CARDINAL SPINS
Compass-point rides to the UK’s coasts
SPRINGTIME IN CYPRUS
Road bike touring in the early season sun
LOADS BETTER
On test
TEMPLE CYCLES TOURER OXFORD AQUA PANNIERS
EASY-TO-USE TYRE LEVERS MULTITOOLS & MORE
Welcome
One less car. That bike frame sticker is grammatically incorrect but otherwise dead right if it’s stuck on a utility bike. Even more so if it’s an e-cargo bike. Every electric cargo bike you see is – I’m sorry, I can’t keep writing this; it makes the editor in me itch – one car fewer.
Whatever you think of other kinds of e-bikes and how they’re used (and sceptics: I am with you when it comes to electric mountain bikes ridden by ablebodied adults in the prime of their lives – couldn’t they try, y’know, pedalling a bit harder?), there is nothing to not like about e-cargo bikes. They carry children, groceries and car-boot-sized loads with a tiny fraction of a car’s carbon emissions and other associated problems – and with multiple times the fun.
It’s possible to make such journeys without electric assistance. My own ‘family car’, years ago, was a Thorn Me’n’U2 double-childback triplet towing either a trailer or a trailer cycle. That was fun, too. But it was also hard work on anything other than relatively flat roads. If e-cargo bikes had existed when my sons were small, I would’ve had one in a heartbeat, at least for the utility journeys.
These days, with children long since grown up, a solo bike with a rack or trailer will suffice for most things I need to move around. Sometimes it’s been challenging. A filing cabinet I couldn’t pick up by myself. The box of tiles that weighed 35kg. That sideboard. There will come a time when I can’t manage those kinds of loads by leg power alone.
The good news is that e-cargo bikes will be even better by then!
DAN JOYCE Editor
FEATURES
32 Cardinal spins
Touring in 16 compass-point straight lines to the edges of the UK
38 The family cargo bike
Five cyclists describe their experiences of switching from car to e-cargo bike for everyday journeys
47 Show us the money
Warm words about active travel need to be backed by cash – now
52 Springtime in Cyprus
Road bike touring in the eastern Mediterranean PRODUCTS
18 Shop Window
A cross-section of new products
20 Gear up
Components, accessories and books
60 Belting town bikes
ARCC Abington and Trek District 4
Equipped tested
66 Temple Cycles Adventure
Disc 3
A £1,600 tourer with a steel frame and disc brakes
69 Multitools
The Swiss army knives of the cycling world
REGULARS
04 Freewheeling
Bits and pieces from the bike world
07 This is Cycling UK
Cycling UK’s upcoming rebrand; safer cycling for women; Pedal for your Medal; and more
16 You are Cycling UK
David Forbes’s journey with the Inclusive Cycling Experience
29 Letters
Your feedback on Cycle and cycling
50 Weekender
The Downs Link – a family-friendly route from Surrey to the sea
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. 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: Oliver Willison T: 0203 198 3092 E: oliver.willison@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
Top to bottom: Mark Wedgwood, Paul Craig Photography, Sam Jones, Chris Metcalfe
Get 12 months’ membership for the price of nine this spring: cyclinguk.org/ join-1249
CYCLING UK’S NEW LOOK
Do people know who we are? Are we getting across what we stand for? Are we setting ourselves apart from the crowd? The answers to these questions – and many others – convinced us that it was vital to improve Cycling UK’s brand. Through extensive research and testing, we established that awareness of Cycling UK and what we do is low, particularly among the general public but even among our own supporters and members.
We know that we must reach new people to broaden our reach, improve our membership offer and ultimately deliver our mission. But testing with those new audiences showed us that the current brand wasn’t helping to engage them.
In member focus groups, you told us that the current brand lacked stature, felt fragmented and sometimes confusing, and didn’t clearly communicate what we do.
Additionally, most people don’t currently view us as a charity, making it more difficult to raise money to support the work that our members and supporters value – like helping more people to get on a bike, campaigning for better and safer cycling, advocating for more
funding for cycling and trailblazing exhilarating new routes.
