the future. “The award gives well-deserved recognition to Manchester as a city that champions cycling,” Ellen said. “I’m excited to see what progress and developments 2024 brings with even more of a spotlight on cycling in the city.”

Left and far left: Robert Spanring

PUT THE FUN IN FUNDRAISE

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Enjoy 8% off your next spring adventure with Experience Freedom

New member benefit

Cycling UK has teamed up with the world’s largest sporting goods retailer, Decathlon, and members now get 10% off all things cycling. Simply enter the promo code 10-zbipriej-jan at the checkout, when shopping via the dedicated Cycling UK online store front. There’s no better place to ensure you have all the gear you need for those early spring rides. cyclinguk.org/memberbenefits/decathlon-uk

Hardknott Pass is on the Fred Whitton route

Routes

SPRING RIDES INSPIRATION

Member benefit

THE RIGHT GEAR Winter and early spring weather can be hard to predict, but that’s no reason not to get out and about. Even camping in cold weather is doable as long as you make sure you have what you need. Cycling UK members get a 12.5% discount when shopping at Cotswold Outdoor, so whether it’s clothing or camping gear you need, make that your first port of call. cyclinguk.org/ member-benefits/ cotswold-outdoor

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he darkest (and hopefully coldest) part of the year is behind us now, and with the days slowly getting longer it’s a great time for some early spring inspiration. Whether you’re already thinking about the brighter days on the horizon or want to make the most of any clear winter days coming our way, we have suggestions both for where to go and (left) the gear you’ll need. Cycling UK’s routes page is the perfect place to start for ride inspiration, whether it’s a one-day ride or a long weekend. There’s plenty across the whole country, so you might find a new route nearby or discover a longer trip further afield. With a new, easy-to-use interactive

map, exploring for ideas is even easier than before. For instance, you could take a look at what’s on offer in the majestic Lake District. It’s the home of the Fred Whitton Challenge, one of the hardest and best known sportives in the country, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. It also invariably sells out, but like writer Anna Hughes, one of our 100 Women in Cycling 2019, you could do it as a DIY ride. The route climbs all six of Cumbria’s major passes in a 114-mile loop. It’s not for the faint of heart – or those with too-high gears. As a shorter, but similarly stiff challenge, you could try the Broughton Wheelers Lakes loop. The 40-mile route is a succession of very

tough climbs, including the fearsome Wrynose Pass. Most routes in the Lakes are bound to be hilly, but if you’re looking for something more beginneror family-friendly with less climbing, why not check out our nine-mile round trip on the western shore of Windermere? Whichever route you go for you’ll be sure to be greeted by stunning scenery. Don’t forget that, as a member, you can enjoy an 8% discount with Experience Freedom’s glamping and camping sites across the UK. They have two locations in Cumbria in Penrith and Coniston, so make sure you check availability before looking elsewhere. cyclinguk.org/route-listing

Left: Alamy/Jon Sparks

10% OFF ALL THINGS CYCLING

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

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.

you are

Cycling UK trustee

NADIA KERR Cycling has been a constant in Cycling UK trustee Nadia Kerr’s life. She spoke to Jennifer Young about her role with the charity and its new strategy

ith cycling being central to Nadia Kerr’s working life and free time, it’s fair to say she has found the ideal position as a recently appointed trustee of Cycling UK, where she says she can make a real difference. “I take a great deal of satisfaction from working for and on behalf of those who ride bikes. Getting involved with the aims, objectives and purpose of the charity means that I can help make a difference as part of a fantastic team of influential and inspirational people.” Nadia’s highlight so far has been representing Cycling UK on the BBC Breakfast red sofa to comment on a topic close to her heart: the risks to cyclists of potholes and defective road surfaces. She spoke about the tragic death of Cycling UK member Harry Colledge, who died after his bicycle hit a pothole that the local council had failed to fix. “This was meaningful for me as I work alongside other campaigners to highlight the particular danger of potholes and road defects,” she says. “And in my day job as a solicitor in Manchester, I represent cyclists in compensation claims arising from collisions and incidents on the road.” Nadia’s cycling journey started early. Like many people, she has fond childhood memories of riding her bike with friends for hours on end, but this developed into riding with her father and brother as members of their local Cycling UK (then CTC) group. She is now well embedded in the cycling community as chair of a women’s cycling group and a campaigner for road safety

and active travel infrastructure. While she loves riding on and off road, and has undertaken audax events and ultra-endurance bikepacking trips, Nadia particularly enjoys the everyday aspects of cycling. “I love the freedom, the independence, the simplicity and the reminder of childhood fun. Cycling allows me to have space to think and to plan – quiet time, time without distraction. I just need to turn the pedals.” Since early 2023, Nadia has been part of Cycling UK’s journey, bringing her skills and experience to the charity as a trustee. She was motivated to join when she learned that the charity was in the early stages of discussing its new organisational strategy, which will take effect in April 2024. “Being part of a team devising and then ensuring the delivery of the new strategy has been great. It means taking time to discuss, challenge, input, advise and ultimately decide on a new direction for the charity. There are very exciting opportunities and times ahead for Cycling UK.” For any members considering becoming a trustee of Cycling UK, Nadia has words of encouragement. “Go for it, you won’t regret it,” she says. “There is a real joy in ‘giving back’, and you don’t need lots of time to help the charity. If you have some spare time and you want to make the world better by bike, then being a Cycling UK trustee might be just the thing for you.” There are, of course, other ways to become more involved with Cycling UK. “Members can make a contribution in many ways: by taking part in the AGM or voting in elections, for example. Or you can support the work of the charity by becoming a volunteer or an advocate, or by supporting campaigns. The charity also hugely benefits from donations and legacies to help in the work that we do.”

Nadia talks about pothole dangers on BBC Breakfast Below: Cycling in the Verdon Gorge, France

Become a Cycling UK trustee “Cycling UK’s trustees have a vitally important role in making sure the charity is being properly run”, explains Phil Hall, Cycling UK’s chief operating officer. “The chief executive has responsibility for the day-to-day running of the organisation, and the trustees are there to provide strategic leadership and ensure that everything Cycling UK does is for public benefit.

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“At Cycling UK we are very fortunate to have trustees like Nadia who are knowledgeable and passionate about cycling, and who are keen to make a real difference for everyone who cycles in the UK. With the new strategy being shaped by the expertise and enthusiasm of our trustees, as well as vital input from our members, we are confident that it will fully realise the many environmental, health

and wellbeing benefits of cycling. “Over the years we have had trustees from a huge variety of backgrounds. If you’re interested in becoming a trustee, what we look for is a passion for cycling, alongside the skills, knowledge and experience to further the strategic aims and objectives of the charity.” cyclinguk.org/about/cycling-uk-board

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

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

5 4

Garmin HRM-Fit

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

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

cycle FE B R UARY / MARCH 2024

R e v ie w s

Gear up

Put to the test Is there a product you’d like us to test? Write to: Cycle, Cycling UK, Parklands, Railton Rd, Guildford, GU2 9JX or editor@cyclinguk.org

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

Pros & cons

Ravemen

CR1000 & TR200 lights

+ Effective front beam spread + Loads of modes – Loads of modes

Powerful front and rear lights that don’t dazzle £99.99 & £49.99 ravemen.com

he ever-increasing output of today’s cycle lights has a downside: they can make life unpleasant for onlookers, whether pedestrians or other road users. Many are bright enough to cause discomfort not only to motorists but to fellow cyclists. Some types of flashing mode only add to the misery inflicted. Packing 1,000 lumens in its slimline, hard-anodised aluminium body, Ravemen’s CR1000 front lamp addresses this problem with an optical anti-glare lens casting a T-shaped beam with a well-defined upper edge. This allows the light to be angled to illuminate both foreground and far distance without dazzling

oncomers. Full beam is notably more effective than the maximum output of my venerable Exposure Strada 800. Even the 600-lumen ‘mid’ setting gives a beam bright enough for brisk riding on unlit lanes, while giving an extra hour’s run time over max power’s two hours. Two lower level steady and two flashing modes are available for a total of six, which takes some scrolling. This can be made easier using the remote switch provided. The remote also provides a longpush-operated high-beam function when in another mode. Additional features include side-visibility lighting and the ability to extend the run time by using an external

power source. The rechargeable TR200 rear lamp packs four high-efficiency red LEDs and six riding modes plus a brake-light function. Three of the modes are variations on flashing frequency, with the maximum output reserved for one of them. The other two are 100 lumens each, with steady modes at 40, 20 and 5 lumens. While the fierce 200-lumen flashing mode might have a use in heavy daytime traffic, the 5-lumen steady mode is surely sufficient for unlit rural roads, even with the light tilted downwards using the angleadjustable mounting bracket. This can also be used to minimise the effect of brighter modes on other road users. Both the IPX6 water-resistant lights use detachable brackets secured to the handlebar or seat post using a stretch band with multiple length options. While the lamp can be removed to prevent theft, the bracket is easily stolen if left on the bike. Both are rechargeable via a standard USB port using the lamp-specific cable provided. Usefully, both have a mode memory function, which remembers the last-used mode when the light is turned on. Richard Hallett

Cycle’s test promise At Cycle, we are proudly independent. There’s no pressure to please advertisers as we’re funded by your membership. Our product reviews aren’t press releases; they’re written by experienced cyclists after thorough testing. 22

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LEZYNE MACRO DRIVE 1400+/ STRIP DRIVE 400 £150

Max run time of 300 hours for the front! Both are USB chargeable. lezyne.com

BONTRAGER ION PRO RT/FLARE RT £159.99

USB charging and 1,300lumen maximum front light output. trekbikes.com

Verdict

Excellent light output and a proliferation of modes give both lights impressive specifications that are enhanced by features such as braking detection and mode memory.

REVIEWS

GEAR UP

Other options Pros & cons + Fast rolling & grippy + 32mm & 35mm sizes as well – So expensive

PIRELLI ZERO RACE TLR 4S £79.99

Judging by the rolling performance of the tubedonly Pirelli P Zero Race 4S I tested, I’d expect Pirelli’s tubeless four-season tyre to be fast. Sizes: 28-, 30-, 32-622. pirelli.com

Continental

Grand Prix 5000 AS TR

Tougher all-season version of Continental’s top-tier tubeless road tyre £89.95 conti-tyres.co.uk

ubeless road tyres were well established before Continental entered the market. It turned out to be worth the wait. The Grand Prix 5000 TL was a fast-rolling tyre with a lovely ride feel that was available in 32mm and 28mm widths as well as 25mm. The updated GP5000S TR version seemed even faster; it was ridden to victory in 2021’s Paris-Roubaix and World Time Trial Championships. I liked these tyres so much I kept riding mine through the winter, ultimately trashing them within 12 months. I bought another pair but wasn’t eager to repeat the experiment. They were £80 each!

