Inflation: good for tyres, not so good for everything else. Prices are shooting up across the board. While energy and food are rightly in the spotlight, the cycling industry isn’t immune. Have you seen the price of new bikes lately?
It’s easy to forget how much prices have risen over recent years; we quickly become accustomed to the new normal. So I had a look back at some older issues of Cycle. In our June/July 2016 issue we reviewed entry-level tourers, one of which was a Ridgeback Tour costing £549.99. The closest equivalent today is the Ridgeback Voyage, which admittedly has 3×9 Sora instead of 3×8 Claris and a Reynolds 520 steel frame instead of an aluminium one. But it’s broadly similar and is the current entry-level model in the line-up. It’s £1,349.99.
How’s that for inflation? 245% in six years. This is not a dig at Ridgeback. They’re at the mercy of shifting economic realities, like every manufacturer. Go take a look online. How many touring bikes can you find for less than £1,000? One? Two?
Lower the bar to £500 and the answer is easy: none. That’s partly why we’ve tested £500 gravel bikes this issue. They’re as close as we could get to drop-bar tourers at that price point.
The real bargains, as ever, are secondhand. And here the news is better. Last century I wrote an article about buying/building-up a hack bike for £100. I had another go this summer –and ended up with a better bike.
34 The Rebellion Way
Cycling UK’s new 370km route around Norfolk
How to cut your transport costs with a £100 bike
The Dunwich Dynamo: overnight from London to the Suffolk coast
New products coming soon
22 Gear up Components, accessories, and books
60 Affordable adventure bikes £500(ish) gravel bikes from Voodoo and Schwinn
67 Padded cycling pants
Four under-short alternatives to clingy lycra
70 Steed Stallion
A budget steel singlespeed for metropolitan commuters
04 Freewheeling
Bits and pieces from the bike world
07 This is Cycling UK Scotland’s Access Bikes programme; Northern Ireland’s failures on active travel; membership offers for Christmas; Cycling UK’s annual report; and more
18 You are Cycling UK Farewell to bike designer Mike Burrows
Letters
feedback on Cycle and cycling
Weekender
short ride around Dunbar for families and beginners
answered, topics explained
UK members’ ride reports
DAN JOYCE Cycle Editor
CYCLE MAGAZINE: Editor: Dan
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On the cover Rebellion Way riders near Dickleburgh in South Norfolk, by Jordan GibbonsMORE ITEMS
ON PAGE 20
The sustainability angle to Hummingbird’s new folder, which uses a frame made from plant flax fibre rather than carbon fibre, is somewhat undermined by the carbon wheels, seatpost, handlebar and other bits. But it’s certainly very light: just 7kg. £3,995, hummingbirdbike.com
Joscelyne is a full-time lecturer from Birmingham who decided to become a ride leader after noticing there was a need for more women to take on the role. Now her volunteering is making a difference locally by improving the skills of members of Sara Park CCC in the Small Heath area of the city.
“The main reason I decided to become a volunteer was because my husband Wayne was leading a lot of the rides for our local Cycling UK-affiliated group, Sara Park Community Cycling Club (CCC), with another male ride leader,” she said. “I used to join most of the rides but we had quite a few female riders and I felt there was a gap in the club for an active female ride leader. So, when the opportunity came, I completed a ride leader’s course and started supporting and leading rides.”
She says it’s been really rewarding, especially helping children and adults to learn to ride. “You see the joy in the faces of both the children and adults as they achieve confidence while developing new skills. As our cycle club is in a multi-cultural and diverse area, we have had some women say they were not encouraged to ride as a child because they were female and they feel so overwhelmed with joy when they learn to ride with confidence.”
Could you help get more people cycling? Visit cyclinguk.org/ volunteer to find out more about volunteering for Cycling UK and to discover the volunteer opportunities in your area.
This easy-touse plastic spoke key with a metal insert might not look anything special but it grips the spoke nipple on three sides instead of two, making it much less likely to slip and round off the nipple flats. You probably want the red one, for 3.25mm nipples on spokes up to 2.1mm in diameter. £8.99, klickfix.com
Is it a boat? Is it a bike? No, it’s the BeTriton amphibious camper trike! On land it’s a front wheel drive e-trike. On water, the wheels fold up out of the way, pontoons and a propeller deploy, and it’s an electric boat. Either way, it’s a compact camper. €14,500, betriton.com
Richard Anscombe shared this idea on the Cantii Way Facebook group. “Have just replaced a bent mech hanger on my wife’s bike. Liked the bent hanger and thought it’d make a cool key fob. Then it came to me: why not buy a spare mech hanger and use it as your keyring?” Better yet, use a universal hanger so you can fix any of your bikes – or someone else’s.
Joscelyne leads rides for Sara Park CCC
Stirling is the venue for this year’s gathering of Cycling UK members (and non-member guests) in Scotland. Attendees on 29 October will be treated to a cracking lineup of speakers, including two world record holders. Two-time Paralympian handcyclist Mel Nicholls completed an epic 4,800mile journey around the coast of the UK last year. Cycling UK member Christina Mackenzie (pictured) returns to speak at the gathering, having ridden the North Coast 500 in just 36 hours in May. There will be a range of other talks, lunch, and a warm welcome to all. Book your free place: cyclinguk. org/scotland-gathering
Why do you cycle?
It’s in my genes. In the early ’60s, both of my parents cycled to their respective employments.
How far do you ride each week?
Not as far as I used to or as I ought. Many ‘miles’ are clocked up in spinning classes while my triathlete daughter swims, and chasing her up the Lune Valley to Kirkby and back on a Sunday morning.
Which of your bikes is your favourite?
Enjoy seeing the wonderful display of autumn colours in the New Forest from the saddle of your bike by taking part in this year’s Gridiron 100 on Sunday 9 October. Organised by Cycling UK member group CTC Wessex, the event is designed to appeal to riders of all ages and abilities, with a time limit of five to eight hours and free refreshments en route. Also included in the £12.50 entry fee are a unique Gridiron cycling cap and medal. cyclinguk.org/event/gridiron-100-1
When Rex ‘Ragged Staff’ Coley founded the Cape Wrath Fellowship in 1939, he wanted to inspire people to seek out adventure by bike. Cycling UK member Neil Russell would definitely have received his seal of approval when he handcycled to the British mainland’s most northwesterly point earlier this year. If you’d like to join this historic fellowship, you need to brave the waves and wilds of the cape and take a photo in front of the iconic lighthouse. cyclinguk.org/capewrath
My father’s Paris Path. I restored it and it’s now been ridden by three generations.
What do you always take when cycling? Levers and tube. Drink.
Who mends your punctures?
Me! My own and everyone else’s.
It’s raining: bike, public transport, or car? Car.
Lycra or normal clothes?
Riding to the station or pub: whatever I’m standing up in. Otherwise something more suitable, mainly for the padding.
If you had £100 to spend on cycling, what would you get? A cadence sensor and heart rate monitor.
What’s your favourite cycle journey? Years back we supported a cyclocross event on the Isle of Mull. The road down the west side of the island from Calgary to Killiechronan entranced me.
What single thing would most improve matters for UK cyclists?
Reduced speed limits on rural roads below the A and B categories. The national speed limit of 60mph ought to be 40. Speeding should be as socially unacceptable as drink driving.
Photo: Brian Smith
Right: Rosie Baxendine.
Above: Mike Walsh Events
As the weather turns distinctly autumnal, lots of us are preoccupied by fuel prices and the cost of living. With that in mind, our editor Dan decided to find out if he could buy a good everyday bike for under £100, which is the average cost of filling up a family car at the moment. Turn to page 40 to find out how Dan got on…
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Over the summer we’ve seen cycling get a lot of attention in the press, some of it positive and some not so much. At Cycling UK we believe in the importance of busting damaging myths around cycling. So when the news has taken a less positive turn we’ve been busy challenging those stories, whether that’s in interviews or by complaining to the Independent Press Standards Organisation, IPSO, where stories are factually inaccurate.
One of the more positive stories to make the news in August was around the Government’s announcement of a pilot programme where GPs will start to prescribe cycling, walking and wheeling to improve physical and mental health. This is a great opportunity to build on previous successes, such as our Cycle for Health programme.
In another good-news story, we were delighted to be able to donate a fleet of ten tandems to VIE Velo, an Edinburgh-based cycling club for blind and partially sighted people. This is such an inspiring project and you’ll find more about the plans for these tandems on page 12.
In this magazine you’ll also find an exploration of the Rebellion Way. I hope it inspires you to try out this 370km loop around the beautiful and fascinating county of Norfolk, but if you can’t make it there yourself just yet, Taylor Doyle’s description will give a sense of the sights to be seen along the way.
I’ll be doing some travelling myself, heading off to Northern Ireland to meet up with our man on the ground there, Andrew McLean, for the first time since the Covid lockdowns. I’m looking forward to learning more about the unique cycling opportunities and challenges in Northern Ireland, while the Stormont Assembly is still not sitting, and to trying out some of Belfast’s cycling infrastructure for myself.
As I write on 8 September, we’re in the midst of political changes with the appointment of a new Secretary of State for Transport. The Cycling UK team, along with our partners in the Walking and Cycling Alliance, will be reminding the new minister of the progress made over recent years with the development of Gear Change and the recent establishment of Active Travel England. We look forward to working with the new administration to build on these successes and to support the implementation of our cycling goals.
Shortly before this issue went to press, Cycling UK was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of HM The Queen. As well as being Britain’s longest reigning monarch, she was also Cycling UK’s longest standing royal patron. We are so thankful for her 70 years of support. Our thoughts are with her family at this difficult time. We’ve put an article about the royal family’s connections with Cycling UK on the website: cyclinguk.org/article/cycling-uk-royal-riders-historyroyal-patrons
cycling@cyclinguk.org 01483 238301
Active travel can help with household budgets, health, and happiness – which means media myths on cycling can’t go unchallenged, says Sarah Mitchell
Over the summer we’ve seen cycling get a lot of attention in the press, some of it positive and some not so much 71%
Proportion of journeys in England that are under five miles (source: National Travel Survey)Economic
As the cost of living crisis deepens and petrol prices remain high, more people are looking to cycling as a cheaper alternative to driving or public transport – or as a faster option than walking. But turning to pedal power is only possible if you have access to a bike or can afford to buy one.
That’s where Cycling UK’s Access Bikes project is making a real difference. We’re working with local organisations in Scotland, providing them with the funding and support required to provide new or refurbished bikes to people experiencing financial hardship in their community.
Initially operating in Aberdeenshire, Caithness, City of Edinburgh, Renfrewshire and the Scottish Borders, the Transport Scotland funded project also ensures people have the support they need to get riding – whether that’s cycle training, confidence building sessions or route planning advice.
Receiving a new bike has been a gamechanger for Lynnie Hendry, from Ferguslie Park in Paisley. She had previously been riding a “rust bucket” of a bike in dangerously poor condition, before being put forward for the project by local bike recycling centre Ownyerbike. “It wasnae safe, the gears and brakes didnae work, it was
heavy. There was always something going wrong with it,” Lynnie says of her old bike.
Lynnie doesn’t have access to a car and says local bus services cost too much, so having a safe and reliable bike is a vital option for getting about. A trip to the supermarket would be a 50-minute round trip on foot. Now, she says, “I jump on my bike and I’m there in minutes, it’s brilliant! I’m out on it all the time – I feel a lot safer. I’m cycling further and much faster as well.”
As well as the bike itself, which is now Lynnie’s main mode of transport, she received a helmet, sturdy lock, lights and essential bike maintenance tools. As she explains, the benefits of having the bike have not just been practical: “It’s good for your health, definitely – your mental and physical health.”
