Welcome
The rise in popularity of bike fitting services is encouraging. It’s an acknowledgment that the bike can be made to fit the rider instead of the other way around. It’s confirmation that aches and pains aren’t something you just put up with.
Professional bike fitting can seem complex. Motion capture! Metatarsal measurements! Protractors! I guess it’s nice to get some science when you’re spending a couple of hundred quid. The most critical part of bike fitting isn’t complicated at all, however. It’s a simple question: am I comfortable?
The answer, in terms of making the bike fit best, will be as individual as the cyclist asking that question. We’re all different shapes and sizes, with asymmetries and different ranges of motion. When I broke my back in my 20s, I fitted a swan-neck stem and a BMX handlebar to an old Dawes MTB with wide, slick tyres and a sprung saddle. I sat bolt upright, with the handlebar a foot higher than the saddle.
The best bike fit will change over time. While I can manage a time trial crouch these days, the general rule is that a racier riding position becomes less comfortable as we age – if it ever was. So when you’re not racing, don’t feel you have to ape the riding position of a racer. Your most comfortable posture could be anywhere along the ascent-of-man diagram line, from hunched over to upright.
A bike fitter might well find that position for you. But 15 minutes with an Allen key or a new stem might, too.
DAN JOYCE Editor
FEATURES
36 Marcher Castles Way
Our newest long-distance route: a 290km loop through the border counties of Shropshire and Powys
42 DIY bike fit
How to get more comfortable on your bike without spending money on a professional bike fit
52 A ride to Hope
Handcycling 800km down the south-west coast of India to an orphanage in Kerala PRODUCTS
22 Shop Window
Christmas gift ideas for cyclists
24 Gear up
Components, accessories and books
62 Small fold, big ride
The new Brompton G Line and Tern’s BYB P8: 20-inch wheel folders with the ride quality of bigger bikes
69 Balance bikes
Four pedal-less starter bikes for pre-school children
REGULARS
04 Freewheeling
Bits and pieces from the bike world
07 This is Cycling UK
What the AGM results mean for you; Cycling UK’s next chair of trustees – could it be you?; filling those potholes; a look back on Cycling UK’s year; and more
20 You are Cycling UK
Marcher Castles Way guidebook
By Robyn Furtado
writer Guy Kesteven
33 Letters
Your feedback on Cycle and cycling
48 Weekender
Lochs, scenic forests and tranquil gravel trails in the Kyle of Sutherland
58 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. 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
Climbing up to the Kerry Ridgeway while riding Marcher Castles Way.
Top to bottom: Robyn Furtado, Robert Tomlin, Karen Darke, Phil Beed
“
Cycling changes lives, so can you!
“Cycling gives me direction in life, it helps me bond with my family and feel positive about myself.”
Winter appeal HELP CHANGE LIVES
Cycling changed my life. It gave me purpose, direction and a way to bond with my sons. As a cyclist, when you head out on a ride you have a plan of where you are going, which direction you are headed. My name is Paul. I lost my direction in life through a lifetime of living with mental health issues, but cycling gave me that direction back.
“I turned to drugs and alcohol to ‘help’ me through bad times, and when lockdown
Big Bike Revival
hit, it hit me hard. I was working in farming and cycled to get to and from work, but I didn’t really connect with the joy that cycling can bring. I spiralled in lockdown and, to be a better dad to my sons, I ended up in DJK House, a recovery centre for people to rebuild their lives.
“When I arrived, I found it hard to even walk down the stairs. I hated myself. One of the things I did was go on a ‘joy ride’, a led ride for
THE DEVELOPMENT OFFICER’S VIEW
“It’s been fantastic to work with Paul in the last two years and to see his transformation thanks to recovery and cycling. From someone who wasn’t confident to fix a puncture two years ago, he’s become a dedicated bike mechanic who now helps his community by offering free bike repairs at the Big Bike Revival events on behalf of Peloton Liverpool.”
Magdalena
Cichocka, Cycling UK development Officer, Liverpool Region
novices around Liverpool. There was nothing joyous to me about that first ride!