We’ve been working hard to develop a fresh new look and feel that is clearer, more engaging and better tells the story of what we do – while keeping our name the same. This has been about much more than a new logo and some updated colours. We’ve positively reshaped all elements of how Cycling UK comes across: what we sound like, how we communicate our values, the photography we use.
The process has been led by robust data and testing, which gives us confidence that our new brand will enable us to do more, and do it better.
By better communicating what we stand for, we’ll stand out from the crowd and engage more people with the joy and benefits of cycling.
A more modern and appealing brand will enable us to build exciting partnerships with new brands and organisations, meaning better member benefits for you. By shining a light on our impact as a charity, we’ll encourage more people to support the work we do.
We’re excited to share our new look with you in April, with a new-look Cycle magazine to follow for the June/July issue.
Routes
FIVE YEARS AND 54,775
DOWNLOADS
The King Alfred’s Way route has been downloaded almost 55,000 times in the five years since it was published. Are you one of those people who has ridden it? If you’re looking for inspiration for a long weekend trip this Easter, check out the Cycling UK routes page (cyclinguk.org/ routes) for our pick of Britain’s finest cycling offerings. You can make planning a breeze with a supported trip from our holiday partner, Saddle Skedaddle. cyclinguk.org/ saddle-skedaddle
Wales
SLOWER SPEEDS SUCCESS
One year into the 20mph default speed limit being introduced in Wales, casualties have fallen by 35%. That’s 100 fewer deaths or serious injuries, resulting in the lowest road casualty rate since records began in 1979. Slower speeds combined with segregated infrastructure will help create an environment where everyone feels able to choose to travel by bike.
The new brand will communicate what we stand for better
Books
CYCLING INSPIRATION WHEN YOU’RE STUCK INSIDE
The Man Who Cycled Every Map
Details By: Mark Wedgwood
Publisher: The Book
Guild Ltd
Price: £15.99
ISBN: 9781835740767
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
THERE’S A UNIQUE satisfaction in challenges and adventures that tick off a list – be it climbing every Munro, riding every road in a Strava tile, visiting every Wetherspoons… Mark Wedgwood set himself the challenge of cycling across every Ordnance Survey Landranger map in a single year, perhaps the most comprehensive coverage of the British Isles ever achieved by cycle.
This account captures the reality of a British long-distance cycling adventure, which is to say that the weather, B&Bs and navigating ferries and railways all play large parts in the tale. Mark also shares his stories of people met along the way, from other long-distance cyclists to friendly local business owners supplying a steady supply of lattes.
My favourite things about this book were the snippets of local history, such as the fascinating history of humans and seabirds sharing Britain’s remotest island, St Kilda in the Outer Hebrides. Readers will envy Mark the miles he’s ridden on spectacular, quiet roads in the remotest parts of England, Scotland and Wales and the Isle of Man.
This book will appeal to the traditional cycle tourist, perhaps planning their own challenge for a career break or retirement. While international holidays are back on the rise after the pandemic, Mark’s book is a timely reminder that there are stunning places to see in all 204 British OS Landranger maps, many of them idyllically remote, and all reachable by cycle with a bit of planning and perseverance.
Will York
More online
Mark wrote an article for the April/ May 2023 issue of Cycle about his 7,300-mile journey across every OS map. It’s online at cyclinguk.org/ride-all-os-maps
Details
By: Various contributors
Publisher: Daunt
Books Publishing
Price: £10.99
ISBN: 9781917092067
Freewheeling: Essays on Cycling
THIS COLLECTION OF essays from 12 writers, including Jon McGregor and Dervla Murphy, is a change from my usual diet of ex-pro biographies and humorous travelogues. The blurb says it best: “a celebration of life on two wheels and how bikes can become an extension of ourselves…” Although worthy in places, there are parts that will resonate with you. David O’Doherty is his usual hilarious self while addressing the topic of vintage bike curation, but the most profound paragraph for me came from ‘Lime Bike, After a Party’.