Jamie Mallan works at the Tannahill Centre, a community hub that applied to take part in Access Bikes and that’s working with Ownyerbike to help people benefit from the project. He says: “We’re already seeing the impact on the local community, with more people cycling around the scheme. Not just those who accessed the programme, but their friends and family too. Some people have also said that having a bike has opened up new employment opportunities.” cyclinguk.org/accessbikes
Health The Government has announced a £12.7m pilot programme for GPs to prescribe cycling, walking and wheeling to improve physical and mental health and tackle health inequalities in 11 locations across England. Cycling UK sees this as a great opportunity to build on previous successes, such as our Cycle for Health project. cyclinguk.org/blog/willcycling-prescription-work
For the sixth year, Cycling UK will be announcing its 100 Women in Cycling list this autumn, celebrating women who empower and encourage other women to cycle. The list covers everyone from mountain bikers and endurance cyclists to community group leaders and industry figures. You can see who’s been on the list previously while waiting for the announcement. cyclinguk. org/article/previous-100women-cycling
With more people facing financial difficulties, Sam Waller explains how Cycling UK’s Access Bikes project is helping those in transport povertyLynnie Hendry from Paisley with her new bike Right: Andy Catlin Cycle for Health project
Cycling UK has learned that Brittany Ferries is now charging foot passengers looking to travel with their bikes £75 extra when travelling from England to Spain, as opposed to £5-£12 when travelling to France. Brittany Ferries claims it only charges a “small additional fee” to transport bikes, so Cycling UK would love to understand what justifies such a jump in price for travelling to the Iberian Peninsula. Let us know your experiences via email: campaigns@ cyclinguk.org
Your Cycling UK board of trustee elections voting form is enclosed with this issue of Cycle. Details of all the candidates and instructions on how to vote are included on the form.
Thank you to those who cast their vote and attended the 2022 Cycling UK AGM in September. Outcomes from the meeting, along with the details presented, can be found online. cyclinguk. org/agm-2022
Cycling UK has criticised the Department for Infrastructure for “neglecting Northern Ireland’s future”. In the run up to the election in May 2022, we sought pledges from all candidates to support an Active Travel Act in Northern Ireland. We asked candidates if they would pledge to support investment in cycling, walking and wheeling and introduce an Active Travel Act, if they were to be elected – and 53% of now-sitting MLAs committed their support, including Minister John O’Dowd, who now leads the Department for Infrastructure (DfI), We were disappointed to learn that the minister is now reneging on his pre-election pledge and will not commit to an Active Travel Act, despite repeated correspondence between Cycling UK, the minister and his department. We feel that Minister O’Dowd, who is responsible for roads and the way
they’re used, is dithering and locking Northern Ireland into future car dependency. In rejecting his pre-election promise of support for an Active Travel Act he is neglecting Northern Ireland’s transport future and committing to needlessly high fossil fuel use.
Like the rest of the UK, Northern Ireland is facing a cost of living crisis, and driving is seen as an expensive necessity for many. Making cycling and walking more accessible would give residents an easier choice to make cheaper, healthier and more environmentally-friendly local journeys.
Given that the government in Northern Ireland is not in place currently, we recognise there is only so much a minister can do. However, we argue that active travel is being ignored to the detriment of the residents of Northern Ireland. We have written to Minister O’Dowd, asking him to reconsider his commitment to his pledge.
Eco-conscious travellers wishing to take the train to the Continent will find themselves still frustrated by the ongoing delays with Eurostar’s oversized luggage carriage. While we wait for the security and customs services to resolve across the Channel, all is not lost: Eurotunnel, which operates out of Folkestone and takes you to Calais, has now
reopened and will take a rider plus bike for £35 each way. Unlike Eurostar, Eurotunnel will also take tandems – but they will charge per saddle regardless of the number of riders. Further information is on our website. cyclinguk.org/eurostar
Dept for Infrastructure is reneging on cycling election promises Left: Michael Taylor. Below: Sara LincolnCost of upgrading Wainwright’s Coast to Coast trail. Provision for cyclists and horse riders? Nil £5.6millionBike carriage is still delayed
Following several requests and listening to feedback, Cycling UK is creating a brand new online ride leader course. This training will initially be offered to all ride leaders registered with Cycling UK member groups. The Cycling UK volunteer team is busy creating the course in house and expects to launch the training in January 2023. We’ll send out more details nearer the time, so keep your eyes peeled.
We’re proud to be delivering Scotland’s national bike repair scheme once again –an increasingly vital service given the cost of living crisis. This new phase of the Scotland Cycle Repair Scheme will provide 30,000 more free repairs to people who need them most. More than 250 bike shops and mechanics – including many independent local businesses – are signed up to deliver the scheme. cyclinguk.org/ ScotCycleRepair
If we want to go on a ride, most of us simply jump on our bikes and go. For blind and partially sighted cyclists, it’s less straightforward. Tandem cycling clubs, where a sighted pilot rides with a blind or partially sighted stoker, are vital for increasing participation in cycling by people with sight loss, writes Sam Waller.
I was delighted to be invited to join a ride with the Edinburgh-based VIE Velo club, to celebrate the handover of a fleet of ten tandems from Cycling UK. During the lunch stop on our 35-mile trip, I chatted to club members about what cycling means to them. Maire Kilgallon told me how riding with the club helped to break down barriers. “It’s quite inspirational – you have this perception that once you have a disability you can’t do anything anymore. But here you have people who remain active and don’t let their disability be a barrier.”
Maire has retinitis pigmentosa, which means she has reasonable central vision but no peripheral vision. She touches on a theme that I hear many times over – the thrilling freedom of tandem cycling: “As a person with a disability you’re used to always having the brakes on, but here’s an opportunity to go fast. The freedom is really liberating!”
Craig Scott-Angell rides as a pilot and loves the social side of the club: “It’s great as you can talk to someone on a tandem easily. You learn so much about each person you ride with.”
The club was set up with support from Cycling UK in 2018, with the aim of eventually become independent and selfsustaining. The donation of tandems helps to secure the long-term future of the club.
As club chair Ken Reid tells me, that means many more people will get to enjoy the thrill, freedom and friendship of tandem cycling. “A strong bond of trust is essential between stoker and pilot. It is great watching those bonds grow into true friendship.”
cyclinguk.org/tandem-edinburgh
New ride leader courses soon Cycling UK gave ten tandems to VIE Velo Left: Andy Catlin. Far left: Joolze Dymond
Pioneering cycling author Dervla Murphy has died. She passed away at home on 22 May at the age of 90. She is best known for her first book, ‘Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle’, which was published in 1965. She wrote more than 20 others, including her autobiography, Wheels within Wheels. She has been described as ‘the first lady of Irish cycling’, and in 2017 was named one of Cycling UK’s 100 Women in Cycling. Her books remain in print.
Get autumn ready with 10% off servicing and repairs at Halfords so your bike can be on top form for the season ahead. To redeem the offer, simply book your free bike health check assessment online then take in your voucher to claim the discounted bronze, silver, or gold service in store. In the market for a new bike?
Raleigh is offering free accessories worth £75 with the purchase of any bike from its range. cyclinguk. org/member-benefits
Savvy Santa is going to be busy this year sending smiles for less using Cycling UK’s member benefits. For the kids, spread Christmas magic with 10% off at Halfords on a wide range of children’s bikes, scooters and accessories.
If they’re not ready for pedals yet, how about getting them on two wheels with 20% off Strider’s all-terrain lightweight balance bikes?
For a present that keeps on giving all year round, buy a Cycling UK gift membership for your fellow cycling enthusiast. They’ll even get a bonus gift you can wrap and put under the tree. Plus you’ll be continuing to support our charitable work.
For the style conscious on your list, the Stolen Goat X Cycling UK kit and
accessories collection (which starts from as little as £9.99) will keep them warm, dry, and looking the part whatever the season. There are great stocking fillers like turbo towels and arm warmers, and more substantial gifts like winter jackets and jerseys. Any purchase from the collection contributes to Cycling UK’s work, so it looks good and does good too.
Need to find the perfect gift for that discerning female cyclist in your life? Use the 10% VeloVixen discount on a wide range of great products – ranging from chamois butter designed specifically for women to eye-catching kit and accessories.
For great stocking fillers, you can save 20% off Muc-Off’s top-notch bike care products to keep the bike sparkling clean and in tip top condition.
Find these and loads of other great savings at cyclinguk.org/member-benefits
Manchester
A Cycling UK employee has become Manchester’s latest cycling hero after being added to a vibrant local mural. Ellen Holmes features in the artwork, which celebrates the Manchester cycling community, in her role as Big Bike Revival cycling development officer. The mural’s home, on a building at Platt Fields Park, was the location for the Big Bike Revival pilot events back in
2014. Ellen (pictured) said: “I feel honoured to be on the mural in the company of people like Chris Boardman – it’s really cool!”
Janet Atherton reflects on 2021 at Cycling UK: a year where we grew stronger as an organisation against a backdrop of tumultuous world events
Hard on the heels of the life-changing year we all experienced in 2020, 2021 was another eventful one. Despite those circumstances, when we looked back at 2021 and early 2022 to create our annual report, it was hugely reassuring to see the evidence that Cycling UK has gone from strength to strength.
In 2021 we refreshed our current strategy, which runs until 2023. Our core goal remains the same: to get millions more cycling. To do this, we identified that we needed to focus on four core areas.
1. Enable cycling for all Make cycling more accessible for individuals and communities who don’t often ride.
2. Speak up for all who cycle
Push for investment from local authorities and governments.
Campaign locally and nationally on issues that impact all existing and potential cyclists.
3. Strengthen our organisation
Invest in our digital infrastructure, systems and our staff.
4. Build sustainable membership
Our members are at the heart of our organisation, giving us the financial resources to promote cycling and your mandate to lobby for better cycling conditions.
Changing people’s attitudes and behaviours are two of the most crucial steps in helping more people to cycle. That’s why we run programmes and projects such as the Big Bike Revival in England and Shift in Scotland. These projects both offer grants to local organisations to provide cycling support and activities in their communities.
A big highlight this year was our campaigning success with the Highway Code. Cycle campaigning has been a core part of our work at Cycling UK since our earliest days 144 years ago. We know that campaigning for real change can take many years. It’s not
every year that we get to see tangible results, but 2022 saw significant changes to the Highway Code that will inform and improve the welfare of cyclists on our roads for years to come. This was the culmination of 11 years of lobbying.
Our charity has grown. We now employ almost 200 staff, we have volunteers and staff located right across the UK, grant income has risen, and we are supporting more and more programmes and groups to cycle. With that growth, we recognise that it’s imperative to make sure that the processes and systems that support what we do are robust and can scale with us as we grow.
This year we have made significant investment in our IT, governance and HR systems to ensure members receive the best experience. We’ve equipped our teams to deliver remotely and digitally. We are also exploring how we make sure we as a charity can represent the diversity we want to see in cycling. All this is helping us to be the resilient,
Clockwise from top: Jordan Gibbons; Robert Spanring; Paul Campbell; Robert Spanring
DR JANET ATHERTON OBE Chair of Cycling UK’s board of trusteesMarch 2017: Cycling UK launches the Too Close for Comfort campaign to tackle dangerous close passes and press for changes to Highway Code overtaking rules.
April 2018: Cycling UK launches the Cycle Safety: Make it Simple campaign, calling for road safety changes, including a revised Highway Code. It’s backed by more than 10,000 members and supporters.
June 2018: Cycling UK picks up British Cycling’s Turning the Corner campaign for changes to junction priority rules, pressing for these to be included in new Highway Code rules.
November 2018: In response to our Cycle Safety: Make it Simple campaign, the government promises to review the Highway Code to make it safer for cyclists and pedestrians.
November 2018-present: Cycling UK’s policy director Roger Geffen works with stakeholders to influence proposals for changes to the Highway Code.
June 2019: Cycling UK launches the Dutch Reach campaign to tackle cardooring.