“I did, however, meet Magdalena from Cycling UK and, after a few more rides, found I was starting to enjoy myself. I had real peace of mind after the rides.
“Cycling UK put their trust in me, something that was incredibly important. I completed several courses, including becoming a ride leader and bike mechanic. I’m now working as a bike mechanic with Peloton Liverpool, where I get involved in various projects.
“One of the main things I’ve been working on is cycle repair events at the University of Liverpool, which are funded through Cycling UK’s Big Bike Revival project.
“Cycling really has given me the direction that I lacked, the purpose that I needed and a hobby that I can use to bond with my sons. I never really knew where I ‘fitted’ in life but now I do.
“The more people that can find the joy of cycling the better; cycling really can change lives – I am living proof of that. Mine is one of thousands of stories about how Cycling UK’s work helps impact lives each year.
“Whether your cycling passion is to support people like me to better health, to get more people cycling, to have safer and more accessible cycling for you and your family or to improve the environment, your donation today will really make a difference. Cycling changes lives, and so can you.”
Paul Williams, qualified bike mechanic
Donate now
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Cycling changes lives – and so can you. Please donate today.
• £10 could help fund campaigning to provide safe places for people to cycle
• £25 could buy an essentials kit for cycle community clubs, enabling people to get back into cycling
• £50 could enable people to connect through cycle clubs, reducing isolation
• £100 could help open up new routes for people to explore, creating memories and opportunities to explore the great outdoors
Visit cyclinguk.org/cycling-changes-lives or scan the QR code above.
SHOP WINDOW
Christmas novelties like bicycle-related pizza cutters can soon lose their charm. Dan Joyce picks some practical gifts for around £50 or less
money
As a member, you can save up to 50% on a wide range of cycling products and services. Visit cyclinguk.org/ member-benefits
1 Cycling UK gift membership
£52
Give someone a whole year of cycling inspiration and support from as little as £4.34 a month. That’s for individual Cycling UK membership; concessionary is £34, family £84. cyclinguk.org/gift
2 Green Oil
£47.99
Massive Brush
At 46cm (18in), Green Oil’s wooden brush with plant-based bristles is long enough to clean your bike without (much) bending over. It’s pricy but should last over a decade, Green Oil says. green-oil.net
3 Hiplok FX £22.99
Peace of mind for club run café stops, where heavy locks aren’t an option, Hiplok’s steel-cable combination lock can be clipped into your jersey pocket. Members get 20% off, too. hiplok.com
4 Sealskinz Stanfield socks £50
Not all Christmas socks are a disappointment. These mid-length ones have a waterproof membrane and a thermal inner layer, making them ideal for the worst winter rides. sealskinz.com
5 Potholes and Pavements £16.99
Laura Laker’s ‘bumpy ride on Britain’s national cycle network’ was a hit with our reviewer in the June/July issue and should be received equally well by any seasoned cyclist. laura-laker.com/book
6 CatEye Padrone Wireless cycle computer £49.99
7
No GPS, no navigation, no Strava uploads – just a refreshingly simple wireless bike computer that gives you speed, distance and time in nice big numbers. cateyecycling.co.uk
7 Custom made OS map £7.99+
Create your own paper, canvas or framed print of a map area you select, personalising it with your text and photo. You can even add a highlighted route on it to celebrate a special ride. shop.ordnancesurvey.co.uk
More online
Check out our in-depth reviews of the latest bikes and gear online at: cyclinguk.org/cycling-advice
Great Rides
MARCHER CASTLES WAY
Cycling UK’s latest long-distance route is a 290km loop through Shropshire and Powys that crisscrosses the Welsh border. Robyn Furtado rode it
Enjoying the ride up Brown Clee Hill
The road ahead rose at an alarming angle towards the top of Brown Clee Hill. We had already fought our way up through a fern-tangled bridleway and across a steep field full of cows, but the real challenge of Shropshire’s highest hill was clearly still in front of us.
There was no alternative: we carried on upwards, some in granny gear, others walking (no shame here), inching skywards through quiet woods tinged with autumn colours. We were quiet for the first time all day, unable to continue conversation for gasping, our concentration focused on the misty summit.