Ian Small
Details
By: Marlon Lee Moncrieffe
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Price: £20
ISBN: 9781399405560
Details
By: Steve Peat, Tim March
Publisher:
Vertebrate Publishing
Price: £25
ISBN: 9781839810961
New Black Cyclones
IT’S BEEN EXCITING to watch the rise of Eritrean sprinter Binium Girmay. But if there’s one thing that his presence has highlighted, it’s the whiteness of the peloton. New Black Cyclones is about racism in the sport of cycling. A former professional racer turned academic, Dr Marlon Moncrieffe interviews Black cyclists from around the world about racism and Eurocentrism in cycling and what can be done about it. It makes for interesting, though sobering, reading.
Rebecca Armstrong
Forged by Speed
THIS IS NO LITERARY masterpiece, but it doesn’t pretend to be one. It charts downhill mountain biker Steve Peat’s rise from local, regional and national races to the international world cup circuit, where he had to balance his will to win against his will to drink, party and enjoy everything life threw at him. His approach to being a world-class athlete might not fit the usual accepted mould, but his story and blunt approach aren’t shied away from and are told very much from the horse’s mouth. If you’ve ever met Peaty, then you’ll hear his Yorkshire accent in the words as you read them.
Ross Adams
CARDINAL SPINS Great Rides
From his home in Derbyshire, Mark Wedgwood cycled to the extremities of the UK along (fairly) straight lines on all 16 points of the compass
Mark is a lapsed
It’s not easy finding 16 different ways to leave home. But that was the challenge I set myself in summer 2024, with the silly idea of cycling in straight lines to each compass point, riding onward until the UK’s land ran out.
I live in the Derbyshire Peak District, close to the centre of Britain. This lends itself well to the drawing of long, straight lines that pass through my house. These compass lines join together an eclectic collection of 16 coastal extremities. Some were hundreds of miles away, others reachable by bicycle in a couple of days. Britain, after all, is not a regular shape. Following each of these lines away from home on my bike seemed like something I should do one day. When family
circumstances dictated that this year’s big cycling adventure should bring me back home every few days, I decided the time had come. It would be many adventures in one!
HERE BE DIAGONALS
I’d often wondered where the longest land-based straight line passing through my house would go. Armed with a large map of the UK, a ruler and a pencil, I found two possibilities, each of similar length. A straight line heading roughly NNW to SSE, starting at Cape Wrath, and passing over the Forth Bridge, reaches the south coast at Worthing in Sussex. My other contender runs NW to SE, from Harris in the Outer Hebrides, via the Isle of Skye, to reach the south coast at Hastings.
NNW day two: view of Ingleborough above Yockenthwaite
MARK WEDGWOOD
leadership training consultant turned adventure cyclist
Riding east, day one: Lincoln’s historic Steep Hill
Both come in at about 700 miles. Well, they do on paper. But cycling isn’t generally done on paper and straight lines don’t often lend themselves to convenient, traffic-free cycling.
Once I had these two longest lines – and four coastal destinations– in place, the rest more or less selected themselves. North to south (Beadnell to Barton-on-Sea) and west to east (Holyhead to Sutton-on-Sea) were easily and accurately fixed by following the grid lines on OS maps. The others were chosen by directly linking together places that made the best opposing end points (for which just a little angular licence was permitted).
I was pleased that my line WNW sliced right across the Isle of Man and on through Belfast to end at Derry/Londonderry, a journey which could all be seamlessly linked together by ferries. The opposing ESE end point is Sizewell nuclear power station on the Suffolk coast, a huge, hulking golfball-shaped full-stop. A SSW to NNE line ran from Beer in East Devon to Saltburn-on-Sea, while my WSW to ENE line linked Tenby with Flamborough Head, near Bridlington. As well as being beautiful, these were all definite, end-of-the-road places – in the nicest possible way.