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Fortunately there’s now an all-season option, the Grand Prix 5000 AS TR. This is even more expensive: £89.95 for the all-black version, which has reflective sidewalls, and £84.95 for the cream-sidewall version, which does not. The new tyre promises higher mileage, better puncture protection and improved wet weather grip. As I didn’t get any punctures during the test, I stabbed the 5000S and AS tyres with sharps to gauge the force required. The AS didn’t actually seem a lot tougher through the tread; it has a Vectran breaker strip but so does the 5000S. The sidewalls of the

AS were significantly tougher, however. So presumably the sidewall casing is thicker, there’s more rubber, or both. That would account for the weight difference. I weighed the 32mm AS at 401g, compared to a claimed 350g (345g for my in-use sample) for the 5000S. Heavier tyres with tougher sidewalls generally roll slower. Repeated roll-down tests of the (used) 5000S and new AS suggest that the All-Season is only 1.75% slower on average. That’s less than differences I measured between all-season tyres last issue, and the older 5000S is: a) not an all-season tyre; b) very fast rolling in the first place. So it’s fair to say that the GP5000 AS TR is still a very quick tyre, whose losses to its faster stablemate are fairly negligible unless you’re riding against the clock or overly keen clubmates. The GP5000 AS TR has the same sort of supple ride as the 5000S. Anecdotally, wet roads grip seems better. I’ve had a couple of occasions when a lightly loaded 5000S front tyre has drifted a little on wet corners. Not so the AS, which I’ve so far only ridden on wet roads. Sizes: 25-, 28-, 32-, 35-622. The 32mm tyres did measure 32mm. Dan Joyce

GOODYEAR VECTOR 4SEASONS TUBELESS COMPLETE £64.95

Significantly cheaper than other tubeless four-season tyres. Richard Hallett liked the rolling performance but not the ride feel of the racier Goodyear Eagle F1. Sizes: 25-, 28-, 30-, 32-622. goodyearbike.com

Verdict

A tougher, grippier and only marginally slower version of my favourite tubeless road bike tyre. I’ll hang onto the GP5000 S TR for summer rides but the AS version makes sense for the other three seasons – or perhaps even all four. Fingers crossed it continues to wear well.

REVIEWS

GEAR UP

Pros & cons

Thule

OutWay Hanging three-bike rack

+ Easy to fit and robust + Fits most conventional bikes – May obscure number plate

Study boot rack that folds down for storage £399.99 thule.com

Other options

nless you own a vanbased MPV, it’s not always practical to throw your bike in the back of the car. For our family, the deciding factor was the arrival of a small person. It was time to buy a bike rack. Thule is a brand synonymous with quality and durability. We chose an adjustable boot rack that could fit three bikes (15kg max for each), planning for a long-term future. Such thinking is necessary, as even with the Cycling UK discount at Halfords this rack is very much an investment. (But note that the two-bike version is £30 cheaper.)

PLANET X BIKE RACK 3 BICYCLES £39.99

The Halfords and Thule websites allow you to check your car’s compatibility for the racks they offer, with the former offering to fit the rack for a small fee. A fitting shouldn’t be necessary if you’re au fait with YouTube tutorials, as it is fairly self explanatory. There’s a lot of twisting the dials to get the tension just right initially, but after setting it up once, fitting the rack again shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes. Ideally you want some assistance when (re)fitting it. Once set up, the rack is like part of the car. To make sure it was secure I gave it a good shake. It moved but only as much as the car

Verdict

Like a good lock, it’s worth investing in a decent car rack to keep your bike(s) safe. You can trust the Thule OutWay Hanging not to dump them on the motorway.

THULE FREEWAY 3 £145

A wallet-pleasing price (at time of writing) but not adjustable and won’t take kids’ bikes. Probably best for lightweight bikes rather than heavier hybrids and mountain bikes.

Less adaptable and convenient than the OutWay, Thule’s ‘budget’ rack still comes highly recommended and will carry three bikes weighing up to 45kg in total.

planetx.co.uk

thule.com

cycle FE B R UARY / M ARCH 2024

did. Depending on the model of your car, when loading you might need to consider getting another number plate as the bikes could obscure the original. The kit comes with straps and struts to stop the bikes banging against each other. These are rubber but not especially robust. Used to Voile bikepacking straps, I overtightened the rubber bands, which snapped. Once the bikes are on, don’t expect to open the boot unless you take the bikes off. Without the bikes the boot is accessible, but the additional weight is likely to mean you’ll need a steadying hand to keep it open. There’s a small cable lock to keep your bikes secure. You could probably snip it with some kitchen scissors so don’t rely on this. On the road, if you’ve fitted your bikes properly, then you’ll have no worries. We drove to France, taking a ferry, and the bikes were as secure at the destination as they were at the departure point. Sam Jones

R e v ie w s

Books

Print queue Cycle doesn’t feature all books received. Reviewers pick the ones they think you need to know about from the editor’s list. Send books to: Cycle, Cycling UK, Parklands, Railton Rd, Guildford, GU2 9JX

CYCLING INSPIRATION WHEN YOU’RE STUCK INSIDE

100 Bike Rides of a Lifetime Details

By: Roff Smith Publisher: National

Geographic Society Price: £30 ISBN: 9781426222658

Monica Scigliano

The Life of Kirkpatrick Macmillan THIS LITTLE BIOGRAPHY is written by a distant relative. It covers a lot of significant contextual details – child mortality, the construction of the Scottish road system (shortly followed by the railway system), and waves of rural depopulation in favour of urban life. All this provides an idea of the issues in the Dumfriesshire of Macmillan’s time. It could make more of some things, such as the parish school system in Scotland that resulted in a very high level of adult literacy but, in general, it’s an enjoyable read. Details Where it goes wrong is in crediting Macmillan By: David Hurdle with inventing a pedamotive bicycle – indeed, Publisher: selfcrediting Macmillan with inventing the bicycle published itself. This is no surprise. Few who have anything Price: £4.99 (Amazon) to do with Dumfries and Galloway want to admit ISBN: 9781944156909 that the Macmillan story is bogus. The only piece of contemporary evidence is a single paragraph, repeated in three different newspapers in 1842, reporting that a ‘gentleman from Dumfriesshire’ on a velocipede had been charged and fined for throwing over a child. It describes a machine entirely different from the one that is claimed to be the one ridden by Macmillan, but would fit a tricycle. Not surprisingly, this description is not discussed. Instead we have a fictitious quotation supposedly from the magistrate of “a man riding a machine of two wheels and making it progress without having to touch the ground, I just cannot believe it”. As no record of any part of the trial survives, let alone transcripts, neither can I. Presumably it’s from J Gordon Irving, whose 1946 ‘history’ of Macmillan was almost entirely fictitious. In the end this book joins a long list of others in perpetuating a myth that should have been put to bed in the 1890s, but for romantic and patriotic reasons just refuses to die. Nicholas Oddy

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FOR INSPIRATION ON these long, chilly evenings, look no further than 100 Bike Rides of a Lifetime. It’s a coffee table book full of eye-catching photography and tantalising descriptions. The worldwide rides include a mix of road, gravel and mountain bike routes, with distances, surface types, difficulties and bits of history. I’d have preferred more detail – such as public transport links – but the book serves its purpose: mine is already full of sticky notes, and I can’t wait for my next adventure!

Bikepacking in the Lake District THIS WELL-RESEARCHED book provides eight largely off-road routes in the Lakes that should take from two to five days to ride. Some take in iconic climbs such

Details

By: Ed Hunton Publisher: Cicerone Price: £16.95 ISBN: 9781786311177

as Helvellyn, the Old Man of Coniston, Skiddaw and High Street, and they vary from moderate to very hard. Most could be done by gravel bike, although the author recommends full suspension. Useful nuggets include how to access the routes by public transport, where to camp and more. Links to GPX files are provided. Julie Rand

Cycling the River Rhone Cycle Route

Details

By: Mike Wells Publisher: Cicerone Price: £17.95 ISBN: 9781786310828

DESPITE ITS POTENTIAL as a practical assistant, this guide falls short in execution. Its focus on directions seems misplaced, given the prevalence of GPS usage among cyclists, and it leaves crucial practical details unaddressed. The language is dry and the excessive information isn’t well ordered. Overall, the guide lacks personal recommendations and experiences, making it less engaging and valuable for cyclists embarking on their own River Rhone journey. Neal Coleman

O p inio n

Letters

Get in touch

THIS MONTH ACTION CAMERAS, INSPIRING CYCLISTS, NEW HIPS, HORSE SENSE, TANDEMS ON TRAINS – AND MORE

An £80 camera

th Letter of the mon

CAUGHT ON CAMERA

y husband and I became so concerned about the number of close passes experienced on our tandem that we purchased a small camera. Having successfully referred more than 20 incidents to Notts Police in just over a year, we recently purchased a new camera that is excellent. We also believe that it’s only by a reasonable number of cyclists reporting dangerous driving that our lives will be safer, and we think Cycling UK should be doing more to explain how relatively easy this is. It requires a fairly cheap camera with a reasonable run time. We noted there was a brief mention of camera use and the Nextbase portal in the June/July Cycle, and there was also a grouptest of cycling cameras in the August/September issue. However, the cheapest camera featured cost £279 and none had a run time of more than two hours. Our camera (Bullet Cam with Wireless Connectivity) from chilli-tech.com cost only £80 and has a run time of five hours. It’s perfect for submitting videos to the police. The camera merits being reviewed in Cycle but, even if not, hopefully you can publish something that encourages cyclists to take a stand against the increasing incidence of inconsiderate and often dangerous driving. Rosy Gray

Win a Passport Saddle Pack worth £69.99 The letter of the month wins a Passport Saddle Pack, courtesy of Ison Distribution. This 9.8-litre roll-top bikepacking bag has a waterproof liner to keep your kit dry and a wipe-clean tarpaulin base to shield you from mud. There are two external pockets for keys or tools, and the seatpost strap is rubberised to keep the bag stable. For more about the whole range of Passport bikepacking luggage, visit passportcycles.co.uk.