As we got above the tree line, this mist lifted and the border hills of Wales and England stretched out all around us, in golds, purples and russets. Snowdonia lay in one direction, Shropshire the other. The landscape was vast but there wasn’t another human in sight. We had the whole hill and view to ourselves.
IRON AGE FORTS, IRONBRIDGE GORGE
Marcher Castles Way is Cycling UK’s latest bikepacking route, this time covering both England and Wales, following the launch of Traws Eryri last year. The aim was to create a route that was challenging and adventurous, and that celebrates the scenery, culture and history of the shifting borderlands between England and Wales. I rode the route in early September with five others: my colleague Sophie Gordon, three of Cycling UK’s 100 Women in Cycling (Dulce Pedroso, Jess Notzig and Jasmin Patel) and Stefan Amato from Pannier.cc.
It is a mixed-terrain, circular loop that starts and finishes in Shrewsbury, wiggling for nearly 300km around the Welsh Marches. The route crosses the
ROBYN FURTADO
Robyn works as Cycling UK’s multimedia content producer. She is a keen bikepacker, ultra-cycling dabbler and mountain biker
border between Wales and England no fewer than eight times, and the remains of castles, forts and dykes highlight the contested history of the area. The word Marcher in the title refers to the AngloSaxon word ‘mearc’, which means boundary. Even now, there is a sense of wildness and liminality that seems to hang like mist across the remoter parts of this landscape.
Shrewsbury is the ideal place to start the route. We admired the red-bricked Shrewsbury Castle and the historic high street filled with halftimbered houses. We also had a quick stop at Trailhead bike shop to pick up spare tubes and bike lube. Then we left the town on quiet lanes and a canal towpath. It was a misleadingly easy way to start what turned out to be a strenuous four days.
The first day passed quickly. We breezed through the area’s jumbled history, seeing Iron Age forts, abandoned metal-smelting factories and then the ghostly remains of a Roman city. Then we arrived at the highlight of day one: the Ironbridge Gorge. The eponymous bridge at Ironbridge was made in 1779 – the world’s first arch bridge made from iron – and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s an elegant span, rising over the River Severn and giving nice views of the gorge.
The steep climb out of Ironbridge up onto Wenlock Edge gave us a taste of the gradients that were to come. Unfortunately, it started to rain hard at this point, so we didn’t linger to look at Bethnal Hall. We went as fast as possible towards Much Wenlock and our B&B.
“Not weather for quiche!” Jess remarked, as we rode through the heavy downpour. We found out later that Much Wenlock has a renowned bakery, the Pig and Pie, which was selling quiche by the kilo. What a shame to miss buying a kilo of quiche!
Rigid MTBs and wide-tyre gravel bikes work well
Photography: Robyn Furtado
Pause for the views
Right: Climbing to the Kerry Ridgeway
Feature
DIY BIKE FIT
Try sitting more upright and further back. When you’re aiming to get more comfortable on your bike, it’s sometimes that simple. I’m a journalist not a bike fitter but I’ve ridden hundreds of bikes and had four bike fits: one more or less endorsed what I was already doing; one felt awkward but didn’t hurt; two were painfully wrong. Bike fitters may or may not be experts on bike geometry and physiology. None of them is an expert on what you find comfortable. You are.
And there’s another fly in the bike-fitting ointment when you’re primarily looking for comfort. The current trend, on road and off, is for steep seat angles, short head tubes and (particularly for mountain bikes) long top tubes. These have the effect of tipping you forward onto the handlebar.
now do century rides without discomfort
A good bike fitter will at least get you in the ballpark for fit; I’m not suggesting that bike fitting is snake oil. But bike fit theories tend to be extrapolations of measurements that seemed to work for racing cyclists in the prime of their lives. Systems based on such measurements work fine for sports people in their 20s and 30s. For others, not so much.