June 2020: Cycling UK launches a major Highway Code campaign, supported by almost 17,000 people, in response to the government’s consultation on Highway Code changes.
December 2021–January 2022: Cycling UK presses the government on the absence of any public awareness campaign for the forthcoming Highway Code changes.
February 2022-present: Cycling UK works with the Department for Transport’s THINK campaign and partners to help shape public awareness about the changes.
19% of Big Bike Revival participants are from an ethnic minority background
34% of BBR participants live in areas of deprivation (as per index of multiple deprivation)
People reached this year by our behaviour changes programmes in England and Scotland (702,274 in the past three years)
We recognise that our members are at the heart of allowing us to get millions more people cycling. Continuing to build our membership is critical in helping to secure the incomes that allows our organisation to provide an independent campaigning voice. Our members are also a valuable voice, lending much-needed support to our campaigning and influencing work.
Our membership is stable at 70,400. We have migrated to a new database and payment systems to improve customer experiences.
Fundraising continues to grow, with £55k from our raffle and over £60k from the Cyclists’ Defence Fund appeal.
In 2021 we started a membership review to look at what members and supporters want from us and how we can support the whole cycling community. As a result, we have made the changes listed below, with more to follow in 2022.
Reviewed our commercial relationships to ensure that members are receiving value for money and great service.
is representative and responsive charity needed to make a positive difference in today’s society. We have continued to build our capacity to be truly Cycling UK, having staff and volunteers in all nations. Our new staff in Wales and Northern Ireland are already making an impact and building our influence. They’ve launched new routes and they collaborated with partners to ensure cycling was an important issue in the recent elections.
We increased benefits, including a new cycle insurance partner and legal supplier.
We are developing new ways to take our work closer to local communities, to engage members with the issues that matter to them, and to make our membership inclusive, welcoming and engaging for all.
You can read the full, 72-page annual report online at cyclinguk.org/ policies-and-procedures/ annual-reports-andaccountsThe Cobblestone Café Easy Riders in the West Midlands Rural Connections project in the Scottish Highlands
Revolutionary bike designer Mike Burrows has died. He was 79. Best known for the Lotus track bike that Chris Boardman rode to Olympic glory in 1992, Mike was a pioneer in the disparate worlds of aerodynamics, recumbents and cargo bikes.
Largely overlooked by the cycling industry and snubbed by the UCI who banned his aero frames for being too fast (just as they banned recumbents long before), Mike was an old-school engineer who developed cycling ideas in the same way he spoke: in a constant stream. He’s the reason your road bike has a compact frame with a sloping top tube and is sized S-XL. Inline barrel adjusters? Also Mike.
I first read about Mike and his recumbent trikes in the 1980s in Richard’s Bicycle Book, written by his long-time friend, the late Richard Ballantine. Our paths crossed in 1991 on New Cyclist magazine: I was its staff writer, Mike its freelance technical expert. His handwritten articles came in, then and for years after, by fax machine. Mike didn’t do “that webby thing”, or computers, or mobile phones. He communicated – at length – by landline phone and did his design work on a drawing board.
He produced the world’s first aerodynamic monocoque bicycle that way in 1984. By 1990 the Burrows Mk2 Monocoque was the Lotus bike’s obvious antecedent, its carbon fibre frame featuring that signature monoblade fork. Instead of stealth black like the Lotus, however, the original’s frame was beautifully painted with a flock of birds over water. Birdwatching was one of Mike’s hobbies.
As a teenager his main interest was model aircraft. Not collecting them but designing and building them, which required a hands-on understanding of aerodynamics. He had a bike for transport even then but only became a cycling enthusiast in his 30s when he was living in Norwich with a family of his own.
He joined the Cyclists’ Touring Club in the mid-70s. At the end of the decade he began time trialling, initially on the everyday bike he’d built for himself from 531 tubing, then on
self-made time trial bikes. By 1982 his TT bike had already diverged from standard designs: it had aero tubing, an aero seatpost, and an aero ‘gull wing’ handlebar.
At the same time, and alongside his day job as a manufacturer of packaging machines, Mike was busy with far more radical cycles: recumbents. Having watched the Aspro Clear Speed Trials in Brighton in 1980, Mike decided to build his own human-powered vehicle, a recumbent tricycle christened the Speed Machine (Windcheetah). The British Human Power Club was formed in 1983 with Mike as its chairman. The Speedy went through many iterations. Richard Ballantine enthused about them. Andy Wilkinson smashed the Land’s End to John o’ Groats record riding one.
Mike was still racing recumbents until a few years ago. His performances stayed much the same: as age slowed him down, he designed his bikes to be faster. Yet he wasn’t just a racer. He cycled for transport and designed bikes for that, notably the 8Freight cargo bike. And he cycled for the joy of it. His favourite article for Cycle, I think, was the one he wrote in 2003 about cycling 170 miles on his Ratcatcher to celebrate his sixtieth birthday.
For several years Mike worked for Giant, a relationship that produced compact road bike frames; those inline barrel adjusters; the Halfway folder; and a prototype city bike. Yet while his time with Giant was fruitful, Mike was scathing about the cycling industry in general. “No one knows anything,” he told me a few years ago. “They’re pinning tails on donkeys in the dark.”
Mike’s unwillingness to water down his opinions may have kept some of his ideas out of the mainstream, but the self-proclaimed world’s greatest bicycle designer wasn’t a haughty ‘mad professor’. Forthright, yes, but generally amiable, always interesting, and usually right. I’ll miss the phone conversations we’ve had over the last three decades. I was just thinking that I hadn’t heard from him in a while. And then I found out why.
Mike Burrows: April 1943-August 2022. He is survived by his wife Marjatta and their son Paul.
Mike’s magnum opus, Bicycle Design: Towards the Perfect Machine (ISBN 9781905005680), is sadly out of print, although various editions of it turn up on Amazon etc now and then. It’s a very readable book that explains the technical side of cycling without maths and equations. From Bicycle to Superbike (ISBN 9780953617456) a later book that looks at Mike’s life and his bikes, is also out of print.
Tony Hadland, who edited Bicycle Design and co-wrote From Bicycle to Superbike, reports that there are “expressions of interest” in both books being reprinted.
Bike designer and Cycling UK member Mike Burrows has passed away. Dan Joyce recalls decades of innovation, faxed articles, and animated phone callsMike on an old trade bike. He later designed the 8Freight Below: Mike at York Rally by Jason Patient
Money left over after paying soaring gas and electric bills? Here’s a selection of new bike stuff. Dan Joyce curates
Save £10 on three-day tickets and £5 on oneday tickets to Bespoked on 14-16 Oct. cyclinguk. org/member-benefit/ Bespokedticketoffer
1 Brompton T-Line
£3,750+
At 7.45kg for the singlespeed version, the Brompton T-Line is the lightest model of the iconic folder to date. It has a titanium main frame and stem, and a carbon fork and crankset. brompton.com
2 Peaty’s Holeshot Biofibre Tubeless Tyre Sealant £19.99/500ml
Sealant with bits in seals bigger holes – up to 6mm in the case of Peaty’s Holeshot Biofibre, apparently. The bits are biodegradable glitter. peatys.co.uk
3Schwalbe
Marathon Efficiency £60.99
“Schwalbe’s fastest touring tyre to date”, the blurb says. Better than the discontinued Marathon Supreme? I’ve got a set to test and will report back. schwalbe.com
Garmin Edge
1040 Solar £629.99
‘Power Glass solar charging’ extends the battery life of Garmin’s latest GPS unit. It should last up to 45 hours during ‘demanding’ usage and up to 100 in batterysaver mode. garmin.com
5 Ortlieb Quick Rack £70
The Quick Rack attaches to a bike’s seat tube or seatpost and to small brackets fitted to its seatstays or rear rack eyelets. It goes on and off in seconds and will carry 20kg. ortlieb.com
6 HipLok D1000 £250 or £200*
An anti-angle-grinder
D-lock, the 20mm-thick steel shackle is reinforced with graphene, which should dull the cutter’s blade before the lock fails. (*Cycling UK members get 20% off.) hiplok.com
7 Lezyne Matrix Air Cage £30
Stashing an Apple AirTag on your bike is a good way to keep track of it by iPhone – except the tag is usually easy for a thief to spot. This bottle cage hides it. lezyne.com
Check out our in-depth reviews of the latest bikes and gear online at:
cyclinguk.org/cycling-advice
Write to: Cycle, PO Box 313, Scarborough, YO12 6WZ editor@cyclinguk.org
Perhaps the only hurdle when considering the purchase of a Middleburn chainset is getting to grips with the generous selection of crank formats, of which there are at least five (excluding ones for tandems). In part a legacy of the brand’s early involvement in mountain bike components, the range includes external bottom bracket and square-taper options in wide and narrow tread styles. There is something for everyone from fat bike riders to old-school cycle tourists.
If you’re after a narrow Q-factor (pedal tread) and a square-taper axle, the RO1 is the one you want. Like all Middleburn parts the cranks are offered in silver or black finishes, making it easy to assemble a chainset to suit a bike build. Available in 160, 165, 170, 172.5 and 175mm lengths, the cranks are hot-forged in 7075 T6 aluminium alloy to a shape determined using advanced stress analysis and then CNC-machined where necessary before being hand-polished and anodised. The result is not only visually pleasing but, going by ride feel rather than scientific measurement, commendably stiff when mounted on the recommended 113mm square-taper axle. This gives the standard road double chainline of 44mm. The 148mm pedal tread is
also close to the road convention of 150mm.
Choosing a chainring spider is almost as much fun. All the Staffordshire firm’s spiders and right-hand cranks share the same 12-lobed interface with a threaded lockring, so there are near-endless chainring possibilities – including 130mm and 110mm BCD doubles and a four-arm triple option. I choose the RO1 94BCD Double Road spider, which will take a usefully-low 30t inner ring.
There’s a wide range of fittings for this spider, including the specifically-paired 11-speed 46-30 rings tested, which run and shift perfectly well with a 10-speed
chain. Also available are 8/9- and 9/10-speed rings, some with a hard coat finish. The Staffordshire firm’s own black aluminium chainring bolts and self-extractor crank bolts complete the chainset.
Along with Middleburn’s precision engineering, the RO1 has two particularly attractive features: the vast range of chainring sizes, making it ideal for a customised transmission; and the squaretaper axle interface. Suitable JIS square-taper, cartridge-bearing bottom bracket assemblies are inexpensive and readily available and offer greater durability than many external bearing designs.
Richard HallettAt 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.
PRAXIS ALBA DM-X CHAINSET £185.00
Price includes a Praxis BB M30 bottom bracket. It’s a versatile, sturdy design with a specific bottom bracket assembly. Reviewed last issue. praxiscycles.com
SHIMANO GRX £104.99
Gravel-specific chainset with 46-30 rings and four crank lengths. Also available in a 1× format. shimano.com
An exhaustive choice of options including, importantly, a squaretaper axle fitting, plus engineering and manufacturing excellence make Middleburn chainsets a compelling proposition – albeit at a price.
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Taking both cycling sunglasses and prescription glasses on a ride so you can read things like café menus is a faff. I couldn’t wait to try some cycling glasses that met both needs. I wasn’t disappointed.
I tested two pairs from BZ Optics: the PHO Bifocal Photochromic HD Lens model and the smaller ‘women/junior’ model, designated LJM. I preferred the slightly roomier unisex pair. The LJM glasses felt tight, although my head is small, so they’re perhaps more suited to teenagers. Sizing apart, the glasses are the same. They’re bifocals with lightadjusting photochromic lenses and with magnification for reading moulded into the bottom of those
lenses. Mine were +2.50 dioptre; +1.50 and +2.00 are also available.
The wraparound lens is beneficial for two reasons: the viewing window is wider; and it protects from wind, flying insects and debris. The glasses are lightweight (frame only: 25g) and a comfortable fit, with or without an open-faced helmet. The ear temples and nose piece are non-slip. The latter is adjustable and the lenses pop-out easily to replace. At an extra cost (£10), the case is well designed and sturdy.