Stay connected

facebook.com/CyclingUK

@wearecyclinguk

cycling@cyclinguk.org

LETTERS are edited for space, clarity and, if necessary, legality. The editor reads and automatically acknowledges all letters but publishes only a selection. Feedback for the next issue must arrive by 29 February. Please include your membership number. WRITE TO: Letters, Cycle, Cycling UK, Parklands, Railton Rd, Guildford, GU2 9JX or email editor@cyclinguk.org

INSPIRING CYCLISTS Congratulations to all the cyclists whose uplifting stories were shared in the Dec/ Jan issue. There were just so many inspirational people doing great things, from the dramatic, like handcycling up Kilimanjaro, to a single female novice cyclist touring in Dumfries and Galloway. The courage, ambition and determination were alike, whether it be people returning to cycling after a life-changing event, or a 90-year-old continuing on to a fourth LEJOG. So often achievement is seen as defeating others instead of encouraging them. The issue had so many examples of people challenging themselves and inspiring others by doing so. So, many thanks – it brought light and warmth into an otherwise bleak and cold November day. Ralph Firth

HIP, HIP HOORAY After 20 years of double hip replacement and cycling, here are some thoughts. Road cycling and hip replacement go hand in hand. Cycling is the perfect sporting exercise as it keeps your hip movements in-plane. There is no impact force. Shorter cranks of 170mm or less keep your hip rotation to a minimum. After the operation, walk a lot (for example, five miles at a time), to overcome your limp and strengthen the muscles that support the hips. From there, cycling becomes a doddle. Look at it this way: you don’t have replacement hips; you have new hips. What can you do with them? Enjoy the sprint back to the café on the club run. Cycle 3,500km with 50,000 metres of climbing over 21 days on the Tour de France for amateurs with Le Loop! Hugh Webb

editor@cyclinguk.org C Y CL I NGUK . O RG cycle 31

LETTERS

YOUR FEEDBACK

CAPE CRUSADING

Novice cycle tourer Rebecca Mitten wants to know what other female tourers do when nature calls because she feels pretty exposed with her shorts around her knees. Years ago one of our mature lady club members was explaining to me the many uses a good cape could be put to, in addition to keeping the rain off when cycling. Chief among the many uses were getting changed into your swimming gear on the beach and disguising yourself when nature calls. John Holmes

Be nice, say hi

HORSE SENSE

Right: Andy Catlin

My horse-riding sister-in-law, Susan, recently had a fall that caused serious injuries to her skull and hip. She was riding on a quiet lane in full daylight when she met a friendly cyclist. She commented on his brilliant flashing headlamp. As he got nearer, all she could see was the flashing light. The next thing she knew, she was waking up in hospital. Her horse had pirouetted and Susan slipped off backwards and hit the tarmac. The cyclist and a passing motorist called an ambulance, and fortunately someone arrived who could handle the horse. Susan is now at home but is in a poor way, facing weeks or months of recuperation. An internet search showed me that this has happened before. I imagine you may have covered this topic in Cycle before, but if you could flag it up again to the members and ride leaders it could prevent another incident. T. Andrew Haxell

Best wishes to Susan for a swift recovery. The need for lights that don’t dazzle is something we regular refer to in Cycle (see page 22). And Cycling UK has campaigned with the British Horse Society to ‘Be nice, say hi’ – see cyclinguk.org/be-nice-say-hi.

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HAPPY FEET

th Photo of the mon

Being a LOLITA (Little Old Lady in Tight Attire) and liking to cycle on my electric bike all year, warm feet are a priority. In Shop Window in the Oct/ Nov issue, you mentioned Shimano’s GF800 GTX mountain bike shoes for winter cycling. Ahhh! Sadly they are only in men’s sizes but Scotby Cycles in Carlisle advised me the sizes are small. I can report that the smallest size shoes (40) are, with good thick socks, a treat for the feet! Caroline Davies (nearly 70)

ERROR IN PROVENCE

It was fantastic to see our Provence trip featured in Cycle’s Travellers’ Tales section. There’s just one correction I’d like noted: the cycling tour to get to Provence, which was described in the article, was the route taken by Seb O’Kelly, not me. He should take the credit for this! Becci May

WORKING IN TANDEM

In the recent issue of Cycle, Graham Hewitt expressed his frustration with barriers that cause problems for nonstandard cycles, and Catherine Temple railed against the difficulty of taking bikes on trains. Catherine’s point about the policy of the UK TOCs (train operating companies) is something that the Tandem Club addresses headon, as the club has a rail liaison officer working closely with the TOCs. Our experience is that, to influence policy in areas like taking bikes on trains and removing badly designed barriers on cycle routes, there is no substitute for getting involved with the organisations who set the rules. We know that not every bicycle comes in a standard shape, with one rider and two wheels, but most people do not. Scotrail is an example of an enlightened TOC when it comes to discussing taking bikes on trains. Peter Weeks, Chair of the Tandem Club

NIGHT RIDING I took this action photo on a recent nighttime ride with some friends. We enjoy late-night MTB rides in winter, usually fuelled by a couple of beers at an en-route pub! Stephen Psallidas

CYCLING UK FORUM

Get immediate feedback from other members at forum.cyclinguk.org. Here’s an abridged extract from a recent thread: cyclinguk.org/ gcn-alternatives GCN+ CLOSES. WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES? Paulatic: GCN+ ends on 19 December. It’s been a great advert-free place to watch cycling of all disciplines. What are the alternatives going to be? pjclinch: We watch on Eurosport, which seems heavily tied to GCN for its cycling offerings (in a good way). TrevA: Discovery+ is £6.99 a month. Also advert free unless you pick the E1 or E2 feed. You get all of the Eurosport cycling coverage but you don’t get the GCN documentaries. Discovery owns both Eurosport and GCN. VinceLedge: Does Eurosport have races available for later watching or just live? TrevA: You can watch them on catch-up on the Eurosport or Discovery+ apps. I often watch the Saturday ’cross when my

wife is watching Strictly Come Dancing. rareposter: GCN (the YouTube channel and website) is continuing. GCN+ and the GCN app are being discontinued. st599_uk: Not sure there is an alternative to the non-sports content GCN+ made. Pendodave: Yep, this is the sadness, none of the travelogues, tech features and other interesting stuff. MrsHJ: I’m going to miss the things like Jack’s slow lanes and random interesting bike content. deliquium: Discovery+ is providing three months free to ex GCN+ subscribers, so one will be able to decide whether one can hack whatever coverage comes under their banner. CyberKnight: Those with Sky TV, check your package. I found I have Discovery Plus free.

G R E AT R I D E S

B O R I N G TO D U LL

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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

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

G R E AT R I D E S

B O R I N G TO D U LL

This page: Pacific Coast, Oregon. Milwaukee City Hall clock tower. Columbia River Gorge Opposite page: The Empire State Trail – see empiretrail.ny.gov. Niagara Falls at night, Canadian border

My plan was simple: ride in a straight line from Boring to the east coast

Boring, Oregon is 20 miles east of Portland, which is 80 miles from the Pacific Ocean. Although my Boring-toDull quest took me ever eastwards, I wasn’t going to miss out on an American coast-to-coast. So I caught a bus west to a stunning place called Oceanside, where I dipped my feet in the sea. I rode to Boring from there, arriving late in the evening of 8 August. The Boring and Dull Day celebrations were bigger than I expected. I was hosted by four local dignitaries over lunch and then invited to follow the bagpipers at the head of ‘Oregon’s second-shortest parade’. My presence caused a ripple of interest and I was introduced to – and photographed with – many people. In the early evening my new friends waved me off on my adventure.

BELOW THE 49TH PARALLEL My plan was simple. I would ride in a straight line from Boring to the east coast, about 2,500 miles as the crow flies and perhaps 3,200 miles by road. That took me past some friends who live in Minneapolis, about halfway, 36

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where I would get my bike serviced. I was allowing six weeks for this journey, cycling an average of 90 miles each day, six days a week. I didn’t know what exact route I would take or where I would stay, except for the first couple of days along the vast Columbia River Gorge. This was an obvious and truly scenic way to begin. I stuck mostly to the north side of the gorge, following the broad, blue expanse of water, surrounded by hills and waterfalls. I rode under the watchful presence of the glacier-capped Mount Hood, which loomed large over the southern horizon as much as 50 miles away, close to Boring. As a springboard to the American West, it was ideal. I was relying heavily on Google Maps, because America is simply too big to map on paper with the detail of an OS map. Overall, Google Maps did well. But as early as my second day, I learned that many of America’s back roads are rough, unsurfaced gravel, and Google Maps likes to send unwitting cyclists along them. I had a couple of dicey and unwelcome episodes in the first week but survived to tell the tale. At the time I

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thought I was in the middle of nowhere. I revised my opinion about that in week two. It’s a question of scale. And space. Empty space. Lots and lots of it. Following advice from local cyclists, I stuck to US Route 12 across arid eastern Washington state. I stayed with it through Idaho, over the Rockies and right across the hills and vast plains of Montana and the Dakotas to Minnesota. That is almost half of the USA. Although it felt counter-intuitive, following this main road was a life saver in these vast open spaces. Perhaps literally. Within a few days, the daytime temperature had risen to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The occasional small towns and gas stations offered essential refreshment and hydration opportunities, not to mention air conditioning! I wasn’t used to this but I found it less punishing than I feared. While you are moving, you create your own breeze. Only when you stop does it truly feel like you are in an oven.

UPPER MIDWEST AND CANADA My choice of route made it difficult to get lost. There were many, many miles of long, straight, empty highway, occasionally punctuated by a place of substance like Lewiston, Idaho on the Snake River, or the pleasant small Montana cities of Missoula and Helena. Until now I was mostly passing through attractive countryside, following big rivers through forested hills and crossing mountain passes. After Helena things changed. For 10 days, I passed through endless miles of farming country, with grain silos, ranches and not much else for company.

The biggest empty space was 80 miles to reach Baker, Montana. But it was often a few hours of hard cycling to the next run-down town, which seldom amounted to much when I arrived. I stayed in motels, which were all similar and perfectly comfortable but short on character. Aside from a couple of people’s homes, the only accommodation that stood out was a bizarre add-on to a speedboat showroom, clearly designed for hunters, complete with fridges and instructions for what to do with your kill! Luckily I was alone. The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St Paul and their urban sprawl came as a major cultural and physical change. I had reached the Mississippi River and symbolically moved from West to East. I followed the equally hot, but more populated, scenic and historic Mississippi River valley for three consecutive nights, and then shot east across the abundant state of Wisconsin. I really liked its capital city of Madison, surrounded by large lakes, and also enjoyed myself in Milwaukee on the shores of Lake Michigan. The big news here was that their ‘Bronze Fonz’ statue, celebrating the famous TV character from Happy Days, had been sprayed black overnight. As a token visiting foreigner I made the local news, although my bike got no mention. I took a ferry across the lake to Michigan and another much smaller one from there to Ontario, Canada, where I hugged the north shore of Lake Erie for a couple of very pleasant days. The Great Lakes are well named – they feel like the ocean but for the lack of salt in the air. I was passing through unassuming

Fact file

Boring to Dull Distance: 3,861 miles of cycling from the Pacific Coast (average per day 74.3). Route: Columbia River Gorge, then US Route 12 through Washington, Idaho, Montana and the Dakotas to Minneapolis. Down the Mississippi and east to Milwaukee, Michigan, Ontario, then Hudson Valley to NYC. Flights to Reykjavík, then Dublin. Ferry from NI to Islay, then across Scotland via Gourock, Loch Lomond, Callander and Killin. Conditions: Six weeks of sunshine across America, with many days above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Unrideable winds in Iceland. Fine autumn weather between the storms in Scotland. Bike: Sonder Colibri AL. Maps: Google Maps. I’m glad I had… Sun cream; extra capacity for carrying water. Next time I would… Start in spring to arrive in Iceland and Scotland in summer. Further information: boringtodull.com C YCL I NGUK . O RG cycle 37

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Previous pages: Sculptures in Keflavík. The town is only 47km west of the Icelandic capital, Reykjavík Right: Loch Tay. Not exactly the Great Lakes but the biggest in Perth and Kinross – and way less tacky than Niagara Falls

small places I had never heard of. Then suddenly, above the flat landscape, rose a cluster of ugly, high-rise buildings. I had reached Niagara Falls.