On road this can work well for aerodynamics and for applying maximum power through the pedals. Off road it’ll help you weight the front end on climbs and descents, and a supple suspension fork will stop your hands being jackhammered. Yet there are drawbacks. Common ones include numb or tingling hands, aching shoulders, a sore neck and lower back pain. Sound familiar?
What follows is a list of things you can try to improve comfort. If you’re comfortable, you’ll enjoy it more and you’ll ride more.
Above: Dan on a Cinelli HoBootleg test bike in 2016. It fitted him reasonably well but a shorter stem and a seatpost with more layback would give a more relaxed riding position
DAN JOYCE
Dan did his first DIY bike fits over 30 years ago after a serious back injury made his bikes unrideable. He can
THE RIGHT SIZE BIKE
Your bike needs to be roughly the right size to begin with. Bikes are generally sized by the seat tube length in either inches or centimetres. A road bike might be listed as 54cm, a mountain bike 18in. Often bikes are described simply as small, medium and large, so check geometry tables for seat-tube lengths.
When bikes had horizontal top tubes, sizing by seat tube made sense. You could work out whether you could reach: a) the pedals; b) the ground. Nowadays, seat tubes are truncated to accommodate sloping top tubes and they’re seldom sized consistently between different bike types or models.
You can nevertheless get a good steer on your target bike size by using a guide that former technical officer Chris Juden wrote some time ago for this magazine. I’ll paraphrase it. The medium-sized bike in most bike ranges is designed to fit the average height man. In the UK, he’s 5ft 9in (about 176cm). If it’s a women’sspecific bike, medium will be designed for the average height woman, who in
It’s not uncommon to find that you’re more comfortable on a bike that’s one size ‘too big’ or one size ‘too small’
the UK is about 5ft 4in (162cm). If you’re around average height, the medium should more or less fit. If it’s not listed as such, medium is the arithmetic mean of the available sizes – the average. So if a bike comes in sizes from 50cm to 60cm, 55cm is medium.
Bike sizes vary half as much as height. If you’re taller or shorter than Mr or Ms Average, add or subtract half the difference between your height and theirs to the medium size that Mr or Ms Average would ride. If Mr Average needs the 55cm bike and you’re 180cm (about 4cm taller), you likely want a frame that’s 2cm bigger: 57cm. If the medium is 18in and you’re 5ft 5in (4in shorter), you probably want a bike that’s 2in smaller: 16in.
You might find yourself between sizes, wanting a 57cm bike when it’s available in 56cm and 58cm sizes. Don’t worry. Either might work for you. Bike fit is a dynamic issue that can be determined only approximately by static measurements. People have different bodily proportions and different levels of flexibility. It’s not uncommon to find that you’re more comfortable on a bike that’s one size ‘too big’ or one size ‘too small’. I often size up with road bikes to get a taller head tube and thus a higher handlebar position. But I once met a guy taller than me who rode a really small road bike fitted with a 140mm stem and
Above: If you can easily hold your hands behind your back without changing your body position, it means your hands are only really resting on the bar, not propping you up. (Dan’s heels are dipped as he’s holding his position on flat pedals; he doesn’t pedal quite like this) Right: Still a good starting point
A RIDE TO HOPE Great Rides
Handcyclist Karen Darke and her partner Glyn Stanworth embarked on an 800km tour along the south-west coast of India from Goa to an orphanage in Kerala
Karen
We envisioned gliding through palm groves silhouetted by the setting sun over the Arabian Sea, cruising along quiet stretches of tarmac beside serene sandy beaches and passing through sleepy Keralan hamlets punctuated by vibrant fishing villages. It would be an experience full of colour, warmth and sensory delight.
We were heading to the south-western coast of India because an invitation to a festival of inclusion in Goa coincided with a chance to visit the Hope Community Village for children
in Kerala. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to connect the locations with a cycling tour. It was January, and the thought of escaping a grey European winter and embarking on a warm bike adventure was irresistible.
My trusted steed for this journey was my first racing handbike, originally acquired during my preparation for the London 2012 Paralympics. It has been through a lot – smashed a few times, repaired and patched up, much like me – but it soldiers on. It seemed a suitably resilient machine to rely on for an adventure in India.