CHARTING COURSES
These extremities, I felt, needed to be joined together – along with whatever unlikely and unsung places lay in between. They might not all be obvious choices to visit but I had found the perfect excuse for seeing them. And that is a wonderful thing in a country where surprises wait around every turn. Even the most mundane places have the capacity to serve up something
I
was pleased that my line WNW sliced right across the Isle of Man and on through Belfast to end at Derry/ Londonderry
Top to bottom: NNW, day seven: beach at Durness, near the northwestern tip of Scotland. Day one while heading SW: Ironbridge, which is also part of Marcher Castles Way. WNW, day one: Ashton Canal towpath, Greater Manchester. NNW, day one: Sid’s Café, of Last of the Summer Wine fame, in Holmfirth
Feature
THE FAMILY CARGO BIKE
CUTTING CAR USE IS EASIER WITH ELECTRIC ASSISTANCE. FIVE CYCLISTS DESCRIBE THEIR EXPERIENCES OF SWITCHING TO AN E-CARGO BIKE FOR EVERYDAY JOURNEYS
E-bikes aren’t a substitute for cycling; they’re an alternative to not cycling. They make possible or more practical the cycling journeys that many people couldn’t or wouldn’t otherwise do. That’s especially true of e-cargo bikes because they will tackle the trips we’re told you need a car for: the school run; the weekly supermarket shop; a visit to a DIY store.
A fit enough and keen enough cyclist can do such trips by muscle power alone, using a trailer, tandem or unpowered cargo bike. Most cyclists won’t, however, let alone most people. To really move the dial in terms of shifting car journeys to cycling journeys, there has to be an easier option. E-bikes are, at the very least, part of the solution. Particularly e-cargo bikes. Here’s why…
NAAKESHA MICHL
Part-time barrister and full-time mum, Leeds
As cyclists in our lives before children, finding a way to combine family life and cycling was a no-brainer for us. That said, when we got the opportunity to borrow an e-cargo bike via a local university
The e-cargo bike makes otherwise boring trips an experience. We see and feel things in a way you can’t in a car
trial, my husband was of the view that, regardless of how they performed, they looked ‘too hideous’ to use.
Fast forward one month and we were both in love with e-cargo bikes. We borrowed a box-style cargo bike. My husband loved the front box and the ease at which he could strap our son in, throw in his bags and go. I found it hard to manoeuvre and much preferred the longtail style of cargo bike.
By this point our son was one and we were expecting our daughter. In the interim, I used an e-bike with a rackmounted seat. As our son grew, it got harder to get up steep Yorkshire hills, and I felt it would be impossible to continue cycling with two children.
Clockwise from left: Weather protections means that Naakesha can ride with her children year round. She and her husband chose the Tern GSD because it’s as easy to manoeuvre as a normal bike. The motor really helps on Yorkshire’s hills Photography: Getty Images (opposite page), Paul Craig Photography (this page). Others by the individual writers
SHOW US THE MONEY
Warm words about cycling from governments aren’t enough. It’s money that talks. Duncan Dollimore explains what Cycling UK is doing to try to secure it
When we’re lobbying governments to increase their investment in cycling, we need to be persuasive but we also have to be professional. I do, though, sometimes hear my inner self screaming at me like Cuba Gooding Jr in the film Jerry Maguire. When negotiating for a better deal, his character’s approach was to repeat one demand increasingly loudly: “Show me the money!” Officials and politicians often agree with us effusively about the benefits of spending more money on cycling. But actions – and budgets – speak louder than words.
There are things local authorities can do to enable more people to cycle that don’t require significant central government funding. It’s
relatively inexpensive to: lower speed limits to 20mph; restrict motor traffic outside schools at certain times; prevent through traffic in residential areas; or provide more cycle parking. Connected networks of protected cycle lanes, although cheap in comparison with road building or other transport infrastructure, cost more. Delivering those networks requires more significant and long-term investment. It’s what the Dutch have been doing for decades. Campaigning for funding for cycling has been a key part of our advocacy work for many years. The headline demand in our manifesto for last year’s general election was a commitment to invest in cycling and walking by allocating 10% of total transport budgets to them. With many transport issues being devolved, we have been pressing the governments in all four home nations on this –especially in the last few months.