NORTH ATLANTIC DRIFTING There is no denying the spectacular nature of the falls themselves. They are truly a wonder, best enjoyed from the Canadian side of the border. Impressive for their sheer size and force, and illuminated in ever-changing colours by night, this would be a highlight of any trip. Yet the human development nearby is really tacky. Think Blackpool on steroids. After a rest day I was ready for the final USA section, the Empire State Trail. It took me and my friend Simon (who joined me for a week) right across New York State to the bottom of Manhattan Island. It was very pleasant, attractive and mostly traffic-free riding along the Erie Canal and then the mighty Hudson River. The final morning was especially memorable as we cycled towards the skyscrapers of New York City, finishing within sight of the Statue of Liberty. Except it wasn’t the end for me. One overnight flight later I was in chilly Reykjavík, Iceland, where I needed completely different cycling clothes. My plan was to cycle right across the north of the country, via the Arctic Circle, to the eastern tip. I hadn’t reckoned on the Icelandic wind. Even in September it was brutal. There is no shelter here 38

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from the elements, and only one road to follow, which takes all types of traffic. It is a different world in every sense. I was fine until the second afternoon, when I reached a mountain pass. That is when my golden rule was broken. It stopped being enjoyable. Honestly, I have never experienced wind like it on a bike. I was scared. I was also leaning at 45 degrees just to stay on. After another morning of the same thing, I bailed and headed for the Republic of Ireland. It was an easy decision. Heading north into Northern Ireland, I made the last passenger ferry of the year from Ballycastle to Port Ellen on Islay, off Scotland’s south-west coast, where a straight line drawn from New York to Dull makes landfall. I had to dodge some cataclysmic Atlantic storms but managed to enjoy four glorious days of cycling through Scotland, arriving in tiny Dull for lunch on 12 October, exactly 10 years after the first celebration of its pairing with Boring. The only man left in Dull from those earlier days was there to meet me, 4,546 miles from Boring. I had joined these tedious twins in one of the most interesting journeys of my life.

Interesting differences Perhaps the biggest difference about cycling in North America is its sheer size. I cycled eastwards for more than 3,000 miles in recognisably the same country. Spaces between places are also huge out west. Roads are longer, straighter and wider, and you are mostly cycling on a broad shoulder. But you need it: the many trucks are huge and they don’t slow down! There were two other big differentiators between the USA, Iceland and Scotland. Firstly, food. My time away made me appreciate the quality and diversity you get eating out in the UK. Secondly, weather. I learned that I prefer 100ºF heat to horizontal Icelandic winds. I didn’t even try to brave the Scottish autumn storms – I might have drowned!

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

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DUNCAN DOLLIMORE Cycling UK head of campaigns

Left: Alamy

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

THE ELECTION

Left to right: Gareth Buddo/Furmoto Photography. Adam Simms Paul Hailwood. Cycling UK

Good infrastructure boosts bike trips to school

U-TURN IF YOU WANT TO… Back in October at the Conservative Party Conference, the UK government announced its new ‘plan for drivers’, immediately revoking guidance to local authorities that was intended to encourage them to be bold when designing and delivering cycling and walking schemes. A government that had in the previous three years introduced excellent new design standards for cycling infrastructure, announced a bold ‘Gear Change’ vision to deliver the changes needed to get more people walking and cycling, and increased (though not by enough) investment in active travel, had within a few months done a U-turn. It cut dedicated active travel funding by over two thirds; railed against its own policy support for low traffic neighbourhoods; questioned the previous political consensus on 20mph limits; and promised to deliver policies to benefit drivers rather than policies to give people transport choices, including cycling and public transport. Looked at from a narrow perspective, some of these decisions and proposals only affect England, but the wider mood music matters. A by-election in Uxbridge last summer seems to have convinced

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At the Conservative Party Conference, Manchester

some in politics that it’s a vote-winning strategy to oppose measures designed to reduce traffic, to lower speed limits or to enable more people to cycle. That’s had implications beyond England, including the unrelenting and inaccurate criticism of bold measures taken in Wales to introduce a default 20mph speed limit on restricted roads. And, within some news outlets, it’s also fed into a media narrative which is obsessively negative about cycling or those who cycle. If you live in Scotland, it will be your politicians in Holyrood who can directly influence the level of funding for cycling, not your Westminster MP. But our election work in 2024 isn’t just about the manifesto commitments the political parties make. It’s

about galvanising wider political support and building a more positive narrative around the benefits of cycling. That’s something that matters wherever you live in the UK.

A REAL GEAR CHANGE? We will be asking political parties and candidates to support specific cycling demands, and we’ll produce a Cycling UK manifesto which, for England, will include a commitment to significantly increase funding for active travel. We’ve seen the governments in both Scotland and Wales make commitments to reduce levels of motor traffic, acknowledging that carbon reduction targets, increased congestion and air pollution concerns

Organised ride for the Conservative conference

Left: Adam Simms. Right: Alamy

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Show us the money How much will the parties actually spend on cycling? So far the Liberal Democrats are only party to have made a clear commitment. And to be honest, their promise is quite modest. They’ve simply committed to reverse the drastic funding cuts in England the current government announced last March, hence our call for them to be much bolder – but at least they’ve committed to something. With all the parties having to be ready with manifestos in case a May election is called, we’ll be pressing for clearer commitments as this edition goes to print.

Even experienced cyclists use segregated routes

can’t be fixed by simply building more roads – something that’s been proven time and again not to work. We’ll be pushing for similar measures to reduce motor traffic in England. We will be putting the case for more active travel investment and less motor traffic in context, focusing on the benefits. Chris Boardman, Active Travel Commissioner for England, has summed that up neatly: “Name any crisis: active travel helps.” The environmental, health and societal benefits of more people cycling are well established, but the economic case for investing in cycling is often overlooked. In an election year, where every party is going to be reluctant to make funding commitments, it’s that economic case we particularly need to hammer home. For example, the Department for Transport’s own figures show that investment in active

A majority of the public supports 20mph zones

AT THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY CONFERENCE, THE UK GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED ITS NEW ‘PLAN FOR DRIVERS’ travel yields a return on investment it describes as “very high”, bringing in nearly £6 for every £1 spent. Crucially, the return on investment comes back much quicker than from investment in other transport infrastructure, which often takes decades to deliver and longer still for the benefits to become reaped. The message to politicians wanting the best bang for their buck has to be that active travel investment reaps rewards – and quickly. Politicians don’t just want the dry costbenefit numbers, however. They also want to see the evidence of where this has worked. So campaigners often point to examples – like the Netherlands as a whole and cities elsewhere, such as Copenhagen, Bogota and Seville – where sustained investment in active travel infrastructure has massively increased levels of cycling, with multiple benefits. We don’t even need to look abroad to see that long-term investment and building more cycle lanes gets more people cycling. We’ve seen this in London. Cycling levels continue to increase year by year in the capital, up 6.3 % last year and by 20% since before the pandemic as, year by year, the cycling network expands. It grew from 90km in 2016 to 352km last year. Now 24%

With the Lib Dem’s Wera Hobhouse MP (centre)

of Londoners say they cycled last year. While there are other examples within the UK, London shows that well-built cycling infrastructure is and will be used, and will change travel behaviours over time.

PEDALLING POLITICS I’ve deliberately not gone into much detail about manifesto asks in this article. What really counts is the narrative explaining why these demands matter, and why getting more people cycling helps deliver politicians’ other policy goals. Yet once Cycling UK’s manifesto is published, expect to see asks around: road safety and changes to our road traffic laws; increased access to the countryside for people cycling and reform of our off-road access laws; and a strengthened planning system, so that new homes and other developments are required to be built around frequent public transport services, safe streets and walking and cycling C YC L I NGUK . O RG cycle 43

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THE ELECTION

Polling day is likely to be in the autumn

Election predictions With Labour’s Fabian Hamilton MP (right)

The election has to take place before 28 January 2025. Pundits all agree that campaigning over Christmas won’t be appreciated by the electorate, so the election will take place in 2024. It could be called tomorrow, and the announcement of an early March budget has sparked speculation of an early May election. However, the most likely scenario still seems to be an election in October or November. We’ll be ready for a campaign leading up to a May election but expect the campaign to run throughout most of the year.

Above left: Abdullrhman Hassona. Right: Peter Cornish. Cartoon: Dave Walker

LONG-TERM INVESTMENT AND BUILDING MORE CYCLE LANES GETS MORE PEOPLE CYCLING. WE’VE SEEN THIS IN LONDON. CYCLING LEVELS CONTINUE TO INCREASE YEAR BY YEAR IN THE CAPITAL

networks. Schools, shops, healthcare facilities and green open space can and should be within a short walk or cycle of people’s homes. Having explained why the general election is going to be a major focus for our campaigning and lobbying in 2024, I should add that we’ve already been busy with this. Much of it has been quiet lobbying and engagement rather than public-facing campaigning, though that will change as we get nearer to the election. Last September and October, Cycling UK attended several party conferences and put on events at both the Labour and Conservative conferences. Before, during and following those conferences we’ve been engaging with the parties and individual candidates. We will be ramping that up in the coming months. We’re also working with two separate think cycle FE B R UARY / MARCH 2024

tanks on research that should support our manifesto demands. It is due to be published early in 2024 and launched at parliamentary events in Westminster. As we approach the election, we’ll need to engage our supporters and enable you to ask your candidates whether they’ll support our manifesto if elected. We’ll make that really easy with a simple supporter action, so you can email your candidates. Some people have asked whether these email campaigns work. The simple answer is yes – but usually not on their own. That’s why, by the time we ask you to write to your candidate, they’ll already have heard from us. If they’re from one of the major parties, we’ll have already engaged with their party colleagues, and we’ll be highlighting why supporting our manifesto will help tackle a myriad of economic, health and environmental

issues. What we can’t do is speak to your candidates as a constituent, which is why we’ll need your support. Back to Donald Rumsfeld and what we do and don’t know. We know that more people cycling brings huge benefits, but that not all politicians seem to understand that. We also know we need to try to convince them and secure wider political support for cycling. It’s our campaign priority this year. But the 2024 unknown unknown I started with was whether, in an election year, we’ll be able to make the benefits of getting more people cycling relevant to politicians and candidates. What we do know is that we’ll have more chance of succeeding with your support. Please keep an eye out for our election 2024 campaigns communications. Help us turn this big unknown into a collective success.