My partner, Glyn Stanworth, opted to source a bike locally in India, avoiding the expense and
Karen’s handcycle and wheelchair ‘wagon train’ Below right: Glyn with local club cyclist, Ahmed
KAREN DARKE
is a Paralympic gold medallist, adventurer, coach and author. She has also handcycled across the Himalaya and the Tibetan Plateau
Glyn’s locally bought bike managed 700 metres before its first mechanical: one pedal fell off
hassle of transporting one from home. In a bike shop in Panjim, Goa, he selected a low-budget model that the shop owner assured us was “India’s top, up-and-coming brand”.
A BROKEN BIKE, A LATE NIGHT
Eager to get moving again after a week of conference hospitality and an excess of local Goan cuisine, we heeded advice to start our journey 100km south on the coast, near the smaller town of Karwar. From there it was an 800km ride south, never far from the coastal artery road (the N66). We would pass through southern Goa and the state of Karnataka, and eventually reach Hope Community on the outskirts of Alappuzha in Kerala.
My handbike resembled a wagon train, with my wheelchair lashed to the back of my long recumbent, luggage thrown into its seat and additional bags strapped to the rear. With no camping equipment, we were traveling relatively light.
Just 700 metres into our journey, one of the pedals on Glyn’s bike came loose. The thread was already stripped, and we began an urgent search for a new crank arm. It seemed that ‘India’s top cycle brand’ was not so top! However, the wonderful thing about countries with less of a throwaway mentality is the willingness to mend, repair and improvise solutions. Though it took
It was January, and the thought of escaping a grey European winter and embarking on a
warm bike adventure was irresistible
most of the day, we eventually got back on the road, eager to make up for lost time.
As the sun dipped lower, we found ourselves in the countryside between towns. With no accommodation at hand and no tent to rely on, we chased the fading light. Despite our intention never to cycle in the dark in India, we found ourselves obliged to do so. With two bikes and a wheelchair, hitching a ride wasn’t always an option. Even the usually ubiquitous rickshaws had disappeared just when we needed them most.
My head torch reflected off the hand cranks, blinding me as it bounced light back into my eyes. Squeezed between a rocky escarpment and traffic trying to navigate the narrow, winding road, I felt a surge of adrenaline and a knot of fear in my stomach. Every instinct screamed that we shouldn’t be night riding. I was dismayed by the predicament we’d landed ourselves in, and I found myself silently thanking in advance the Indian gods for keeping us safe.
Fact file
A ride to hope
Distance: 50-80km a day on average.
Route: Karwar, Goa to Hope Community Village on the outskirts of Alappuzha in Kerala. We roughly followed the N66 coastal road but used smaller roads where possible, travelling via Gokarna, Udupi, Mangalore, Kannur, Kozhikode, Bekal Fort, Fort Kochi and on to Alappuzha.
Conditions: Humid, dry weather that was unseasonally hot, averaging 30-35ºC.
Accommodation: Guesthouses or small hotels that we found as we went along.
Maps/guides: We used a basic map of the area combined with Google Maps and online information.
I’m glad I had… Sun cream and a plentiful supply of bananas and lime soda.
Next time I would… Consider a route further inland through the Western Ghats.
Further info: The original reason for our visit to India was to attend the Purple Festival of Inclusion (purplefest.esg.co.in)
We finished our trip at the Hope Community Village for children in care (hopekerala.org)
Three hours after
Bike finder
RUGGED ADVENTURE BIKE
• For: David Tonks, aged 54, from Colchester • Bike needs: A robust, reliable bike that requires minimal maintenance and has a low risk of punctures. I want it mainly for off-road tracks, to do Cycling UK routes such as Traws Eryri and West Kernow Way, although I will go on roads when required. • Must have: Flexibility. I want one quality bike, not several bikes for different purposes. • Must not have: Electric assistance. • Budget: £2,000.