SCOTLAND
I’m writing this in February, just after the Scottish budget for next year had been passed. In December the Scottish government published a draft budget, proposing to cut the active travel budget by £31m. We’ve been lobbying politicians ever since, and our supporters in Scotland used our online campaign action to send thousand of emails to their MSPs. Sadly, the proposed cuts have now been confirmed.
It’s worth noting that Scotland is still investing more per person than any other nation in the UK, and has significantly increased that investment year on year – until this year. In May 2026 the Holyrood elections present further campaigning opportunities to push for increased investment.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Unlike Scotland, where ongoing progress has been hamstrung by cuts, Northern Ireland has yet to get out of the starting blocks. The 2022 Climate Change Act (NI) looked promising. It imposes a legal commitment on the Department for Infrastructure to develop sectoral plans for transport, with a minimum spend on active travel of 10% of the overall transport budget.
DUNCAN DOLLIMORE
Cycling UK head of campaigns
Bike test
Belting town bikes
Less mess, less maintenance: belt drives make urban bikes easier to live with. Dan Joyce tests an ARCC Abington and a Trek District 4 Equipped
The chain drive has reigned supreme for most of the bicycle’s history and doesn’t look like relinquishing its crown any time soon. A chain is very efficient, reliable and works with any gearing setup. Yet to function at its best it needs more care than many owners give it, as countless rusting drivetrains bear witness. Bikes are more convenient as everyday transport for ordinary people if the chain is hidden away in a chain case. Or, perhaps, replaced with a belt.
Belt drives have issues of their own. They don’t work with derailleurs. You can’t split and rejoin a belt like you can a chain, so you need a special frame: one that splits so you can fit the belt; or one with a raised drive-side chainstay so that the belt runs underneath it instead of looping around it. They’re also slightly less efficient. They’re nevertheless seen on e-bikes, high-end tourers, niche mountain bikes and – the reason for this
review – utility bikes.
British company ARCC is best known for its Intelligent Drive System e-bike conversion kit, which uses a front hub motor. ARCC will adapt your own bike for you or sell you a new bike with the IDS system fitted. It stocks a range of electrified Bromptons and Moultons, plus its own e-bikes: the Abington, the Rosemont and an upcoming e-cargo bike. The Abington and Rosemont are also available without electric assistance.
Trek is a big US brand but its Europeanstyle District models are assembled in Germany. The cheapest – Districts 1 and 2 –have chains and chain cases; the two dearest, 3 and 4, have belts. As the name says, the District 4 comes Equipped: with mudguards, rear rack, dynamo lighting, kickstand and lock. A version with a mid-step frame is available. While there are also electric assist District+ models, they’re fundamentally different bikes.
DAN JOYCE
Apart from walking to the shops round the corner, Dan does all of his urban journeys by bike, while wearing normal clothes
First look A made-in-Britain steel hybrid that can be bought as, or easily converted to, an e-bike
Frame & fork
The ARCC Abington is made, not merely assembled, in Cambridge. Its Reynolds 631 frame has twin top tubes that continue as seatstays. I imagine that’s primarily for aesthetics, although the narrow-gauge tubes look like the same ones used for the step-through Rosemont – albeit with a different bend and orientation – so there may be manufacturing savings. The tubes are close enough together that you’re unlikely to clip your knees.
The frame splits on the drive side at the pleasingly industrial-looking dropouts. These are adjustable so the wheel can be moved back to tension the belt, which is more important than it is with a chain as a belt can’t be run slack. But you won’t need to adjust that tension whenever you remove and refit the rear wheel, like you would with a fixie with track ends, as the Abington’s dropouts are downward facing. The rear wheel drops out (or in) with no fore-aft movement required.
The fork is ARCC’s own, a steel one with an old-school crown and new-school straight blades with minimal tapering. While a more tapered fork with curved ends would look and perhaps ride a little nicer, a beefier version makes sense given
the disc brake – as well as the front hub motor of the electric Abington, which uses the same fork.