WEEKENDER

YORKSHIRE COAST

Top to bottom: Traffic-free Larpool Viaduct outside Whitby. Climbing up from Levisham station. Dalby Forest

Dalby & Troutsdale

Weekender

A 38-mile road ride nearby: cyclinguk. org/route/troutsdaleand-dalby-loop-danjoyce

Route YC Adventure Weekender The Yorkshire Coast has lots of gravel tracks, forest trails, cycle routes and quiet roads. Markus Stitz’s loop from Whitby uses some of the best

C stands for Yorkshire Coast. Route YC was originally developed as a 420km driving route by the architect of the North Coast 500, Tom Campbell. In mid-2023 I was commissioned to adapt Tom’s route into a collection of multi-day and day trips, using my experience from devising routes for the books Bikepacking Scotland and Great British Gravel Rides. One of the 12 routes developed is the Route YC Adventure Weekender, a 147km gravel/bikepacking route. It features stunning coastal scenery as well as the wide-open moorlands and extensive forests of the North York Moors National Park, with plenty of little villages and towns along the way. It is easily accessible by train. While Whitby is the suggested starting point, there are also stations in Ruswarp, Egton Bridge, Seamer, Filey and

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Scarborough. If you are a fan of vintage steam trains, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, which allows you to bring your bike for a small surcharge, also services Levisham station on the route. The Adventure Weekender is a great choice for your first bikepacking adventure. While it was designed to be ridden anticlockwise, you can also reverse its direction. There are no technical singletrack or hike-abike sections, and the tracks are wide enough to tow a trailer if taking kids or dogs. The YHA hostels in Whitby, Lockton and Scarborough cater well for bikepackers, and a good tea room is never too far away to fuel you. An organised event, the Yorkshire Coast Dirt Dash, will take place on the route next summer. Find out more – and download route GPX files – at routeyc.co.uk and dirtdash.cc.

WEEKENDER

YORKSHIRE COAST

Weekend ride

ROUTE YC ADVENTURE WEEKENDER • Start/finish: Whitby Railway Station • Grid Ref: NZ 89794 10854 • Maps: OS Landrangers 94, 101 • Ride length: 147km (91 miles) • Climbing: 1,880m • Bike type: gravel bike or mountain bike, also suitable for trailers • Ride level: Regular

LONE TREE ON EGTON MOORE This isolated tree is a stunning landmark on Egton High Moor. You will be able to spot it from afar on a clear day. This is the best location along the route to enjoy a sunset, overlooking the North York Moors National Park. In August a carpet of flowering heather adds to the intense beauty of the place.

Ravenscar The former railway line serving Ravenscar is now the Cinder Track, a traffic-free cycle route. At the turn of the 20th century, plans were made to turn the village into a holiday resort. Roads and sewers were laid, but Ravenscar never achieved popularity and the development was left unfinished. The tea room at the former station is worth a stop.

WHITBY ABBEY Whitby is best known for its connection with Captain James Cook and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. A landmark visible from afar is Whitby Abbey, which is situated overlooking the North Sea on the East Cliff above the town. Originally the site of a 7th century monastery, the current ruins are those of a later Benedictine abbey that was destroyed by Henry VIII.

Cropton Forest Along with Langdale Forest and Dalby Forest, Cropton Forest forms part of the North Riding Forest Park within the North York Moors National Park. Quieter than nearby Dalby Forest, Cropton is great for gravel riding. The route goes through a mix of forests and moorland, with easily rideable trails and views down to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

Cayton Bay There are many stunning views cycling along the Yorkshire Coast, but Cayton Bay stands out. This is a popular surf spot and, like the whole coast, is prone to heavy erosion. In April 2008 a major landslip caused tons of earth to slip down the cliff side at the edge of the bay.

ROBIN HOOD'S BAY With its maze of tiny streets, the village was a smuggling hub during the late 18th century and is now a tourist magnet. The origin of its name is uncertain, but it is doubtful that Robin Hood was ever in the vicinity of the village. Enjoy the ride to the beach – and the 31% climb on your way back!

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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

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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From left to right: After cleaning and drying the tyre and tube, invert the tyre and apply tubular rim cement evenly around the inside in an area that corresponds to the external tread. Lightly inflate the tube to give it shape, put it in the tyre, fit the tyre/tube combo, inflate to about 20psi to check the beads are seated and the tyre runs true, then inflate to normal pressure. Once done, you can remove the valve core, add sealant and reinflate. The tyre/tube combo can be removed and refitted without loss of sealant. As the tube is glued into the tyre, you can use tyre plugs when needed.

need to address tyre sidewall porosity or to complete the seal between tyre and rim.

HOW TO DO IT You’ll need a detachable (not tubular) tyre, an innertube with a removable valve core, tubular tyre cement and tubeless tyre sealant. Ideally the tube should need to stretch slightly to fill the tyre; don’t use one that is too wide as it will bunch up inside the tyre. I used Continental tubular cement (conti-tyres.co.uk), which can readily be applied in a thin, even layer. You may also need one of the various tubeless repair kits (see page 69) in case you get a puncture the sealant won’t fix. • Wash the tyre to remove any residual mouldrelease agent and the tube to get rid of any talc, both of which will impair adhesion. Car shampoo and a rinse will do the job. Dry both the tyre and tube. • Ideally, invert the tyre so the inside surface is accessible for gluing. The job is easier if you have a suitable support for the tyre. • Apply a thin coating of tubular cement to the inside surface of the tyre over an area corresponding to the tread cap on the outside. (The unglued section of sidewall will allow the corresponding part of the tube to be moved aside for easy removal and installation of the tyre/tube assembly.) Allow the cement to dry until slightly tacky. Don’t glue the tube. • Revert the tyre to its correct, tread-outward shape. Lightly inflate the tube so it holds its shape but doesn’t expand and place the tube inside the tyre pocket. It should rest lightly in the tyre. Do not try to make it stick firmly yet. • Place the wheel inside the tyre and tube with the valve in the rim hole, then fit each bead inside the rim in turn as if fitting a regular tyre and tube. The tube should now be sitting inside the tyre but without pressing against the glued inner tyre surface. 50

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• Check the tyre is evenly spaced around the rim and inflate the tube to about 20psi. The aim is to ensure the tube expands against the inside of the tyre without a twist or kink, which can distort the tyre. Check the tyre beads are seated correctly and that the tyre runs true, then inflate fully. This will stick the tube firmly to the inside of the tyre. • Deflate the tyre/tube system, remove the valve core and add sealant. You’ll need about half the usual amount as it does not need to seal the tyre/ rim interface or any tyre sidewall porosities. Inflate to your preferred pressure. Then ride.

SOME CAVEATS I won’t be gluing tubes inside the tubeless-ready tyres on my tubeless rimmed wheels, mainly because there’s no point adding the weight of a tube to a system that, for the most part, works better without it. Whether stuck to the tyre carcass or not, a tube adds a layer of rubber that cannot help but add to tyre stiffness, increasing rolling resistance and reducing ride comfort. As noted, adding a tube to an all-tubeless system can make tyre fitting a real pain. A faux tubeless innertube is as vulnerable to a pinch flat as a regular one, making the idea of little use to anyone running low inflation pressures off road. What about a cut beyond the repair capacity of a plug? The faux tubeless innertube can be peeled from the tyre without much trouble, the tyre booted and a spare tube used as usual. (As with tubeless, the tyre must be inspected for embedded thorns showing on the inside, which will puncture a new tube.) I will be gluing innertubes inside tubelessready tyres for use on non-tubeless rims (I’ve already done it with some Rene Herse tyres) and inside conventional clincher tyres for use on tubeless and conventional rims (such as the Grand Bois Hetre pictured). Faux tubeless is something anyone can do at home. It provides tubeless levels of anti-flat performance without the need for the tyre and rim technology.

Off-the-shelf solutions Innertube-specific sealants generally contain smaller granules, which can joggle together more closely than those in regular sealants and are said to be able to seal holes of up to 3mm – the length of a cut, presumably. Examples include MucOff’s Inner Tube Sealant (muc-off.com) and Slime Tube Repair Sealant (uk. slime.com). They last longer than tubeless sealant, with Slime claiming a twoyear working life and Muc-Off saying the sealant will last the life of the tube. Slime is also available in prefilled tubes in a range of sizes. Members get a 20% discount with Muc-Off (cyclinguk. org/muc-off). Users generally report favourably on performance, the only downsides being added weight, which can be 90g per tube, and the mess left in the tyre should the sealant fail to seal the puncture. Unlike faux tubeless, tyre plugs can’t be used.

G R E AT R I D E S

A LO N G R I D E H O M E

Great Rides

A LONG RIDE HOME

USING THEIR HASE PINO E-TANDEM AND A FERRY, MAXINE AND PAUL ROGERS CYCLED FROM THEIR HOUSE IN SHROPSHIRE TO THEIR SECOND HOME IN DÉNIA, SPAIN

Cathedral & Wye Valley photos: Getty Images

ow about riding the Pino down next time?” Paul asked, as the long hours passed on a drive back up to Santander. It was March and the high plateau seemed devoid of life, thick with apparently dead vines, interesting geological features and snow on the higher mountains. My love of cycle touring had recently been reawakened. Major surgery in 2015 had left me weakened but not beaten, and the motor on the Hase Pino tandem helps both of us enjoy riding a tandem again. But could we really cover such a large distance on it? We’d made the journey to Dénia so many times in winter (at one time leading CTC tours there) that we’d ended up buying a small home there. But it seemed a long way to ride. We did some planning, splitting up the route into bitesized pieces. Some months later, with one pannier each and a spare battery in our racktop bag, we set off.

PLYMOUTH TO SANTANDER Our strange-looking tandem attracts incredulity wherever we go. With the pilot sitting at the back and the stoker in a recumbent position at the front, conversation between us is easy. But for me as the stoker, going downhill cycle FE B R UARY / M ARCH 2024

is sometimes just a little too exciting! We spent four-and-a-half days riding through England, through the Forest of Dean, the Somerset Levels and the savagely hilly but beautiful Devon countryside. We met up with friends along the way, and we also had an opportunity to put our waterproofs to the test. Our overnight ferry crossing was sandwiched between easy days, so our first day’s riding in Spain was along a flat via verde (disused railway line) with a velvety smooth tarmac surface. We rode among mountains cloaked in the deep greens of broadleaf woodland, with cows and sheep grazing beside our route. When we reached our hotel, we found that we would be sleeping beneath lace-edged sheets, apparently a Cantabrian custom. Away from the coast the Spanish landmass rises up to an average of around 1,000m above sea level, forming an undulating high plateau known locally as La Mesita (the little table). On our second day in Spain we climbed onto it – a steep and challenging climb, during which we watched the geological and agricultural landscape change as we rode over the watershed of the northward-flowing rivers towards the mighty River Ebro, which flows towards the Mediterranean Sea.