The photochromic lens, which also has UV protection, is effective for all light intensities. There’s no irritation of sudden darkness or blindness when moving into deep shade or bright sunshine. As I wear sunglasses
for most of the year, I appreciated this feature.
My normal prescriptions lenses differ for each eye, with a slightly lower correction than those I tried But I experienced no negative impact on my sight. I could read the café menu, my bike computer screen, my map, and my phone, and I could see fine for roadside repairs.
These glasses are doing two jobs so there are some limitations. The reader part is small, so your head needs tilting back and forth to use, and as sunglasses you need to get used to noticing the line dividing the lens. I wore them once walking a coastal path. On unfamiliar terrain, where you need to look down to ensure safe footing, the magnification disturbed my vision, and I was constantly taking them off. When cycling you’re looking further ahead, and the minimal inconveniences these bifocals bring will not put me off continuing to wear them.
Susan KeywoodGood quality lightadjusting cycling sunglasses that double as reading/ close-up glasses. They’re lightweight, comfortable, and enable you to leave your prescription glasses at home if you’re long-sighted.
ULTIMATE SAFETY
BIFOCALS £16.99
Basic UV-protected bifocals without photochromic lenses at a very affordable price. voltxsafety.com
SUNGLASSES £79.95
Sports sunglasses with UV-protection, fog vents, and up to +3.0 magnification in the reader section of the lenses. gbviz.com
& cons
Recently I got my hands on a frame with S&S couplings, which enable the frame to be separated into two halves, making it easier to pack. While selecting the parts I was going to build it up with, I was intrigued by the idea of using quick-release pedals. After all, if the frame can separate, why not go the whole hog and do the same with the pedals?
The convenience of having pedals that require no tools to remove appealed for reasons beyond packing my bike. Pedals are one of the more awkward bits if you try to load two bikes into a car boot or on a train, or if you park your bike in a hallway. They can poke or scrape you if you have to carry your bike over difficult off-road terrain (I bought my bike for rough-stuff riding). Quick-release pedals can also be
removed when I leave the bike locked up in busy urban areas, so a thief who breaks through the lock at least can’t ride off.
The off-road riding I’ve done with these pedals revealed a limitation: grip is pretty much non-existent compared to flat pedals with pins. I solved the problem with some cheap Zéfal toe-clips, and have been bouncing around the Surrey Hills ever since with no slippage.
Installing the pedals is slightly trickier than normal as you need a 15mm spanner no thicker than 3.2mm, such as cone spanner. I don’t have one in my toolbox, but fortunately Dave at Pilgrim Cycles did when he put the whole bike together for me.
Once they’re installed, it’s very simple to pop the pedals off. You just pull back a metal sheath and give the pedal a firm tug.
Re-installing is similarly easy. The pedals are aluminium and are built around serviceable cup-and-cone bearings so they should have a decent lifespan. They’re aimed at tourers, folding bike riders, and city commuters, so I was initially a bit sceptical about how robust they might be for the small jumps and bumps that come off-road. However, after several hundred miles, that worry no longer exists. I’m now wondering whether my other bikes deserve an upgrade.
Sam JonesSimple to use, convenient and durable, these pedals could be just the thing for regular travellers or those with limited hallway space. Grip is minimal but toeclips will solve this problem.
MKS FD-7 £54.99
These folding pedals are a little less elegant and heavier than the Promenade but, as they fold, they can stay on the bike instead of going with you.
mkspedal.com
WELLGO QUICKRELEASE PEDALS £44.99
Another pedal aimed at the utility market but sold with pedal reflectors. The QR mechanism looks bulkier than MKS’s streamlined version. changebike. co.uk
Easy to remove
Grip on sole not great
Specialist spanner to install
BRITAIN AND GRAVEL: five years ago these two words would scarcely have been used in the same sentence. The gravel bike boom has changed that. While this kind of riding has arguably been around ever since the bicycle was invented, more and more cyclists –perhaps fed up with the increasing number of cars on our roads – are taking to gravel tracks.
By: Markus Stitz
Publisher: Vertebrate Publishing
Price: £25 ISBN: 9781839811265
Finding such tracks can prove somewhat difficult. What may look like a good gravel track on a map could turn out to be a two-mile walk through a muddy field. Cycle magazine contributor Markus Stitz has taken the work off your hands with this book.
It showcases 26 rides all around Britain, as far north as Beauly on a Scottish coast-tocoast adventure and as far south as Exeter on the East Devon Trail. So wherever you live you shouldn’t be too far from a great route. For each of his rides Stitz links up with local experts, such as Jami Wilson in the Lakes and Mark Beaumont in East Lothian. This provides some great local insights to the routes and area.
Each route comes with a map, a description, recommendations of where to stop, and a link to its GPX file. It also has some helpful tips about organising and setting off on one of these rides, from recommended kit lists to legalities and access rights.
You can read excerpts from some of the books that Cycle has reviewed at cyclinguk.org/ cycle-book-excerpts
What bike should you use for these routes? Markus Stitz’s answer: “The bike you own is the best gravel bike.”
Jordan Matthews
Cycle doesn’t feature all books received. Reviewers pick the ones they think you need to know about from the Editor’s shortlist. Send review copies to: Cycle, PO Box 313, Scarborough, YO12 6WZ
Details
By: Max Darkins
Publisher: Cycling UK
Price: free PDF download: cyclinguk. org/cantii-way ISBN: n/a
KENT DERIVES ITS name from Cantii, the Celtic tribe who once inhabited south-east England. This guide invites the modernday tribe of cycle-tourists to pedal along the 234km, “largely traffic-free”, mainly flat, circular trail, called the Cantii Way. Divided into seven legs, the book is crammed with information on the sights you will encounter – everything from Roman ruins to World War Two gun emplacements, sound mirrors, and the stark beauty of Prospect cottage at Dungeness.
Iain MarshallPublisher: Scribe Publications
Price: £12.99 ISBN: 9781911344971
THE NETHERLANDS ISN’T quite the cycling utopia we all thought it was. Despite 35,000km of high-quality cycle tracks it still has problems with road safety and streets dominated by cars. As one of the writers takes us on her journey of discovery, changed perceptions and solutions, the book will make you look differently at the streets outside your own front door. Sadly, the UK has many of the same issues with how our roads and communities have been designed around car use rather than people.
Jim Densham
By: Tom Bogdanowicz
Publisher: Fox Chapel Publishing
Price: £12.99 ISBN: 9781913618230
THIS FOURTH EDITION now includes details of cycle shops as well as how to use London’s public bike-sharing scheme. It covers more than 40 routes in the capital, all designed by members of the London Cycling Campaign. As an east Londoner I turned to these pages first. Several routes started close by and I gave one a go. Instructions were clear and concise, with information on how to get to the route and maps that were large enough to follow. QR codes to downloadable GPX files would make this guide even more useful.
Rebecca Armstrong
LETTERS are edited for space, clarity and, if necessary, legality. The editor reads and acknowledges all members’ letters but publishes only a selection and doesn’t enter into correspondence. Feedback for the next issue must arrive by 31 October. Please include your membership number.
WRITE TO: Cycle, PO Box 313, Scarborough, YO12 6WZ or email editor@cyclinguk.org
I read Neil Russell’s Hebrides by Hand article with great interest. What a journey! I’ve done the round-Arran ride on a tadpole recumbent – I’m a wheelchair user who can, to a point, use crutches. Neil’s point about carrying the other mobility paraphernalia is right. Without a trailer, where do you put the crutches and the wheelchair? I didn’t camp; I cheated and stayed in a B&B overnight with a host who went to the extra mile to support a disabled rider.
Kate Ball’s active travel article also made for interesting reading. Infrastructure is a real challenge. We have a fabulous coastal path from Dolgellau to the sea, then across the Barmouth Bridge. The rub is that I can’t do it on my own as there are gates at various intervals.
I’ve been fortunate that, in most cases, others will offer help if needed – and then engage you in a detailed discussion about recumbents and their technical specifications! There have, however, been plenty of times when I have had to admit defeat by turning round and retracing my steps.
I have often had conversations with park rangers and other countryside staff about how making a minor modification would make an area so much more accessible. So there is hope yet.
Andrew Ebben
The letter of the month wins an Eco Rider Deluxe set, courtesy of Green Oil. Green Oil’s plant-based lubes and cleaners are fully biodegradable and contain no PTFE. The kit comprises: Green Oil Wet Chain Lube; Ecogrease; Green Clean Bike Cleaner; Clean Chain Degreaser; FSC Drive Chain Brush; two Bike Armour cable-rub protectors; an EcoRag; a reusable plastic tub for water or storage; and some seeds to grow your own food! For details, or to order Green Oil products, visit green-oil.net
The letter about e-bike battery fires in the Aug/Sep issue was timely. I have converted my late father’s 1970s’ Raleigh tourer into a e-bike and it has proved to be a very useful machine.
I had concerns about the battery. Although it appears to be robust, I believe it should be protected as much as possible from damage and/ or the elements. To this end, when the battery is off the bike I store it in a Lipo battery bag (from Amazon). I also place the battery in this during the recharging process in case there is a problem. It gives me peace of mind and is surely better than leaving the battery exposed.
Kevin HarveyWanting to ride further and with less stress on my knees, I had been toying with the idea of an e-bike. Instead I bought a conversion kit from Cytronex after trying a friend’s. I liked being able to remove the battery and cycle normally, unaided, on shorter rides.
The Cytronex C1 kit is slightly more expensive (£995) than some e-bike kits, though it’s less expensive (and less powerful) than an off-the-peg e-bike. A single battery charge lasts me from 30-40 miles. I am converted by this conversion kit and now go for longer rides, much more easily and slightly faster than before, and I go up ascents on routes previously avoided.
Bob Broad Left: Jess Paul Neil Russell and Buster the dog near Balliekine, Arran
I thought you’d like some feedback on the response to your article which included the Itteringham Village Shop. You probably tick along from month to month uncertain whether your efforts make a difference.
Last weekend we were extremely busy in the shop and café. Why? Because cyclists were coming to find our village shop, having read the Cycle magazine article. Some brought their copies with them to show us and say how amazing it was to see us featured. At one point on Sunday we had 21 customers being served at the same time. It’s normally much more paced out.
Thank you for creating the opportunity for us. Long may it continue!
Mike Hemsley, Itteringham Village Shop volunteer
I would like to add to John Morfrey’s letter in the Aug/Sep issue about bikes on trains. I have just returned from a lovely bike trip along the Forth & Clyde and Union canals between Glasgow and Edinburgh. As I live in Newcastle Upon Tyne, I used the LNER trains to and from Edinburgh.
It was almost impossible and very stressful to hang up the bikes (one of which was an e-bike) in the ‘wardrobes’ on the train. Can you influence the train companies to facilitate bike carriage ?
Jane Loughridge
I was interested in the Bike Finder article in the Aug/Sep issue about a small, light bikepacking bike as I too am a small woman (5ft 2in) and I spent a long time trying to find a suitable touring bike. I would be
surprised if the Sonder Camino had a low enough step-over for Katy Hill. I have tried allegedly ‘small’ bikes to find they are for someone much bigger than me! The Whyte bike, meanwhile, needs so many changes that it seems it is just not the right bike at all. I know you will have struggled with this challenge!
May I put in a word for Oxford Bike Works? Richard had a smaller frame made for me (and also for my equally small husband). He accommodated all my needs, including very low gearing. It fitted easily into Katy’s budget.
Linda RutledgeJack Thurston’s Lost Lanes Books definitely raised the bar for cycling guides for great rides, inspiring photographs, and an aim to make the routes accessible by rail if possible. However, an important feature missed by your reviewer is that each ride has a dedicated Lost Lanes web page, where the route can be downloaded as a GPX or TCX file. An OS map can also be viewed and printed, together with a PDF of turnby-turn instructions.