The Abington’s tall head tube provides room to mount the battery for the IDS system there. It also gives a comfortably upright riding position. The seat tube is unusually wide; a 27.2mm post is shimmed out to 33mm to fit. Presumably the larger diameter seat tube is to increase the frame’s torsional stiffness. A belt drive needs a stiff frame so that the belt tracks properly; it can’t handle sideways deviations like a chain.
The Trek District 4 has a lighter weight aluminium frame and fork, made from chunky, hydroformed tubes that hide the cables and hoses inside. Tinkerers prefer external cables but anyone buying a beltdrive bike to eschew chain care won’t be fiddling with cables and hoses. And it does look neat and tidy. The frame splits at the drive-side seatstay to admit the belt. It’s not as substantial as the ARCC design but seems sturdy.
Like the Abington, the District 4 has adjustable, downward-facing dropouts, and the same comments apply. It has an even taller front end, giving a very upright riding position. The bottom bracket is quite
You can’t split and rejoin a belt like you can a chain, so you need a special frame
Price: £1,795 as tested (from £1,600).
Sizes: S, M (tested), L.
Weight: 15.76kg (34.67lb), as shown.
Frame & fork:
Custom-drawn Reynolds 631 steel frame with twin top tubes, 68mm threaded bottom bracket, adjustable and splittable dropouts, plus fittings for rear rack, mudguard and one bottle. ARCC steel fork with fittings for mudguard and front rack.
Wheels: 40-584
Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres, 684×19 Mach 1 double-wall aluminium rims, 36 spokes (×2 front, ×3 rear), Shimano Deore QR front hub, Shimano Alfine 8-speed rear hub. Transmission: VP607 alloy/rubber tread pedals, Gates
Equipment: ARCC rear rack, black (£155), SKS full 27.5 mudguards (£40). arccbikes.com Tech
chainset with 170mm cranks and 55t ring, Thun square taper bottom bracket, Gates Carbon Drive CDN 118t belt, 22t Gates sprocket. Shimano Alfine 8-speed shifter and hub. Eight ratios, 35-107in.
Braking: Magura MT4 hydraulic disc brakes, 160mm front and 140mm rear CenterLock rotors.
Steering & seating: Ergo grips, 640×25.4mm aluminium low-rise handlebar, 100mm × 6º Promax aluminium stem, 1 1/8in threadless headset. Brooks C19 saddle, 27.2×400mm single bolt seatpost, Allen-bolt seat clamp.
Top: Magura MT4 hydraulic discs: very effective stoppers Bottom: Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres are ideal for this kind of bike as they’re so tough
Grouptest Multitools
Multitools are the Swiss army knives of the cycling world, fixing many trailside and roadside issues to keep you rolling. Rach Bennet tests four
RACH BENNET
Rach has worked in bike shops, as a bike mechanic and as a writer for MBUK magazine
Multitools offer a compact and convenient way to take essential tools with you when you ride. They’ll help you out of many tricky situations. Plus, they’re handy for making quick adjustments to your riding position or contact points when you’re out and about.
There’s a wide range of multitools available. Some cyclists prefer a minimalist approach, carrying just the essentials, while others want to be able to deal with any eventuality. What you need from a multitool depends on the bike you ride, where you ride and what repairs you’re comfortable handling. Of course, keeping up with service intervals and checking your bolts before every ride can help minimise the chances of needing a multitool for more than just minor tweaks and fixes.
I’ve put four multitools with varying functions through thorough testing in the harsh conditions of the British winter.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
1 Functions
Consider which tools you actually need and will use. Unnecessary functions – like a tubeless tyre plug kit if you ride with tubes – are just dead weight. Check your bike to identify the bolt sizes, plus any common issues you might encounter.
Cycle’s test promise
2 Size
Weight and size are key, whether you’re carrying the tool in a pocket or stashing it on your bike. If you like to travel fast and light, a compact tool might be best. But if you’re packing it in a bag, you can afford a bulkier, more comprehensive option.