GUY KESTEVEN
I was lucky enough to film the recce ride and write the guidebook for both Traws Eryri and West Kernow Way. That means I’ve got some useful insight into what sort of bike is going to make these challenging but rewarding routes easy and enjoyable. There was one bike that sprung to mind straight away as I’ve tested it previously: Cotic’s Cascade (cotic.co.uk)
With a custom-designed Reynolds 853 steel frame, this fits your description of a quality bike. The Alpaca rigid steel fork means no concerns about suspension maintenance, while still giving a supple and comfortable ride to match the floated frame feel on rough sections. The handling is based on confident trail geometry, so it’ll stay calm if things get a bit chaotic, too. Both fork and frame are covered in mounts for bottles, bags and racks so it’s perfect for multi-day bikepacking.
The entry level ‘Bronze Shimano Deore’ version in flat-bar format is just £1,699. This is the handlebar setup I think works best for the more technical descents that you’ll find in both Snowdonia and Cornwall. Shimano Deore is a fantastically durable and reliable groupset, and the single chainring and large-ratio cassette mean only one shifter and derailleur to worry about while still having plenty of gear range.
It comes as standard with 29×2.1in tyres but can take up to 2.6in for maximum float. Cy and his small Peak District team have a fantastic reputation for customer service and will be able to recommend and fit the right rubber for your needs –or make any other alterations you might want before buying.
CASCADE FLAT BAR BRONZE
SHIMANO DEORE
DAN JOYCE
Do you want a drop-bar or flat-bar bike? If you prefer drops, a drop-bar 29er like the Genesis Vagabond 10 (£1,799.99, genesisbikes.co.uk) is better suited to the rugged riding you describe than a typical gravel bike. Its wider tyres (2.35in Maxxis Ikon) are more comfortable and capable, and its slacker head angle and taller front end will make technical descents less challenging.
If you prefer a flat bar – and I’m with Guy: the more technical the terrain, the more a flat bar makes sense – then I’d suggest the Spa Cycles Rove (from £1,465, spacycles. co.uk), one of which we’re reviewing next issue. It comes in two versions, steel and titanium. The latter starts at £215 above your budget but the Reynolds 725 steel model is available in various builds for less than £2,000. All Roves come with 2.35in tyres by default and will accommodate ones up to 2.6in.
I’d recommend hydraulic disc brakes over mechanical ones because they’re more fit-and-forget and you say you want to avoid maintenance. You can make punctures less likely in two ways. Option one, which I’d choose, is to go tubeless; the Rove’s wheels and tyres are tubeless ready. Option two is to fit tougher tyres, such as Schwalbe Marathon Plus MTB. They’re slower rolling and heavier (1,390g each for 60-622) but shrug off sharps effectively.
A multi-use bike benefits from a handlebar with multiple hand positions. You could add bar ends but I think a swap to a Surly Moloko or similar would be better still. Spa Cycles will provide component upgrades for the difference in price.
David Tonks
Biketest
Small fold, big ride
First look
The G Line is a bigger, burlier Brompton. The BYB P8 is Tern’s answer to the original Brompton
Not all folding bikes have twitchy handling. Dan Joyce tests two surefooted 20-inch wheelers: the new Brompton G Line and Tern’s BYB P8
The Brompton is the quintessential urban folder, slotting so neatly into that space in the cycling market that it has become the standard by which other folding bikes are judged. Many are found wanting: over the years a number of rivals have folded (pun intended). While it’s very difficult to out-Brompton a Brompton, there are things other folders can do better. For example: ride better.
Tern’s BYB and the new Brompton G Line both promise that. The Tern BYB P8 is a compact urban commuter with a better-quality ride. It is, Tern says, “perfect for mixed-mode commuters who do a stretch of their daily journey on a train or bus”. Although there’s also a sportier BYB, the P10 (£1,599, 12kg), Tern’s own Verge models cover that ground better. Ultimately – and possibly to its cost – the BYB is a Brompton C Line rival.
The Brompton G Line is more of an alternative to the Birdy and Airnimal ranges than its 16-inch wheel stablemates. Brompton calls it “the all-new, one-bike solution for the city and beyond”, saying that it’s suitable for “gravel paths, towpaths, asphalt and wellmaintained off-road routes”. With larger wheels, fatter tyres, disc brakes and an Alfine
hub, it’s reminiscent of the modified Bromptons from Ben Cooper at Kinetics ( kinetics-online. co.uk ). There’s a 4-speed electric G Line (£3,499) and two unassisted models, one with the Roller Frame and mudguards, one without.