Above: Cathedral of Saint Mary of Burgos in Castile and León Below: Wye Valley near Symonds Yat in Herefordshire Centre right: Wilting sunflowers near the River Ebro in northern Spain Below right: Street scene (Calle Puertas de Pro) in the city of Soria, Castile and León

G R E AT R I D E S

Fact file

A long ride home Distance: 1,240km (770 miles) over 15 days. Route: South from Shropshire through Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Devon to Plymouth. Then Santander (Cantabria) to Burgos (Castile and León), south-east across the plain through Teruel (Aragon) to Valencia (Valenciana), and then south to Dénia. Accommodation: Hotels and B&Bs, which were cheaper in Spain than the UK. Conditions: Sun (and one heavy shower) in the UK. In Spain, chilly starts and mild conditions until Valencia. From Valencia it was hot and humid. Bike: Hase Pino Steps tandem, with a Shimano bottom bracket motor and a spare battery. Maps/guides: Much of the route was planned on RidewithGPS.com. Some of it was made up as we went. We carried no maps but we took a tablet for hotel bookings and route alterations. I’m glad we had… A washing line and a few pegs. A useful level of Spanish. Next time we would… Ride the other direction, possibly through France… C Y CL I NGUK . O RG cycle 53

G R E AT R I D E S

The scent of wild flowers accompanied us as we descended into low woodland and to our boutique hotel in a dry, dusty village, where the charming owner cooked especially for us.

ACROSS THE HIGH PLATEAU We stayed with the River Ebro the next day, as it ran through a deep gorge with spectacular rock formations. There was more climbing, and a headwind made our going hard. All around were fields of yellow-leaved, dying sunflower plants, ready to give seed, and in the distance their colour was everywhere. In this big landscape the agriculture was of a type and on a scale I had never seen before. We spent a night in the beautiful cathedral city of Burgos, riding out of it on another via verde, this time with a less forgiving surface. We opted to switch to a main road but had it almost to ourselves – the very few vehicles that there were gave us a good margin of safety as they overtook us. Even the tarmac was beautiful, with its honeycoloured aggregate. All around the big landscape was painted in ochres and greens. There was colour wherever we looked. Gradually we approached a huge escarpment. At its highest point, around two dozen vultures were circling on air currents. We kept stopping just to admire it all. But rain caught us. It fell heavily for what were, fortunately, two of our shorter days. With the wet weather behind us, the sunflowers were now joined by purple heather and low, pale trees, which together with the red earth created a heady cocktail of colour. We began to see vines laden with grapes, looking nothing like the twisted black dead versions we see during our winter visits. But we picked up the unmistakable smell of pigs, too. They were hidden from the sun in long, ventilated barns. There were so many of them that now I could see why the Spanish seem to eat so much pork.

MEDITERRANEAN WARMTH When we rolled into Teruel, a place we know well and which we have often used as an overnight stop when driving down in winter, it was a pleasure to see it busy with people on a warm, sunny day. We chatted to a Spanish cyclist there, the only other cycle tourist we saw throughout the whole trip. 54

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Maxine and Paul on their Hase Pino Steps tandem, passing the El Torico fountain in Teruel

We were coming to the end of our tour, but our penultimate day was remarkable in many ways. The temperature climbed from around 9ºC to 30ºC as we descended more than 1,000m down a series of steep hairpins between the bases of an extensive wind farm, the power of which we could almost feel. We stopped in Valencia city for lunch, and found it at a locals’ café serving the Spanish customary ‘menu del dia’, an €11 bargain (three courses, wine and coffee) that we seek out whenever we can. Then we carried on down the coast. With full stomachs and with a following wind to add to our downhill advantage, we covered more than 100 miles without flattening even one battery. On our last day we cycled on roads we knew, picking our way along flat, coastal lanes to a triumphant finish on the shady main street at Dénia. The ride had been a joy from start to finish. I hadn’t wanted it to end. Six days later we flew back to the UK, leaving our tandem in Spain, ready for our next winter visit. Now I can’t help looking forward to our next tour. Maybe we’ll ride the route in reverse!

Sailing to Spain We used the Plymouth-toSantander overnight ferry at a cost of £494 for a full flexible fare (fixed fares are cheaper) with a two-berth cabin. There were plenty of other cyclists on solo bikes. There is no difference in price for a tandem but it is necessary to tell them in advance. Availability of bike carriage and price varies with the season. Routes also vary, from Portsmouth or Plymouth to Bilbao or Santander. Some routes involve two nights on board. There are also cheaper and more expensive cabin/ accommodation options. brittany-ferries.co.uk

Advice

CYCLOPEDIA

Right: Joolze Dymond

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

Q & A

Legal

Pedestrians crossing

On a recent club ride, the rider in front of me was confronted by a man standing in the road shouting: “Don’t you wait for pedestrians to cross?” The rider hadn’t a clue what the man was talking about until I explained the new Highway Code Rule 74 to him about stopping to allow pedestrians to cross at junctions. Should large groups of cyclists now shout “pedestrian!" and hit the brakes if they spot someone at a junction who looks like they might want to cross the road? If so, surely that could cause a sudden chain reaction in the group and result in an accident? Mike Lloyd

While everyone owes a duty of care to their fellows, everyone also has a duty to look after themselves and not to place themselves in harm’s way (Law Reform Contributory Negligence Act 1945). So pedestrians need to apply a bit of thought to their actions. Rule 7D of the Highway Code, for pedestrians wanting to cross the road, states: “If traffic is coming, let it pass.” There are several other references to your example found in the Highway Code: • Rule H2 (for drivers, motorcyclists, horsedrawn vehicles, horse riders and cyclists): “At a junction, you should give way to pedestrians

Your Experts

cycle FE B R UARY / MARCH 2024

DR KATE BRODIE Retired GP {Health}

crossing or waiting to cross a road into which or from which you are turning”. • Rule 8 (for pedestrians at a junction): “When you are crossing or waiting to cross the road, other traffic should give way. Look out for traffic turning into the road especially from behind you and cross at a place where others can see you. If you have started crossing and traffic wants to turn into the road, you have priority, and they should give way to you.” • Rule 170: “Give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into which or from which you are turning. If they have started to cross, they have priority, so give way”. If the pedestrian is in the course of crossing, then it would be contrary to Rule 170 to simply carry on regardless. But this is a dynamic situation in which a crosser already embarked is likely to clear the junction in a matter of seconds. It’s worth noting that the Highway Code is a guide. Legal requirements, its introduction tells us, “are identified by the use of the words ‘MUST/MUST NOT’”. The remaining contents of the Highway Code can nevertheless be used in civil court proceedings. As the judiciary is so fond of telling us, every case is different. So there’s discretion to be exercised in the circumstances you outline. Paul Darlington

Technical

Cassette tech RICHARD HALLETT Cycle’s technical editor {Technical}

I’d like to set up my road bike for use on gravel, including having some easier gears. I’ve currently got a compact chainset and an 11-34 cassette. Does a rear derailleur exist that would allow me to put a 40-tooth (or bigger) cassette on there? Jd843, on the Cycling UK forum

PAUL DARLINGTON Consultant solicitor, Cycle SOS {Legal}

The simple answer is ‘yes’ – and plenty of them. I’m running a Shimano Deore Shadow rear mech with an 11-42 cassette, and there are numerous mechs out there capable of handling the 50-plus sprockets found on today’s gravel transmissions. My Deore derailleur

Q&A

cycle a lot, with a range of bikes on a variety of terrain. Jon in Sweden, on the Cycling UK forum

is currently matched to a Middleburn 46-30 chainset and previously worked equally well with a 50-34 compact. The challenge is to find a shifter or ‘brifter’ that works with your favoured sprocket count and brake preference – cable or hydraulic, rim or disc. Shadowtype mechs won’t work with older 10-speed Shimano road or below-10-speed MTB shifters, so mine is controlled by a Microshift BS-M10 bar-end shifter. I have also run an older Deore 9-speed mech and 40-tooth sprocket using a Lindarets Road Link (Cycle Dec 2015/ Jan 2016), operated by an old Ultegra 10-speed brifter. For more suggestions, see cyclinguk.org/lower-gears. Richard Hallett

Nerve pains can be related to pressure on the nerve from cycling or from a nerve nipped where it exits the spine. This can also give a bit of tingling numbness or weakness in the area supplied by that nerve. This can apply to both arms and legs (as in sciatica). To get a proper diagnosis for your pain, you should consult a physio or similar – and possibly have an X-ray. If it is a tight muscle it should respond to strengthening exercises, while a trapped nerve will need different treatment. Sometimes pressure on the wrists or hands or where your bottom presses on the saddle or feet on the pedals can damage a nerve locally. This needs careful attention to your position and setup on the bike, and maybe some extra padding. Nerve pain can be extremely debilitating and stop you riding far until it settles, so it is worth getting it dealt with. Dr Kate Brodie

Health

Trapped nerve

I have what feels like a trapped nerve where the rhomboid, trapezius and scapula meet. I’ve long had some odd sensations in that area, like prickly heat. More recently I’ve occasionally had sharp pain while cycling. The discomfort builds steadily, then results in an incredibly sharp pain linked to physical movements (turning my head side to side or raising it). It fades fairly quickly, and getting off the bike and stretching helps an awful lot. I’m at a bit of a loss as to what to do. I

Technical

Mudguards without mounts

My disc-brake bike doesn't have a hole for a mudguard mount in the fork crown. What’s the best solution? I have had reasonable success with stays that mount on the QRs. Under the fork, the best I could do was superglue Velcro to the fork and guard but it was never rattle free. Anything better out there? mattsccm, on the Cycling UK forum

Left: Alamy

Try getting creative with zip-ties. You can drill small holes – two per tie is usually enough – and wrap the ties symmetrically around the crown, crossing them either side of the steerer tube to prevent the mudguard sliding down. Pieces of inner tube – which can be secured using double-sided carpet tape – can be used to prevent abrasion of the fork surface. Richard Hallett

CYCLO PE D IA

Technical

Frame modifications

I’m looking to add some cable stops to a Tange Prestige steel frame which has none. I’ve considered epoxy and clamps, but I want to investigate doing a proper braze-on. Before I just give it a bash with some steel rods recommended from a local DIY store, I’m wondering what would be the typical rods/flux to use? And what temperature it’s likely to need? Can I use my butane torch for copper pipes? Jupestar, on the Cycling UK forum

Do you have any experience with brazing? If not, it might be better to give the job to a frame builder, who will use an oxy-fuel torch. This burns the fuel gas – usually acetylene or propane – with oxygen for a much hotter flame. Propane burns in air at 1,980ºC and with oxygen at 2,820ºC; oxy-acetylene burns some 280ºC hotter. It’s unlikely you’ll get enough heat from a butane torch, which burns butane in air for a flame temperature of around 1,970ºC. Although heat will be lost to conduction through the frame tube, it may work for a small part using silver solder, which melts at a lower temperature (around 670ºC) than brazing rod. Silver solder requires a specific flux and exceptional cleanliness for a secure joint, and its use is considered a trickier technique than brazing. It’s also considerably more expensive. If you decide to give it a go, consider using properly made stops from a supplier such as Ceeway (ceeway.com). Watch a few tutorials and practise on some scrap tube beforehand. Richard Hallett

Get in touch EMAIL your technical, health, or legal questions to editor@cyclinguk.org or write to Cyclopedia, Cycle, Cycling UK, Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford, GU2 9JX. Cycle magazine cannot answer unpublished queries. But don’t forget that Cycling UK operates a free-to-members advice line for personal injury claims, TEL: 0330 107 1789.