David Elder
On a ride today, my wife came alongside and mentioned that her bike sounded like a nest of chaffinches. She was right. It may have been the right response from a maintenance point of view, but my few drops of oil on the chain killed both the chaffinches and all the poetry of the observation.
Mark Shelton
Yes, we are still in this world, albeit at 99 years old, and still riding the bikes. The picture of Joyce on her bike with a sidecar attached was taken at Easter in 1949. Watsonian sidecar manufacture was discontinued in 1963, from memory. At the time it was our eldest son at three weeks old who was bedded down in the sidecar, which could be detached for storage. Lionel Joseph
Get immediate feedback from other members at forum.cyclinguk.org. Here’s an abridged extract from a recent thread: cyclinguk.org/ fixed-gear-knees
3speednut: I have recently got into fixedgear/singlespeed. At 60, I don’t want my enthusiasm for this to damage my knees. I have it geared quite low (46/18) and avoid the worst of the local hills. I don’t feel like I’m doing damage but I don’t want to ruin it.
Jdsk: Calendar years aren’t that important from here on. Exercise and having fun are. I wouldn’t worry about damaging joints with one important exception… don’t push through pain. If you don’t feel as if you’re doing damage then you probably aren’t.
Tigerbiten: Do you or your family have any history of arthritic type damage in any joints, not just knees? If not then you’re probably fine, go for it.
djnotts: I rode fixed as a teen and then for five years in my late 50s, early 60s. My knees are
one of the few parts of my body that are just fine. Just don’t push big gears!
Carlton green: On a 27 " wheel I make 48/16 a 69 " gear. To me that seems to be too high. Wayfarer, a very experienced fixed-gear cyclist, used 63 " 531colin: 68 or 69 inches used to be regarded as about the right place to start; I found I preferred 64 inches.
NATURAL ANKLING: High gears won’t damage your knees just bad foot articulation (natural = like walking and running). Just get those calfs subtle with exercises.
fossala: In my experience you have a higher chance of knee pain on gears than fixed. mig: It’s probably more critical to have your bike set up correctly if you’re planning significant miles on a fixed-gear, especially saddle height.
Where: East Anglia Start/finish: Norwich railway station Distance: 370km
Photos: Jordan Gibbons/Pannier.cc
Top: nr Long Stratton
Bottom: Tivetshall St Margaret
Right: Venta Icenorum
Taylor is a Canadian tourer turned mountain biker, bikepacker and adventure racer.
Cycling UK’s latest long-distance route is a 370km loop around Norfolk. Taylor Doyle was one of its inaugural riders this summer
Jessie and I were looking through a window to the past. A piece of clear acetate had been framed in front of an empty field, with a drawing of Venta Icenorum, the capital of Boudicca’s Iceni tribe, overlaying the modern landscape. We were five miles into Cycling UK’s latest long-distance route, which takes you through the history and landscape of Norfolk.
The Rebellion Way is named for two East Anglian uprisings: Boudicca’s against Roman rule and rapacity in 61AD; and Robert Kett’s in the 16th century. Kett fought against the enclosure of common land by wealthy landowners, an issue that still resonates today in the shape of discussions about public land access, rights of way, and who gets to enjoy these spaces.
The route is a mix of quiet lanes, bridleways, forest tracks, rail trails and singletrack. It’s relatively flat, of course, but there’s no shortage of historical sites, ruined churches and castles, charming towns, and tempting cafés, pubs and tearooms. It’s a well-curated path of surprises.
From Venta Icenorum, a sunny lane with little traffic took us further away from Norwich. We stopped again at an old ruined church called St Mary’s. You could get right into the middle of it and gaze up at its tall, windowless walls. We weathered a spot of rain here, sheltering under an archway.
The first off-road section, grassy and bumpy, came soon after, as did the first ford,
which we crossed with shrieks and laughter. After stopping at the Waterfront Inn in Diss for food and drink, we continued to Swattesfield Campsite in northern Suffolk where some lovely bell tents and a fire pit were waiting for us.
Day two began with strong sunlight and strong coffee. We were heading back into Norfolk on a mix of tarmac, off-road trails, and even some stretches of sand – short enough to walk over for those on thinner tyres. Gravel fire-roads took us through Thetford Forest to Lynford Arboretum, where we bought cold summer spritzers from a trailside café called Shepherd’s Baa. Lynford Water was such a rich blue it looked like we were abroad. There was some great singletrack beside it too.
Our next stop was the mostly-ruined church of St John the Evangelist, Oxborough. Its spire collapsed in 1948, damaging the nave. Fortunately the Bedingfield monuments survived. These are renaissance terracotta tombs, said to some of the finest 16th century memorials in England. After inspecting them (I studied art history), we continued to Swaffham and beds at the St George Hotel.
Castle Acre Castle was a breathtaking sight on the morning of day three. It’s one of the most impressive Norman earthworks in the country. Plaques describe how the castle’s purpose changed over its lifetime and explain the different layers of construction. We then joined Peddars Way, an old
The route is a mix of quiet lanes, bridleways, forest tracks, rail trails and singletrack. It’s relatively flat, of course
Roman road (and modern day National Trail) that runs arrow straight from Thetford to the north Norfolk coast. We didn’t stay on it exclusively but continued to encounter it for the rest of the day, crisscrossing and riding parallel to it. Wonderful and wide forest tracks with overhanging canopies framed our way for a while. Then we came to a halt, literally in some cases, at a section of loose, red sand.
Eventually we reached King’s Lynn, where Cobbles Tea Room provided a wide selection of artisan cakes. From there we cruised alongside the River Great Ouse, past patios and bustle. Castle Rising, Sandringham and Holkham presented us with tremendous castles and fairytale-scale estates.
Before long we were approaching the coast, riding along a delightful boardwalk on NCN Route 1. At Wells-next-the-Sea we camped properly for the first and only time of the trip, using our own gear.
Rain overnight faded away and we woke to sunshine, which quickly dried damp kit. Then we set off for the Walsingham, known as ‘the Nazareth of England’ thanks to the shrine that was built there after medieval noblewoman Lady Richeldis said she had visions of the Virgin Mary.
The day’s riding was again a good mix of paved and unpaved fun. We continued through the seaside town of Sheringham, where the drizzle returned, and on leaving it encountered the route’s only real climb: mostly rideable gravel, there’s a short hike-a-bike section to reach the 87-metre high viewpoint. The view over the coast is worth the climb.
After Sheringham we rode first on forest tracks with log piles alongside, then on gravel tracks past the National Trust property of Blickling Estate. We picked up some goodies in Aylsham to take to our final night’s stop – glamping again, this
Top to bottom: Overlooking Sheringham. Dickleburgh. Near Diss
Try it out Bikepacking isn’t just for 20- or 30-something gravel bikers. See: cyclinguk.org/ article/bikepackingyour-50s
Distance: 370km.
Route: A clockwise loop from Norwich, first heading south into Suffolk before turning north and passing through Thetford Forest.
Up to the coast at Wells-next-the-Sea, then to Sheringham, Aylsham, and back to Norwich.
Conditions: Mostly warm and sunny weather with (in June) very dry and dusty trails. Aside from some short sections with loose sand and gravel, the off-road sections were all easy to ride.
Bike to use: Any bike capable of moderate off-road terrain. A touring bike or hybrid could tackle this, not just a gravel bike or mountain bike.
Getting there: You could begin and end anywhere on the route but Norwich railway station is ideal.
Accommodation: We stayed at a mix of campsites, hotels, and glamping sites.
I’m glad I had: Sunscreen and a rain jacket for the changeable UK weather. Coffee and a stove so that I could brew up.
Next time I would: Bring a tent instead of a bivvy bag for comfort.
Maps/guides: cyclinguk.org/ rebellion-way
time in a bell tent strewn with fairy lights, beds and blankets. We played charades and listened to music by a wood stove before turning in.
We rode back into Aylsham on our final day and spotted an old steam train on the Bure Valley Railway, Norfolk’s longest narrow-gauge railway.
The workers there let us in to see it up close. Much of the rest of the day was spent beside the train tracks on a parallel trail surfaced with what I call ‘kitty litter gravel’. This trail took us all the way to Hoveton, where virtually all of the shops are called ‘Roys’ after a pair of local businessmen brothers.
After riding along Hoveton’s pretty riverside for a while, we turned back towards Norwich. More lovely lanes and a bit of bridleway got us most of the way there, then a busier road took us back into the heart of Norfolk’s county town. We agreed that, before catching our various trains home, we had one last stop to make: Kett’s Heights, where Robert Kett and his 10,000 followers gathered before they besieged the city in 1549 to protest at the ‘redistribution’ of common land.
Over five days we’d had an enjoyable journey through centuries of Norfolk’s history. On top that, it had been a pleasant and easygoing bike ride. I come from an ultra-cycling background, so this route was a breath of fresh air. I could confidently bring my sister on this ride – or a friend who is just getting into cycling. Yet there’s enough to entertain my mates who are experienced bikepackers. Flat does not mean boring.
“I was riding my Trek Marlin MTB, which I found super comfortable – particularly on some of the off-road stuff. I think a gravel bike would also have worked well. On the back I had an Alpkit Sonder Mool pannier rack with a dry-sack strapped on with a bungee. This contained my sleep system. On the front I had an Alpkit handlebar bag containing all the other stuff, mainly snacks. I also wore a small Apidura rucksack which contained my phone etc. I really liked my setup and found it to be light(ish) and compact.”
Mildred has done plenty of bikepacking, including riding Cycling UK’s Cantii Way earlier this year (which you can read more about online at cyclinguk.org/ cantii-way). She likes to carry quite a lot of stuff. To make sure it stays dry, all her bags are waterproof. “I was riding my Stayer Groadinger UG bike with a Tailfin Aeropack, mini panniers and fork bags, and an Ortlieb handlebar bag,” she said. “This setup was fine – more than adequate. The route is well suited to a gravel bike with a streamlined bag setup.”
“I rode my Genesis Vagabond, using traditional panniers, trunk bag and handlebar bag. Although this made for quite a heavily-laden bike, all my gear was easy to access on the fly and pack/ unpack without fuss. I also had space to accommodate some of my fellow riders’ items when a 9kg watermelon required a redistribution of our stuff. A couple of bungee cords were needed to provided extra security on the rough-stuff. I think this is a cheap albeit heavy system, with great accessibility and flexibility.”
As one of 14 partners on the EXPERIENCE project, Cycling UK is working to deliver sustainable new off-season tourism experiences, including long-distance routes like the Rebellion Way. We’re also supporting businesses to attract cyclists with the Cycle Friendly Places accreditation.
The €23.3 million project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF, €16 million) through the Interreg VA France (Channel) England Programme 2014-2020, and aims to boost visitor numbers in six pilot regions including Cornwall, Norfolk and Kent.
cyclinguk.org/experience
Jessie leads through Thetford Forest
Joyce
Cycling instead of driving or using public transport can take some of the heat out of the cost of living crisis. Pedalling costs pennies per mile, as cycle commuters have long known. Now that it costs £100 to fill up an average family car with petrol, others are waking up to the savings that cycling offers. Cycling levels in England rose by 47% on weekdays for the five months to July (see cyclinguk. org/cycle-surge-england ).
‘On your bike’ is only an option, however, if you have one in roadworthy condition. For bike owners whose machine just needs some TLC, the Big Bike Revival and the Scotland Cycle Repair Scheme can help; we’ll come back to these later. As for those who don’t own a bike: how much might they be able or willing to spend to get one, given the inflationary pressures in every other part of life right now? How about £100, the price of that tank of petrol?