Frame & folding: Brompton
The G Line is basically a bigger version of the 16in-wheel Brompton. It folds the same way. You unclip the catch behind the seat tube and flip the rear triangle underneath, so that the bike sits on its haunches. Then you undo the frame hinge and fold the front end back on itself, hooking the front axle hook over the drive-side chainstay. Then you lower the saddle and the handlebar. The left-hand pedal quick releases and is stowed behind the fork crown.
The folded package is bigger than a 16in-wheel Brompton but still small enough for a train’s luggage rack. It is a lot heavier so it’s good that it rolls along well on its casters. The extra weight also makes the folding process more cumbersome. It helps to use a foot to flick the rear triangle under or back out.
There are three nominal sizes: S, M and L. There’s only one frame size (and type – the electric version shares the same frame). Bigger sizes get longer or telescopic seatposts and
DAN JOYCE
Dan has owned a Brompton – the same one – since 2001, and has tested most folding bike ranges on the market
Other options
BIRDY CITY £2,579+ At 12.9kg, this full-suspension folder is a couple of kilos lighter than the G Line, while the derailleur-equipped Birdy Touring is lighter still. Folds to 80×62×34cm. r-m.de
TERN LINK B8 £700 A fold-in-half commuter that, unlike the cheaper Link B7, will take a front bag. It folds to 38×80×68cm and weighs 13.6kg. ternbicycles.com
Grouptest Balance bikes
A pedal-less bike is an ideal introduction to cycling and a great Christmas present. Sam Jones and his son (aged two and a half) test four
SAM JONES
As a keen bikepacker, Sam has already fitted a small handlebar roll to his son’s own balance bike. “He carries his toy cars, acorns, pine cones, stones and so on.”
For riders who learned to cycle more than 20 years ago, stabilisers, their removal and the inevitable stumbles were an awkward and often painful rite of passage into cycling life. The next generation won’t have to go through this thanks to balance bikes.
Balance bikes, which are essentially bikes without pedals, teach young riders balance and steering – skills we take for granted as older riders – but not pedalling. Stabilisers, by contrast, allow riders to learn to pedal but with unnatural turning motions and minimal balance skills. When it’s time to remove the stabilisers, these latter skills have to be unlearned and can make the transition to independent cycling harder.
For balance bike graduates, the only skill they have to learn is pedalling as they will already have mastered balance and begun developing a more natural steering style. Balance bikes are also better suited for the youngest of riders, with some more adventurous toddlers able to ride almost as soon as they can walk.
For more about teaching your child to ride, visit the website cyclinguk.org/ditching-stabilisers. If you’d like to hire a balance bike rather than buying one, Cycling UK members get their first month free with a Bike Club subscription. See cyclinguk.org/bike-club
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.
Details WHAT TO LOOK FOR
1 Steering lock
A handy safety feature on modern balance bikes (present on the Frog and Boardman), this prevents oversteering and bigger falls.
2 Hand grips
Horror stories abound of the damage handlebar ends can do when landed on. Sturdy grips prevent this, and disc-like ends can protect small hands when riding close to walls.
3 Brake
You can adjust the reach of most balance bike brake levers to suit smaller hands. Teaching your child to use the brake is another matter, but it will come in useful as they gain confidence and ride faster.
4 Adjustability
Look for a bike with growing room and easy-to-adjust components. Quick releases and Allen keys are your friends, especially for trailside adjustments and fixes.
5 Weight
Proportionately a balance bike will be heavier for a child than most bikes for an adult. Get the lightest bike you can afford. Your child will enjoy it more and it’ll be easier for you to carry home.
6 Wheelbase
A longer wheelbase bike will have a less cramped reach. The bike will also be more stable, especially on downhill and bumpier tracks. The bikes on test all had a long wheelbase.