C YCL I NGUK . O RG cycle 57

CYCLOPEDIA

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

£3,000 steel tourer For: Paul Rush, aged 77, from Poole in Dorset. Bike needs: To travel long distances, mainly on tarmac roads, fully loaded with camping and cooking gear, with four panniers, saddlebag and bar bag. Must have: Steel frame, cable disc brakes, triple chainset with low gearing (around 20-100in), drop or flat bars, mudguards, 35mm tyres, 700C wheels. Must not have: Dynamo lights – I use rechargeable lights with a PedalCell charger. Budget: £3,000.

Simon Withers

Paul Rush

Dan Joyce

A couple of years ago I rode the Surly Disc Trucker (surlybikes.com), which covers most of your bases. This cable-disc-equipped, allsteel tourer is comfortable for distance riding, although I think the £2,400 price is a little high. As an aside, it's worth noting that smaller 650B and 26in wheels will be stronger than 700C, all things being equal – and 26in rims and tyres are still widely available worldwide. That said, I've done my three multi-thousand-mile trips on 700c wheels. But for a bike with an excellent ride that I put hundreds of miles on when reviewing it, I'd happily recommend the drop-bar Spa Wayfarer 9-spd Cable Disc (spacycles.co.uk). It's available in eight different sizes, so you should be able to achieve a good fit, and it's made from Reynolds 725 steel, which Spa says is needed “for heavy load carrying with the compliance needed for long days in the saddle”. It's beautifully finished and, as with all Spa's steel frames, it has undergone electrophoretic deposition for longlasting protection. It has TRP Spyre cable disc brakes and Shimano Sora shifters. While I tested it with a 48-38-28 chainset and an 11-34 cassette, which would give a 22in bottom gear with 35mm tyres, Spa could supply a 46-34-24 chainset (in black or silver and from 165175mm). That would give an expedition-friendly 19in bottom gear. The RRP is £1,575, but you could put some of your budget into a front rack and upgraded saddle, wheels and tyres. Spa makes its own wheels, and in my experience they've been superbly built and practically bombproof.

That £3,000 budget is the tricky bit. I normally recommend spending right up to your budget because you can get a better bike that way, and because you’ve mentally already assigned the money. But there aren’t many steel tourers that meet your requirements at this price point. If you were spending £1,000-£1,500, I’d echo Simon: get one of Spa’s steel tourers. Beyond £2,000, there are also bikes like the Bombtrack Arise Tour, Genesis Tour de Fer 30 (see cyclinguk. org/two-grand-tourers for reviews of these), Kona Sutra and Surly Disc Trucker to throw into the mix. But then there’s a big gap to more niche brands like Mason, whose lovely SLR costs from £4,100 (masoncycles.cc). The Stanforth Skyelander Disc (stanforthbikes.co.uk) is not massively over your budget, however, and ticks all your other boxes. It costs £3,375 – before you add Tubus racks and mudguards, although the price does include a free fitting. The bike has 3×10 Shimano Deore XT gearing with a 20in bottom gear, Microshift BS-M10 bar-end shifters, TRP Spyre cable discs and 35mm touring tyres. The lugged steel frame (Reynolds 631/725) is made in England and sized to fit you. I’ve tested (and liked) a V-brake version of this bike. If £3,000 is an absolute rather than negotiable limit, I’d suggest the Oxford Bike Works Model 3 (oxfordbikeworks. co.uk). This also comes with bespoke fitting but starts at £2,299. It too has a 3×10 Deore XT transmission. It can be specified with flat or drop bars, disc or V-brakes, and 26in or 700C wheels.

SPA CYCLES WAYFARER 9SPD CABLE DISC

STANFORTH SKYELANDER DISC

£1,575

£3,375

C YC L I NGUK . O RG cycle 59

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?

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

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

cycle

FE B R UARY / M ARCH 2024

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.

FIXED-WHEEL ROAD BIKE

BIKE TEST

First look

Sensible geometry, practical frame fittings and room for 28mm tyres. The components are decent, too

A shallower head angle and longer chainstays yield a more stable ride

Tech Spec

SPA CYCLES AUDAX MONO They’re fitted with Schwalbe full-body workout it can be. One tyres – the rebranded Riding fixed won’t just make Schwalbe Durano and you pedal more fluidly; it’ll a decent all-rounder. I’d make you fitter, full stop. switch to Schwalbe One There are really only two Plus (Durano Plus as was) if I ways to go faster on a bike: were buying an Audax Mono pedal faster or push a bigger primarily for commuting. gear. Fixed-wheel trains both. There’s some choice with To spin smoothly you the specification, which is need a gear that suits why the test bike has an you and your terrain. The 80mm stem and a 38cm Audax Mono can provide handlebar: I asked for them. this because you choose it. Similarly, I picked the 42/18 (Not sure? Try 42/18, 42/17 gearing because 63in will or 42/16.) You also need the get me up and down local contact points just so, to Top: Plenty of steerer height hills. You get a freewheel avoid bouncing around like a and a stem to suit your back as well as a fixed sprocket sack of potatoes. The Audax Bottom: You must pedal through slow speed turns on on the flip-flop hub, and Mono helps with this, too, as fixed so toe clearance is good could have a tooth or two’s you can choose the bar, stem difference between them. and cranks. The chainring is a narrow-wide one I don’t know that I’d do a long audax on you normally see as part of 1× drivetrains. fixed but I’d happily do 100km on this one if While you don’t really need this, a narrowI could ride at my own pace. Fixed doesn’t wide ring’s improved retention should work so well if you have companions on reduce the risk of unshipping the chain, gears as you get dropped on descents, and which is dangerous on fixed if it jams. I found single free oddly unsatisfying. The test bike has upgraded TRP RRL-SR brake levers (+£25). These are among the more comfortable non-integrated levers Verdict I’ve used. If you’ll only ride fixed, you can With practical fittings, less racy geometry and legally dispense with the rear brake as clearance for 28mm tyres, the Audax Mono has you can slow the rear wheel through backthe key things I want from a fixed-wheel frameset. pressure on the pedals. If you’ll ever ride The fact that the complete bike comes with wellwith a freewheel, you must keep both. built wheels and components you can tweak to your taste makes it an even better buy. I’d like a The ride smidgen more space under the brake callipers It’s a few years since I was riding fixed on a but if you’re looking for sensible fixed-wheel bike at a sensible price, this has to be on your shortlist. daily basis. I’d forgotten what a leg-taxing,

Price: £820 as tested (from £795, frameset £375 at time of writing). Sizes: 50, 52, 54 (tested), 56, 58, 60cm. Weight: 9.69kg/ 21.32lb (inc guards, no pedals). Frame & fork: TIGwelded, doublebutted Reynolds 725 steel frame with 120mm rearfacing dropouts, 68mm threaded bottom bracket, and fittings for rear rack, mudguard and two bottles. Carbon fork with 1 1/8in aluminium steerer, 100mm QR dropouts and mudguard fittings. Wheels: 28-622 Schwalbe One tyres, Kinlin XC-279 rims (622×17) rims, 32×3 Sapim Race spokes, Sturmey Archer HBT 30 hubs with solid axles & track nuts. Transmission: no Dimensions in millimetres and degrees

660 564 790

72.5˚

~430

600 72˚

~45

540

684

pedals, 165mm Spa TD-2 chainset with 42t narrowwide chainring, First Components DX-30 squaretaper bottom bracket, 1/8in KMC Rustbuster chain, 1/8in 18t Spa fixed sprocket, 1/8in 18t Sturmey Archer freewheel. One ratio, 63in. Brakes: TRP RRL-SR levers, Tektro R737 callipers. Steering & seating: Spa Cork EVA Gel tape, 380×31.8mm FSA Wing Compact handlebar, 80×6º FSA Omega stem, 1 1/8in FSA Orbit Equipe threadless headset. Spa Navigator saddle, 27.2×350mm FSA layback seatpost, Spa seatpost clamp. Equipment: 35mm SKS CAB mudguards, two Spa alloy bottle cages. spacycles.co.uk

165 280 ~1022

120 622 29

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URBAN E-BIKE

BIKE TEST

Telescopic post

Biketest

EBCO Street 2 RICHARD PEACE Richard is a cycling journalist and author. His books include Electric Bicycles and Sustrans’ Traffic-Free Cycle Rides

E-bikes aren’t only for cyclists with deep pockets. Richard Peace tests an entry-level urban runaround for just £1,400

First look

A capable everyday e-bike with a punchy motor, wide tyres and extensive equipment

BCO is a well-established this are generally quick off the mark, UK-based company that easy to weave through town traffic offers a range of practicaland less trouble to manhandle and looking e-bikes divided into three store when not being ridden. They’re broad categories: Street (20in also easier to use in combination with wheels), Urban (700C wheels, trains than bigger-wheeled machines. 42mm touring tyres) and Adventure The downsides of smaller wheels (700C, 55mm gravel tyres). are livelier handling and a harsher Above: The charging port is Street is perhaps a slight ride over humps and bumps, but fiddly to access and in the firing line from wheel spray misnomer. While they are clearly they're offset by the Street 2’s largedesigned to have an edgy, urban volume tyres. appeal, all Street models have large-volume (58-406) Visually it’s a striking e-bike and one that could knobbly tyres that will cope with rough railway easily pass for a non-electric model, as the battery, paths, canal towpaths and the like. The Street 2 is motor and cabling are well integrated into the the cheapest at £1,399. That’s a competitive price, design. The frame’s down tube isn’t overly large but given that this is a UK-based company offering hides the 360Wh battery and most of the cabling a two-year guarantee – including for the battery, effectively, while the rear hub motor is little larger which is warrantied to hold 60% charge after two in diameter than the biggest cassette sprocket. The years or 500 charge cycles. lime green paint job stands out and may (hopefully!) The Street 2 has a discreet Bafang rear hub motor result in fewer SMIDSY moments with motorists. (pricier models across all ranges get Bafang midMotor and gearing drives) and a frame-integrated 360Wh battery. This I rode the Street 2 on and off road in some very is removable for servicing/replacement only. The wet autumn conditions. Despite one or two bike components include budget, 7-speed Shimano niggles, it was impressive in all test conditions. derailleur gears, hydraulic disc brakes, alloy The Bafang motor is quiet, smooth and responsive mudguards, rack, kickstand and hardwired lights. to pedal stroke movement (but not pedal pressure For the price, it’s an impressive spec list. – it’s cadence sensing, not torque sensing). HillWhy the small 20in wheels? Compact e-bikes like

C Y CL I NGUK . O RG cycle 65

BIKE TEST

URBAN E-BIKE

It copes well with poorly maintained traffic-free infrastructure and all those lovely but neglected towpaths

Display & power control switch

climbing ability – a raison d’être for any e-bike – is one of the Street 2’s strongest points. It took all of my standard timed hill climb tests in its stride. The five power levels are nicely graded and easily controlled by the Bafang combined display-and-power handlebar switch, which is one of the most ergonomic I’ve tried. While it’s not a particularly easy bike to pedal without electric assistance – due to its chunky, treaded tyres – power level one was sufficient for me to cruise along on the flat. In power level five, I made it up a 20%+ gradient in first gear without any drama, although a lower gear would have helped. Overall the range of the seven gears felt about right; you can still pedal downhill at about 20mph.