A bike at that price has to be secondhand. You can’t even buy a bicycle-shaped object from a catalogue shop for £100 these days. The least expensive ‘proper’ new city bike is, in my opinion, either Decathlon’s City Bike Elops 100 (£199.99, decathlon.co.uk ) or its 20-inch Folding Bike B’Twin 100 (also £199.99). I reviewed the folder last year when it was called the B’Twin
A cheap secondhand bike isn’t only for someone who absolutely can’t spend more. Most of us are feeling the pinch and there’s value in having a cheap ‘hack’ bike that costs next to nothing to maintain and that you can leave locked up in town without worrying much about theft or damage. If you have a son or daughter heading off to college, a cheap runaround is ideal because bike theft levels are high around universities. Or maybe you have a friend who needs a bike? Who better to help them start riding on a tiny budget than you, the local cycling expert?
Finding a good quality secondhand bike requires a degree of luck. Even if you know what you want there’s no guarantee it’ll be available for a price, and in a place, that suits you. Secondhand shops. You might find a bike at a charity shop or generic secondhand shop that isn’t a derelict ‘full suspension’ ‘mountain bike’ or a child’s bike, and that doesn’t need money and time throwing at it to fix it up. I didn’t. I did once find a rideable Raleigh Record for £11 that I converted to singlespeed. Not this time.
Facebook Marketplace. A friend of mine bought a virtually unused ‘mountain bike’ this way for his university-bound daughter. It cost £40. The main advantage of Facebook is that you can narrow down the search to your own town so you can go and inspect the bike before purchase. You must have a Facebook account, of course. I don’t (and don’t want one) so I didn’t pursue this. Cycling websites. Cycling websites that list for bikes for sale – such as the Cycling UK Forum ( forum.cyclinguk. org), Singletrack (singletrackworld.com), and PinkBike ( pinkbike.com) – are good sources for higher-quality secondhand bikes and parts. You seldom find sub£100 bikes on such websites because keen cyclists tend to buy decent bikes and look after them. eBay. There are loads of bikes on online selling sites such as eBay (ebay.co.uk ) and Gumtree (gumtree.com), and it’s easy to filter your searches by price and keyword so you’re not trawling through endless unsuitable options. You can also narrow the search to your local(ish) area, which is crucial when you have only £100 to spend. It costs £34 to send a boxed bicycle across the country with Paisley Freight ( paisleyfreight.com). That’s a third of your budget! Sellers of sub-£100 bikes very rarely off this facility in any case; it will be pickup only, so the bike needs to be nearby. The second problem
Oxylane 100 ( cyclinguk.org/cyclemagazine/bike-test-less-famousfolding-bicycles). For around £100, this roadster ticks all the ‘transport bike’ boxes Stock is variable at bike recycling centres but never expensiveis that you have only the description and a few photos to go on. You can’t inspect the bike before buying. If you later discover that a component or two needs replacing, the extra cost could blow a hole in your budget.
Nevertheless, I was hopeful I’d find something on eBay. I’ve used it often for bike parts. I ‘watched’ lots of bikes that were within 50 miles of me and put speculative bids on some of them –notably an Orbit Gold Medal singlespeed (which was in Driffield) and a Ridgeback Velocity hybrid (in York). I didn’t win. Bike recycling centres. The less you’re
going to spend on a secondhand bike, the bigger the advantage there is in using a bike recycling centre. The bikes are sold as ready to ride so you shouldn’t need to replace, say, brake cables or the chain. There may also be a warranty. The nearest bike recycling centres to me are in York and Hull: Recycle York ( recycleyork.co.uk ) and R-evolution ( r-evolution.org.uk ) respectively.
Recycle York didn’t have anything suitable in my price range when I was looking to buy. I’d seen some promising options on their website the weeks before but presumably they’d been selling through quickly. R-evolution didn’t have an online stock list so I phoned them. Yes, they had bikes costing under £100 in stock, suitable for ‘riding around town’ for ‘an average height man’. “The stock changes all the time,” I was told. “The best thing to do is just come in.”
Figuring that there wouldn’t be a run on R-evolution’s bike’s first thing on a Tuesday morning, I booked return tickets to Hull (£18.10), gambling that I’d find
something. Unlike TransPennine, which serves York, Northern doesn’t require bike reservations. That meant I could take any train home rather than having to rush or wait for a specific service.
From Hull Station, R-evolution’s base in Trinity Market is a short walk. It was as quiet as I’d hoped: one staff member was selling a bike to the only other customer; another was fixing a bike on a workstand. The collection of bikes for sale was smaller than I’d anticipated but I lucked out. In among the children’s bikes and the mountain bikes that were out of my budget, there were a couple of practical bikes: one with a step-through frame and derailleur gears; and an imposing roadster with a five-speed hub gear, rack and mudguards. It was £99.
It looked like a bike that had aged but seen little actual use. The tyres had some superficial cracking in the sidewall rubber but the tread and even the sprues from the mould were unworn. Rust had been largely removed. Cables looked to have been replaced. The hub gear worked. I bought it, only then finding out that it came with a three-month warranty,
FEATURE SECONDHAND BIKES Glos Bike Project, a BBRaffiliated recycling centre Below: SCRS launchduring which period I could bring it back for free tweaks and repairs (aside from things like punctures).
I cycled back to the station and caught a train home.
Whenever I’ve bought secondhand bikes in the past I’ve had to do a fair amount of upgrading and assembly. This roadster had been through more than 20 mechanical and quality control checks before I bought it. All I really had to do was raise the saddle and handlebar so it fitted me better. I also toed-in the (functional but noisy) brakes.
There were only two problems with the bike: the leather saddle and the traditional bell. I’m uncomfortable with leather saddles, literally because this one didn’t suit my bum and figuratively because I’m a vegan. The bell, meanwhile, looked great but jingled and jangled constantly, driving me nuts. I swapped it for an old ping-bell that I found in my workshop.
I also had a spare non-leather saddle of suitable width and padding for an upright roadster. The upper was torn but not so badly that some electrical tape couldn’t fix it well enough. This saddle wouldn’t fit on the bike’s plain seatpost or in its twin-rail clamp, so I looked for suitable clamp on eBay. Success: I found one for £4.99 delivered. To offset the cost I put the leather saddle on eBay. That yielded a mere £3.20 (plus postage), bringing the bike’s cost to £100.79
As I wanted to use the bike for all my local journeys, I needed to add lights. R-evolution would have sold me a set at a good price – and did offer – but I had some spares at home: an AXA Basta Classic front battery light and a rackmounted battery rear light made by Ikzi (no, me neither). Although these didn’t cost me anything upfront, their combined value would be about £25.
Ever since I bought the bike in August I’ve been riding it daily. It’s heavy, of course, and for a hilly town it’s overgeared; I’ve mostly been using just the three easiest of its five gears. Yet it’s very comfortable to ride, especially
in normal clothes. There’s a reason the Dutch use roadsters. Most of my journeys on it have been short urban trips of two or three miles. I also did a 15-mile ride on it wearing a suit (to attend a funeral). This wasn’t a problem on a bike with a chaincase and mudguards.
The bike rides best at stately pace, with a slower cadence. It’s not significantly slower than sportier bikes for very short trips, however, because some time is recouped at the start and end of journeys. There’s no need to look for special shoes or cycle clips, or to fit or remove lights: just jump on and go.
So far we’ve looked at one side of the money-saving coin: what it’s like finding and buying a budget secondhand bike as a customer. Now let’s look at the other side: selling, repairing, and promoting the use of older bikes.
As it happens, R-evolution in Hull is part of Cycling UK’s Big Bike Revival (BBR) scheme (cyclinguk.org/ bigbikerevival). Some other BBR partners across England are also bike recycling centres. Not all are; the scheme’s primary focus is, as the name says, more about reviving people’s bikes and their interest in using them. “The main purpose of BBR is to encourage people who have bikes but don’t use them to start cycling again,” said Susan Keywood, project manager for Big Bike Revival England.
“We think the best way to encourage people to cycle in their local areas is to have locally-based cycling development
To find a bike recycling centre in your area, whether you want to buy a bike or donate one, visit cyclinguk.org/ secondhandcycles
As well as locating Big Bike Revival partners across England, the map shows bike recycling centres in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It’s worth contacting any recycling centre before you visit, either to check what they’ve got in stock if you’re buying or to make sure they want your bike if you’re donating one. Contact details are on the website.
Buying a bike from a bike recycling centre is more straightforward (and usually comes with more backup) than buying a secondhand bike elsewhere. If you are buying from another source, however, you can find some guidance on the Cycling UK website: cyclinguk.org/article/ cycling-guide/buysecondhand-bike.
Left & opposite (top): Joolze Dymond. Opposite (below): Peter DevlinTHERE’S VALUE IN A CHEAP ‘HACK’ BIKE THAT COSTS NEXT TO NOTHING TO MAINTAINPlatt Fields Bike Hub in Manchester, also BBR affiliated
officers who work with local groups that run free events and activities on the ‘fix, learn, ride’ model. There are cycle maintenance classes, learn-to-ride and cycle confidence sessions, and led rides. With fuel prices rising considerably, that’s a real incentive to leave your car behind and get on your bike instead.”
Big Bike Revival is aimed at people who aren’t regular cyclists, as opposed to Cycling UK members. I asked Susan if there were any ways Cycling UK members could help – perhaps by donating a bike or their time, or by helping publicise the scheme.
“All of those!” she said. “We have members who volunteer for some of the projects but they could always do with more. If there’s a group near you, it’s worth getting in touch and offering to help. You could help run led rides or help with some admin or IT tasks, or even with promotion of their events on social media or by putting up a poster in a local shop. And local recycling centres are always happy to receive quality bikes as donations.
“It’s especially good to have members from ethnic minorities helping out as that encourages other people from those groups to take part too.”
The Scotland Cycle Repair Scheme (cyclinguk.org/ScotCycleRepair) also helps get unused bikes back into circulation. It does so by providing owners with £50-worth of free repairs. Whether someone has an old bike in a shed or has just bought a secondhand bike that they lack the tools or skills to fix, the Scotland Cycle Repair Scheme (SCRS) could help them start riding.
“It began as a pandemic response,” said Suzanne Forup, Cycling UK’s head of development, Scotland. “It’s now very much a post-pandemic, cost-of-living crisis response. People who wouldn’t be able to afford to have their bikes fixed are now getting it done.
“The SCRS provides people with more than just a fixed bike. I’m reviewing our impact report at the moment. Here’s a quote from one cyclist whose bike was
fixed: ‘SCRS made me feel like I deserved to be here and that I wasn’t alone.’”
The scheme isn’t only reaching people on lower incomes. “We’re seeing people in higher income brackets still feeling the pinch,” said Suzanne. “The benefit of having a free repair means that people who are maybe not completely skint, they’re not risking anything having their bike fixed. They might be able to afford it but they wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t free.”
The Scotland Cycle Repair Scheme doesn’t sell recycled bikes but Suzanne was unequivocal about the need for unused bikes to be out on the road instead of in storage. “Donate bikes,” she said when I asked her what Cycling UK members could do. “Anything that people can do to get a non-used bike out of their own possession and donated to a bike recycling charity is worth doing. Or if they know someone who could use it, just give it directly to them. If you have ten bikes and three aren’t being used, think about donating those.”
Price: £100.79
Size: 21in
Weight: 17.62kg (38.76lb), as shown at top right of p41.
Frame & fork: Lugged steel frame, probably hi-ten, with 68mm threaded bottom bracket, rear facing dropouts, and fittings for rack, stand, mudguard, and one bottle.
Steel fork with threaded steerer and mudguard fittings.
Wheels: 40-622 DSI tyres. Front: 622×30 steel rim, 36×3 spokes, solid axle hub. Rear: 622×17 Accedo alloy rim, 36×3 spokes, Sturmey Archer SRF5(W) hub.