Multitool functions
2mm Allen
2.5mm Allen
3mm Allen
4mm Allen
5mm Allen
6mm Allen
8mm Allen
Torx 10
Torx 25
Philips screwdriver
Flat-head screwdriver
Tyre lever
Spoke keys
Chain breaker
Tubeless tyre plug kit
Valve core remover
Spanner (8 & 10mm)
Dynaplug
NOMINAL TOOLS615917
WEIGHT 50g161g74g*120g
*80g inc cover
3 Durability
It needs to hold up to regular use and outdoor conditions. Look for tools made from high-quality materials like chrome-plated vanadium steel to resist rust and prevent rounding of bolt heads. A chamfered edge helps keep bolts in good shape.
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.
Some multitools can be fiddly, especially when trying to get leverage on tight bolts or into nooks and crannies. Choose a tool that fits your bike and your riding style, with enough grip and leverage to tackle stubborn bolts. Included
4
Ease of use
TRAVELLERS’ TALES
South-east England
Laid-back commuting
Over recent months, a secondhand velomobile has transformed Richard James’s journey to work
Last November I bought a secondhand Alleweder A4 velomobile for my 12.5 mile eachway commute between Southampton and Winchester. I’ve wanted one since the 1990s so when this one came up for sale on the BHPV Facebook page, I decided now was the time.
I did a trial run of the route one Sunday. On downhill stretches I was doing
30-40mph but longer climbs would see me doing 8-9mph. On the flat I was averaging 18mph. Overall journey times were similar to an ordinary bike but I was more comfortable.
I then started commuting on it, leaving at about 6.30am to give me plenty of time and quieter roads, and setting off for home at 5pm. Journeys have largely been in the dark and some sections of the route are unlit. The lights on the Alleweder are good but not quite up to the standard of car headlights. After the first few trips, I removed the hood for better visibility.
I am now getting used to anticipating gear shifts, and changing down into a low gear before coming to a stop. You want to be in a lower gear than on a normal bike for pulling away as you cannot really push yourself off.
In cold and wet weather I have used the rain cover and stayed very comfortable, and there is space inside to stash the bits I need to take to work. You have to get used to attracting attention. Usually they’re positive comments like “Sick ride, mate”, but I suspect some horn toots from passing motorists aren’t friendly greetings. There are a few things I would like to tweak on it, and the wiring could do with tidying up. But I have a machine that I can commute comfortably in, in a comparable time to most other methods, and that I can tinker with as well. Happy days.
Share your story
We’d love to hear your Travellers’ Tales! Email: editor@cyclinguk.org
How do you cycle tour together when only one of you rides? Chris Metcalfe found a solution
WHILE I’VE HAD numerous cycling adventures, they’ve been without my partner, Christine. We decided on a joint trip to Ireland, with me cycling from Mizen Head to Malin Head and Christine driving. Christine planned the route and the miles each day. (You don’t argue with a Weakest Link winner!) We crossed on the Cork ferry and camped for the first night near Baltimore. Next morning I headed for the start at Mizen Head. The next nine days and 465 miles –through Bantry, Killarney, Limerick, Galway, Donegal, Letterkenny and Buncrana – flew by.
We settled into a daily routine of: breakfast together; my morning departure; Christine moving the tent to its new location; an afternoon coffee on my arrival. Then the rest of the day was spent sightseeing, eating and looking for Irish pub music.
We enjoyed stunning scenery throughout, particularly the Dingle Peninsula and the karst landscape of the Burren, although clouds hid the view over the Caha Pass. We were pleasantly surprised by the camping at Killarney and the fish and chips at the Dingle chippy. Local people offered warmth and friendliness throughout.
Near the end, crossing Lough Swilly on the small Buncrana ferry in stormy conditions, I felt sure my late mum was giving me encouragement. I met Christine at the finish at Malin Head in thankfully dry conditions. A wonderful shared experience!
The Alleweder’s hood keeps the rain off but limits visibility
Ready for Southampton’s Kidical Mass Glow Ride
Chris at the finish at Malin Head
Chris sets off on his Mercian