The ride

Other options

The Street 2 copes well with poorly maintained traffic-free infrastructure and all those lovely but neglected stretches of canal towpath. The chunky tyres are grippy in the wet and provide a modicum of suspension. The ride is pretty sporty, thanks to its lively geometry and punchy motor. Despite that I always felt safe on the Street 2. There’s effective and smooth braking from the Clarks Clout hydraulic disc brakes, and cornering is surefooted and predictable, even at speed. The lights are reassuring at night, illuminating the road ahead and offering side as well as front and rear visibility to other traffic. At just over 20kg it’s in the mid-range for weight, but the Street 2’s compact design makes it pretty easy to carry up

Belt-drive ready!

steps at waist height. Balancing it while doing so is straightforward because of the battery position and the lightweight motor. I had a couple of gripes that are unlikely to be deal breakers for most purchasers, given the bike’s low price. Firstly, the cranks are quite close to the rear rack so you’ll need to choose and use panniers carefully to avoid heel strike. Secondly, the charging port is located awkwardly underneath the down tube. That puts it in the firing line from spray from the front wheel that misses the mudguard, and makes it fiddly to fit the direction-critical charging plug.

Verdict

The EBCO Street 2 is suitable for a range of uses, including daily commuting, shorter leisure rides and ‘lite’ off-road excursions. It’s a compact e-bike with a fun and versatile ride that, even though it’s one size fits all, will probably suit small-to-medium riders best. The main limitation is the battery size. I wouldn’t expect to get more than 20-30 miles per charge as a rule, although extremes outside this range are possible depending on the usual e-bike variables. Overall: highly recommended.

VELOSTA V1

ESTARLI E20.7

Effective 20in-wheel longtail load carrier with a lively rear hub motor, throttle and good offroad credentials, too.

Like the Street it has knobbly tyres on 20in rims but it’s a folder with a smaller 260Wh battery.

£1,599+

velosta.co.uk

cycle FE B R UARY / MARCH 2024

Tech spec

EBCO STREET 2 Price: £1,399. Sizes: One size only. Weight: 20.6kg (45.4lb). Frame & fork: 6061 aluminium frame with integrated battery, separable drive-side seatstay, adjustable rear dropouts, and fittings for mudguard and rear rack. Aluminium fork with mudguard and front light fittings. Wheels: 58-406 (20×2.35in) Ralson tyres on WTB 20in 36-hole rims, Bafang H400 rear hub motor, unbranded front hub. Transmission: platform pedals, Prowheel chainset with 42t chainring, 11-28t 7-speed cassette. Shimano Dimensions in millimetres and degrees

685-726 595

£1,425

estarli.co.uk

733 526 42

73˚

444 400

693 70˚

Rapidfire 7-speed shifter, Shimano Altus derailleur. Seven ratios, 3179in. Electronics: Bafang H400 rear hub motor with 40Nm torque rating; 10Ah, 36V (360Wh) battery with LG cells. Braking: Clarks Clout hydraulic discs with 160mm rotors. Steering & seating: 680×31.8mm alloy riser handlebar, adjustable-angle stem with SP phone mount. Ergon comfort saddle and alloy, telescopic seatpost. Equipment: Hardwired LED lights, alloy mudguards, centre kickstand, rear rack (14mm rails). ebco-ebikes.co.uk

170 1101

310

155 406 58

TU B ELES S R EPA I R K I TS

GROUPTEST

Details

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

GROUPTEST

TU B ELES S R EPA I R K I TS

Verdict All four repair kits work fine, at least in the comfort of the workshop. The Peaty’s kit is by far the easiest to use when it comes to fitting the plug to the fork. All the others need the plug squashing and threading through the fork, which is faffy and removes some stickiness. For that alone, the Peaty’s kit would be my first choice. But it’s also a neat and light kit that’s well designed, especially for mountain bikers. The Effetto Mariposa kit would be great for a road or gravel bike, weighing little more than standard bar-end plugs and removing the risk that you might forget to take it with you. However, the Muc-Off and Weldtite kits both offer good value for money.

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

Peaty’s Muc-Off 1Plugger 2 Holeshot Tubeless Puncture Plug Kit Repair Kit £24.99 peatys.co.uk

£15 muc-off.com

Effetto 3 Mariposa Tappabuco

Weldtite 4 Tubeless Repair Kit

A NEAT AND lightweight kit with six tyre plugs in two different sizes (three 1.5mm, three 3mm). The plugging tool includes a reamer on the shaft, and the single-sided fork head is well designed. The tyre plug goes on easily so you don’t have to handle it much, and comes off it just as easily when you stick it in the tyre. The barrel of the storage section screws onto the plugging tool to give a more secure handhold when using it. When not in use, the barrel keeps the bits together and protects the sharp fork. The barrel even has O-rings to act as weather seals. The kit is available in 12 different colours. Plug refill kits (six plugs, one size) are £4.99.

MUC-OFF’S PLUGGING tool has a good-sized handle, which makes it easier to jab plugs into the tyre but adds bulk. It comes with a small storage bag, plus a cap for the tool when it’s not in use. You get 15 plugs in three different sizes, which is good value. Refill packs of 10 plugs are £7. The tool has a reamer on the shaft for cleaning. The tip of the tool is the traditional two-sided fork which, while secure, does make getting the strip onto it tricky and more likely to involve handling it. Still, a good kit that’s fairly easy to carry. Muc-Off also makes a bar-endstored kit, the Stealth Tubeless Puncture Plug (RRP £45 but only £11.25 at time of writing).

TAPPABUCO IS ITALIAN for ‘stopgap’ or ‘hole plugger’. The minimalist kit fits in your handlebar as bar-end plugs. There’s no means of roughening or cleaning the hole in the tyre. You get just the fork tool (albeit two of them) and the strips. There are three versions of the kit: one with 1.5mm plugs (£14); one with 3.5mm plugs (£14); and one with both (£20). Effetto Mariposa says the tool also fits in Hollowtechstyle cranksets, although you’d have to keep the strips elsewhere to protect them from the trails. It’s simple and neat but the tool isn’t as large as others and not quite as easy to use. Spare plugs (25×1.5mm or 3mm) are £11.

THIS WAS ONE of the first tubeless repair kits available; I remember using one about five years ago and it worked well. It comes in the same sort of box as an old-school puncture repair kit. It’s neither minimalist nor light but it does contain all you need. The tools – fork, knife and reamer – are all separate, and you’ll need to cut the plug to length after insertion. While the plugs are sticky, you get an extra tube of glue as backup. There’s only one size of plug so if you are patching a small hole it can be tricky to get the tool in the hole. Weldtite’s more compact Tubeless Repair Capsule, which is similar to the Peaty’s kit, is £24.99.

Cracking, well-thought-out repair kit. The fork design is particularly effective

Bulkier but easy to use, and with a good selection of plugs

A bit fiddlier but bar-end storage offers fit-and-forget convenience

It looks dated now but is inexpensive and functional

cycle FE B R UARY / MARCH 2024

£20 upgradebikes.co.uk

£11 weldtite.cc

CYCLE

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

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The Stelvio has 48 numbered hairpins

TRAVELLERS’ TALES

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

The Netherlands

Riding the water lines

Italy

Chris Tomes cruised though Dutch countryside beside military defences

Stelvio unplanned The classic road climb was too tempting for David Futter to pass up – even in jeans, riding a hired bike

uring a recent holiday in South Tirol, the organiser suggested a trip up the Stelvio Pass due to the good weather forecast. After a brief check on Google, I asked if I could be dropped off at Baldi Sport bike hire in Prato, then meet the others at the top. He was happy to accommodate the crazy Englishman’s suggestion. Suitably equipped with a high-end road bike and a helmet, I set off to tackle the 25km ride, without thinking too hard about the 2,400m ascent. The many hairpins in the last 10km are the headline of the Stelvio, but the road climbs steadily right from the start. I was trying to pace myself, while avoiding using up all the gears too soon. One elderly German cyclist asked what was with the jeans and T-shirt as I rode past; I explained this was a completely unplanned excursion. I stopped for a quick snack and photo opportunity, just as the ladder of hairpins came into view. Refreshed from my pit stop, I found a reassuring rhythm to the hairpins, which gave a few moments of relief each time I was going around the outside, and a few moments of extra effort when taking the inside. The last few seemed to get easier as the summit came into sight. I managed the ascent in three

Three hours up, 40 mins down

hours, then refuelled on bratwurst and sauerkraut from a roadside stall, having spotted my wife and our friends. After lunch, I bought a couple of souvenirs and then donned my jumper for the descent. High in the Alps in October it’s not that warm. I set off just as the others were returning to the car. The descent was very fast, despite my natural caution, and 40 minutes later I returned the hire bike. I’d arrived at the town before the support vehicle!

Not Carrera team ‘denim’

HAVING SIX DAYS spare for a trip in April, my research led me to the Dutch Waterlinieroute, which runs for 410km from Bergen op Zoom in the south to Edam above Amsterdam. Two days were needed to get there and back, leaving 100km a day for the route. It looked achievable. The Waterlinieroute follows a line of fortifications dating from 1628 but used as late as WWII. They were employed for armed defence and for flooding surrounding land to strand would-be invading armies. Always a value-seeking tourist, I took the daytime ferry from Harwich and used Vrienden op de Fiets (Friends of the bicycle) where available for affordable B&B. Spring weather is unpredictable in the Netherlands. I rode through one afternoon of rain and had a tough day cycling into a headwind. The water lines route is well signed, skirts cities and occasionally uses ferries. Cycling on traffic-free paths with simple navigation was very relaxing. Whenever I wanted a break there was lots to see. I visited the remains of forts and many of the memorials to Allied forces who had sacrificed their lives helping to liberate the country during WWII. There were working windmills, museums and plenty of wildlife. I saw my first spoonbill. My Vrienden op de Fiets hosts were lovely. I was so taken by the good nature and efficient running of the organisation that my wife and I have subsequently taken the plunge and become hosts ourselves.

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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

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

Stay connected 74

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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cycle FE B R UARY / M ARCH 2024

@wearecyclinguk

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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