Transmission: alloy platform pedals, 170mm steel chainset
with 40t chainring, square taper bottom bracket, 1/8in chain, 18t sprocket. Sturmey Archer SL-S50 thumbshifter and SRF5(W) hub. Five ratios, 39-99in . Braking: ‘Sparkle’ V-brakes
Steering & seating: Rubber grips, 25.4×600mm backswept steel handlebar, alloy quill stem, threaded headset. Selle Royal Ergogel saddle, 25.4mm plain steel seatpost, unbranded clamp from eBay.
Equipment: Steel mudguards, steel rack with 16mm rails and integral stand, plastic chainguard, bell. (Battery lights worth £25 added after purchase.)
I’ve never heard of the Terrain brand. All I could find out is that it was sold by Tesco Direct, which is now defunct. The bike isn’t a classic roadster in the sense of being old; it was probably made about ten years ago.
I presume the original steel rear rim was damaged beyond repair, as the rear wheel looks to have been rebuilt with an aluminium rim and new spokes. That was worth doing because the SRF5(W) rear hub is a highpoint, with a value of over £100 by itself. Its ratios are 0.625, 0.75, 1.0, 1.33, and 1.6. This decent range is hampered by the chainring and sprocket sizes – a 22-tooth sprocket would usefully lower the gearing.
Aside from buying lights and a lock, any spare funds would be well spent on Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres. Rear punctures are harder to deal with on a heavyweight hub-geared roadster, and the tyres’ extra weight would be largely irrelevant on what is already a heavy bike.
Under £100 and ready to ride away – with a three-month warranty
Thirty miles east of Edinburgh is the coastal town of Dunbar. Markus Stitz is your guide for a ride that celebrates its most famous son
Markus is the founder of Bikepacking Scotland and works with tourism organisations to create new routes north of the border
The surroundings of Dunbar provided the perfect playground for John Muir, who emigrated to the United States as a boy and later in life became known as ‘Father of the National Parks’. Muir was born in the seaside town, and this mostly flat and family-friendly route takes you through East Lothian’s stunning countryside, past long beaches, through sheltered woodlands and past the DunBear, a massive sculpture by Andy Scott.
Dunbar also marks the start or finish of the John Muir Way. And while the historic Herring Road only exists in a few places, this was once the main route across the nearby Lammermuir Hills in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. It was used by the fishwives carrying baskets of cured herring from the coast to the market in Lauder.
This route loops the small town, which offers a quieter alternative to nearby North Berwick. There’s a direct train connection on the East Coast mainline from Edinburgh to London. Find out more about Dunbar at: 60thingsdunbar.scot
Try this 86-mile road ride south of the Cairngorms: cyclinguk.org/ridecaterancountry
MARKUS STITZ
Top to bottom: Drone shot of Dunbar. John Muir statue outside the Town House. The Bridge to Nowhere. John Muir Country Park
Route name: Dolphin Dunbar Loop. Start/finish: John Muir’s Birthplace, 126 High St, Dunbar, EH42 1JJ (NT 67860 79008). Maps: OS Landranger 67. Ride length: 17.5 km (10.9 miles). Climbing: 70m. Bike type: Touring bike, gravel bike, hybrid, tandem – anything but a road bike, really. Ride level: Beginner.
GPX file: cyclinguk.org/weekender-john-muir-country
1DOLPHIN DUNBAR
Part of Scottish
Hostels, Dolphin Dunbar offers great budget accommodation for cyclists, and also offers advice on what to do in and around the town of Dunbar. The interior is entirely recycled from old furniture, and the bright, airy rooms have a pleasant retro, vintage vibe to them.
The house where Dunbar’s most famous resident grew up is situated right in the heart of town on the high street. The small museum gives a great insight into Muir’s life and his legacy, and is also the start/ finish of the John Muir Way.
At high tide you’ll wonder why someone has built a bridge here. At low tide you can find out why, as locals and visitors use the ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ to walk over the Biel Water to get to nearby Belhaven Beach, which is popular with surfers and kite surfers.
The park is a popular with all ages and is a great place to enjoy the East Lothian coast, as well as the many trails that span the forest. Barbecue places, benches, a playground and public toilets make this a convenient stop for families.
Providing more than just beautiful scenery, this is another popular place for families, with animal enclosures, train rides, go-karts, bouncy castles and trampolines. If you are just stopping by, a nice restaurant/café will keep you well-fed.
6THE DUNBEAR
The latest artwork from Kelpies creator Andy Scott is a giant fivemetre-high steel sculpture of a brown bear standing on its hind legs. It celebrates John Muir’s biggest achievement: the establishment of National Parks in the US, including Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks.
Photos by Markus Stitz
The Dunwich Dynamo is a 182km night ride from London to the coast. Jordan Gibbons took a Bluetooth speaker and a previously good friend
Queuing for carbs on Dunwich Beach
There are few cycling events I find worth doing twice, never mind three times. Once you’ve ticked the box, that’s it surely? But the Dunwich Dynamo has drawn me back again and again.
The Dun Run is a 182km ride through the night from East London to the Suffolk coast. This year was the pearl anniversary of the event, which started with just a handful of riders making the night-time voyage in 1992. Now riders are believed to number in their thousands but no one really counts, which says everything you need to know.
So it was that I found myself with my friend Grace, a group of riding buddies, and a few hundred other cyclists, rolling out of London Fields at 7pm for a very long night indeed.
Pulling onto the main road out of Epping, it was immediately clear that I had made a mistake: the people we were with were riding much too fast. Within 30 minutes my legs were already beginning to tingle, and on a long drag I was having to push to maintain pace with the group.
As luck would have it, the group pulled alongside another bunch and I spotted a photographer friend, Simon, spinning within. Taking the opportunity for a six-month friendship reunion, and a convenient break as they were chipping along at a more modest pace, I stopped for a chat. After little more than “hellos” and “how are yous”, I could already see the Team Time Trial World Championships disappearing into the distance, and I shot off to catch up. Not again, I thought…
This was my third Dunwich Dynamo. I first rode it in 2013 when an audaxing co-worker convinced me it was a great idea. It was billed as a social ride with pub stops but one bloke turned up with a power meter (a big deal back then) and all my doors were blown off in short order. My overriding memory of the event is the temptation I felt to bail out when I saw the soothing glow of a Premier Inn sign at the side of a dual carriageway. The second time was, on reflection, worse.
At the time I was as fit as a broken fiddle. I’d barely been riding and, with a long tour on the horizon, thought it might be a crafty way to shape up a bit. It was not. Through a cruel twist of fate, my friend’s frame had broken, a replacement shipped and, with nowhere else to turn, he’d asked me to swap over all the parts at 1am on the day of the Dun Run. I agreed. Later, after zero hours sleep, I got my own bike and set off from London Fields. I was soon in a state of abject ruination. I crawled into Dunwich a broken man.
Journalist & photographer
Jordan used to be a motorcycle journalist but switched to writing about bicycles for pannier.cc, Cycling UK and others
This year, just 60-odd kilometres into the route, I could feel a repeat performance in the post. After we blasted past two pubs without even pausing for breath, let alone a swift half, I decided enough was enough. Together with Grace, I channelled my inner Mick Lynch and went on strike. They disappeared off, we slowed down. Relief.
We cruised out through Essex, stopping at the delightful village of Finchingfield for a brief refuel. As the evening gave way to the night, we decided it was an appropriate time to produce the single most important item for a joyous Dynamo: a Bluetooth speaker. I know, I know – some people might think this annoying, but singing badly along to Gimme Gimme Gimme, Love Shack and It’s Raining Men gave us vital motivation. For hours we rode, sang, danced and laughed our way through Essex. When the sign for Suffolk appeared we thought it high time I produced the pizza I’d prepared earlier.
We spied the end of an open driveway littered with cyclists, some of whom clearly needed to be locked away as they were riding 182km on
Bromptons, and took a few minutes to enjoy our Blue Peter moment. Grace spoke for the first time in nearly an hour: “I’m so damp.”
It was the weekend before the crushing 40-degree heatwave, and even in the depth of night we were sweating through our short-sleeved summer kit. Our small-wheeled friends left and we realised we should probably do the same, so we saddled up and rode on. The hours after are a bit of a blur. What I think I remember, I don’t wish to repeat. Partly because some of it may not have happened – we were at times undoubtedly delirious – but also because we had agreed a form of omerta in advance: what happens on the Dynamo, stays on the Dynamo.
Arriving at Needham Lake around 2:30am it became apparent my riding partner wasn’t in great shape: “I need to just lie down for 15 minutes and not speak.”
Sensing a sense of humour failure, I abandoned her in a patch of grass that was sheltered from the nearby activity by a small tree and a couple of bins. A few steps away it was a hive of activity. Throngs of hungry cyclists queued in front of a
• Distance: 182km (113 miles).
• Route: London, Great Dunmow, Sudbury, Needham Market, Framlingham, Peasenhall, Dunwich.
• Entry fee: Free.
• Conditions: 100% tarmac. Hot.
• Bike used: Ritchey SwissCross with 34mm slicks – ideal.
• Navigation: Printed route sheet is available, but I used a GPS. Many people just follow the rider in front.
• I’m glad I had: A chain breaker. Bumped into a chap who had just snapped his chain – had I not fixed it, he’d have been stuck 15km shy of the finish.
• Next time I would: Set off slower and stop more often.
• Further info: southwarkcyclists. org.uk Fact file
The start in London Fields, Hackney Right: Essex lanes
burger van, drawn by the sound of spitting oil and the smell of burger smoke. Round the corner, an espresso wagon poured shot after shot to the sound of pumping dance music. Faces were illuminated by the glow of the neon lights.
I retrieved Grace from her poor-quality slumber, avoiding her tired gaze lest she turn me to stone, and we slid off into the dark once more. No more than ten minutes passed before click, click, click, click. What’s that noise? A tack in my front tyre… We performed a Formula 1 pit-stop to the sound of Dolly Parton, then trundled on once more. Before long, the early signs of the sunrise began to peak over the horizon. Spurred on by this, and a text from the initial group that they had long since arrived at the beach, eaten, and swum, we clacked through the gears and made a bit more progress. As the sun really began to stretch its legs, we happened across a lone, dishevelled cyclist on a blue Condor.
“Toby?”
“Jordan!”
This was no ordinary dishevelled cyclist but a friend I hadn’t seen for years. And this is the real delight of the Dun Run. It’s enjoyed by so many cyclists of all shapes, sizes, ages and backgrounds. There’s no one type of person who rides it; it’s such a welcoming event that everyone rides it. And because it’s so well known, the likelihood of seeing someone you know is far greater than not. We chatted away the miles as the countryside whizzed by until we were stopped in
our tracks by the most astonishing scene: the full fire of the sun had crept over the horizon, cutting through the treeline, burning off the morning mist. It was a Constable made real. We stood and stared for what felt like hours until, reluctantly, we realised we needed to ride on.
We reached the point where my rose-tinted spectacles were doing us no good. After every hill, I was convinced that it was the last hill of the ride.
From here on “it’s laser flat all the way” I would exclaim, my memory playing cruel tricks. Then another crest would appear. Grace’s mood began to pitch from zenith to nadir and back with each fall and rise of the road. Eventually it did flatten and, before long, the route plunged towards the sea. The café appeared in front of us like a mirage, and we ditched our bikes like we hated them to queue for plates piled high with fried carbs.
With our entries into the 2022 Dunwich Speed Breakfast Eating Competition filed, we staggered to the beach for a refreshing dunk in the sea. I made my way to the lapping waves like a drunken John Wayne, Grace like an unwell crab. The cooling water did nothing for our minds or bodies, so we quickly retreated to the dunes for a snooze. I turned to ask Grace how she’d found her first Dun Run – and stopped. Her posture, crumpled, with her head in her hands, two feet from a bag of dog poo, said it all.
The Dunwich Dynamo is free to ride but most people buy a route guide at the start for £2 to support the event. It’s simply a case of turning up with some friends and going for a ride. The only thing worth booking is the return journey: Southwark Cyclists offer a return coach, with cycle transport, for £46.99.
Clockwise: 182km on a Brompton! Needham Lake. Dunwich Beach
Questions answered, subjects explained – Cyclopedia is your bimonthly cycling reference guide
what suits you. Avoid new things during an event. Afterwards you need fluids, calories and protein so a whey powder drink or just some convenience shop chocolate milk is often enough to tide you over until you feel able to eat a proper meal.
Guidance suggests the following will help if you are susceptible: avoid high fibre food; avoid sweeteners; avoid caffeine; don’t eat high fat-foods; drink plenty of fluids; avoid painkillers like ibuprofen or naproxen; and wear comfortable clothes.
Taking medication like Imodium won’t harm you but working out what suits your body is much better.
QI’m having stomach and bowel issues on long rides. Riding 100km is fine, just some flatulence after. Riding 150km has me feeling slightly nauseous and I need to wait a couple of hours after the ride before eating. Riding 200km is another matter –I’ve had significant stomach pains later, and I’ve either stopped eating and drinking or had a couple of stops for diarrhoea. Neither option is good! I’ll experiment more with food types and amounts but wondered whether there’s any medication I can try?
Name withheld
AGut problems are common in endurance athletes, both running and cycling. They are thought to be due to multiple factors including dehydration and low blood supply to the gut, as well as faster food passage during exercise. It is helpful not to eat too close to starting a ride, and to avoid stodgy food like a cooked breakfast. During the ride you will need adequate fluids, electrolytes and glucose, and there are commercial products available like gels and powders for your water bottle.
Most audax riders prefer real food and learn what suits them, such as a banana or a flapjack or even home-made rice balls or cooked potatoes. If you practise your snacks during training rides you will learn
Dr Kate Brodie
QAfter over ten years the bearings in the left-hand pedal of my workhorse bike gave up the ghost. I had only moderate trouble removing it – several squirts of WD40 and Muc-off and ‘jumping’ on the spanner. The righthand pedal has refused to shift with similar treatment. YouTube suggested gently heating the crank arm at the pedal end. Is this a possibility?
brianleach, via the Cycling UK Forum
RICHARD HALLETT Cycle’s Technical Editor {Technical}
PAUL DARLINGTON Consultant Solicitor, Cycle SOS {Legal}
AAssuming you are turning the spanner the correct way – the righthand pedal has a conventional right-hand thread – heating the crank is probably the best option. You could also try chilling the axle with a freezing spray at the same time, as the thermal expansion/ contraction difference between crank and axle may loosen the latter’s grip. Pedal threads should always be greased before assembly to prevent micro-welding between the threads as they move against each other during pedalling.
Richard Hallett Right: Alamy
QI’d like to fit a suspension seatpost to my wife’s bike to cushion the ride for her. The seatpost on her old Dawes is 26.2mm. I cannot find a suspension seatpost in that diameter. Could I fit a 25.4mm suspension seatpost with a shim? If so, which?
Paul DavidsonAA quick online search will find several 25.4mm posts, any of which should do the job. The uncommon size means that most are telescopic in operation rather than the more sophisticated parallelogram style. However, the expensive Kinekt 2.1 XL2 (pictured), which has a spring/ parallelogram action, is available in several diameters, including 25.4mm. See velobrands.co.uk/kinekt for stockists.
Any 25.4 suspension seatpost will work with a shim. The problem is finding a shim suitable as 0.8mm is a very small difference in diameter; the shim will have a 0.4mm wall thickness, which is a challenge to machine on a lathe. A shim piece hand-cut from a drinks can is the traditional solution and will work if you can find a source of the right thickness. Beer cans tend to be sturdier than those for soft drinks, and you can check using a vernier calliper.
Richard HallettQThe Highway Code now makes it clear that a cyclist travelling forward should have priority over motor vehicles wishing to turn left from the main carriageway into a side road. However, many off-carriageway cycle tracks have give way markings where the track crosses each side road (and sometimes each driveway). Should the council remove the give way markings
ALosing momentum is a constant bugbear for cyclists, so ‘Cyclists Dismount’, ‘Stop’ or ‘Give Way’ signs are our least favourite instructions.
An off-carriageway sole or shared-use facility is one physically separate from motor traffic in the circumstances you identify. Rule 206 requires vehicles to give way to pedestrians or cyclists using such a facility where there is no other instruction. It says: “Drive slowly and carefully when… needing to cross a pavement, cycle lane or cycle track; for example to reach or leave a driveway or private access. Give way to… cyclists using a cycle lane or cycle track.”
A private driveway ought to be a ‘creep and peep’ exercise by the motorist; a give way facing the cycle track is inappropriate. One of the core design principles of Local Transport Note 1/20 is NOT to require cyclists to give way at each side road, because that is an obstacle to cycling and is likely to result in moving cyclists back onto the main carriageway.
A give way is used at the junction of a minor route with a more major one, requiring traffic on the former to give precedence to that on the latter. Just as the ‘left hook’ provision is intended to protect cyclists (and pedestrians) from known risks, the give way on cycle tracks is a balance of potential consequences.
where the speed limit is over 40mph, it would not normally be appropriate to give cyclists priority. Various design options are set out, all requiring a more costly intervention than simple road markings or signs.
In summary: the highway authority really ought to reconsider its decision to place cycle facing give way signs at private driveways. Similar give way markings at side roads depend upon the individual circumstances (speed, traffic flow, etc) and the willingness/resources of the highway authority to undertake a junction redesign.
Paul DarlingtonQMy partner’s bike has a Magura hydraulic rim brake on the front. I’m wondering about replacing it with something non-hydraulic. Would it be possible to fit a V-brake? Maybe some sort of adapter exists?
tomsumner49, via the Cycling UK Forum
A
be unlikely to succeed in arguing that measure
Roads are categorised on the basis of volume and type of traffic, speed limits, and the nature of the areas which they serve. We would be unlikely to succeed in arguing that all off-carriageway facilities ought to be placed above a vehicular highway in the rankings. The exception could be a critical mass situation where the number of cyclists exceeds vehicles (hurrah!) in an urban environment.
This conflict is recognised in Chapter 10 of the Local Transport Note, which explains that, for safety reasons,
Magura rim brakes are designed to be mounted on modern standard cantilever/linear-pull brake bosses spaced at 78-80mm, which means that they can be replaced with either of those cable-operated options without the need for an adapter. It’s easy to measure the spacing of the bosses before taking the plunge, but remember that cantilever brakes will need some sort of hanger or stop for the outer cable. Linear-pull V-brakes should be a straight swap.
Richard HallettEMAIL your technical, health, or legal questions to editor@cyclinguk.org or write to Cyclopedia, Cycle, PO Box 313, Scarborough, YO12 6WZ. We regret that Cycle magazine cannot answer unpublished queries. But don’t forget that Cycling UK operates a free-to-members advice line for personal injury claims, TEL: 0330 107 1789.
and replace them with ones that align with the current Highway Code?Alamy
For: Chris Bursnall, aged 84, from North Wales. Bike needs: I’m looking to change my Specialized Tricross, which I love, for something that is easier to get on and off. I’d prefer not to have an e-bike but might consider one. Must have: Stepthrough frame or dropped top tube; disc brakes for hands that are becoming arthritic, and for our steep hills in North Wales; drop handlebar. Must not have: Straight handlebar. Budget: £2,500
The only off-the-peg electric option I found that meets your criteria is the Cairn BRAVe 1.0 Drop Bar (£2,789, cairncycles.com), which weighs 18.68kg without pedals. This gravel style e-bike has a drop handlebar, a steeply sloping top tube, and disc brakes. It comes in four frame sizes. The high quality Shimano Steps E7000 mid-drive comes with a very large 630Wh battery. It’s just outside your budget, though it’s a high quality e-bike that should last a long time.
If you can compromise by dropping the drop bar, there are loads of e-bike options. You may be hesitant of going electric because of the extra weight and price. If so, Ribble make a great range of lightweight, good value e-bikes. The sporty Hybrid AL e Step Through (£2,399, ribblecycles.co.uk), which weighs 13.8kg, has a dropped top tube but a flat handlebar. Conversion to a drop bar would be fairly involved and pricey, and Ribble might argue it invalidates the warranty. Ribble did produce the CGR Al e Step Through with a drop bar but say they don’t offer it now and are not sure when or if they will.
Also consider a retrofit kit. The excellent Cytronex (from £995) adds 3.2-3.6kg, though the battery is relatively small. I’ve found Cytronex very knowledge and helpful. Note that this kit won’t offer the high power assist of the Shimano system. Equally high quality but much pricier are ARCC retrofit kits. ARCC are Moulton specialists. There are drop bar Moulton models, which have low step-over frames, but only with rim brakes.
Richard’s given electric options so I’ll focus on unassisted bikes. The main issue is that bikes with a step-through frame and a drop handlebar are vanishingly rare. The Temple Cycles Step Through Tour (£1,345, templecycles.co.uk) ticks both boxes but has mid-drop rim brakes rather than discs. Swapping the brake pads – e.g. for Kool-Stop Dura – might improve the braking enough for you.
The Airnimal Joey Endurance (£2,250, airnimal.co) meets all your requirements, having a low-standover, a drop bar, and Avid BB7 brakes. And it folds for travel or storage. You will likely want a smaller chainring for those Welsh hills, however.
If you’re prepared to forgo the drop bar, the Islabikes Janis (£1,099, islabikes.co.uk) is what I’d recommend. It’s designed for cyclists like you, with a step-through frame, hydraulic disc brakes, and really low gears. Other age-friendly features include easy-tyre-change rims and an optional dropper seatpost (+£140) for easier mounting and dismounting. (See cyclinguk.org/biketest/Icons for my review.)
If a drop bar is essential, budget £600 (or more if your local shop does the work) for: a compact drop bar: a stem that’s ~40mm shorter (i.e. 30mm); Microshift Advent X levers, rear derailleur, and 11-48 cassette; and TRP Hy-Rd callipers. My recommendation, however, would be to stick with the flat bar and just add a pair of Cane Creek Ergo Control bar ends (£29.99) for an alternative hand position.
Which bike should I buy? Ask us at cyclinguk.org/bikefinderChris Bursnall
AGPX (GPS Exchange Format) file is an electronic format for sharing cycling or walking routes, which you can view and follow on a phone or bike-mounted GPS device. The GPX file contains a list of points (i.e. coordinates) that make up the route line for you to follow.
There are other proprietary file formats such as FIT or TCX files, which contain health and fitness data, but GPX is the standard for sharing and publishing routes. It’s a format that’s supported by all the main cycling navigation apps (Komoot, Ride with GPS, Strava, etc).
GPX files can be downloaded for free from a myriad of websites, including Cycling UK’s; see, for example, cyclinguk.org/140-routes. Most navigation apps come with a set of curated cycling routes, along with the ability for users to create, edit, publish and share their own.
To use a GPX file you’ll need a smartphone or a bike-mounted GPS computer. Both will allow you to load a GPX file and will help you navigate along it using digital mapping.
GPS computers are tailored for this. Transfer the file to the device from your home computer, tablet or phone using USB, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. It will be recognised as a route, allowing you to
select it from a list and start navigation. You’ll see the route overlaid on a pre-installed digital map that’s zoomed in to your current location.
Most GPS vendors provide software/apps to simplify this process for you. For example, the Garmin Connect App will recognise a GPX file, offer to create a route from it, and enable you to download it to your Garmin device.
A smartphone works in a similar manner but requires that you install an app to view and navigate a GPX file. You may need to download additional basemap files. To prolong your phone's battery life whilst navigating, disable mobile data on the phone.
Both GPS devices and smartphone apps will record a GPX file as you ride, which is a great way to keep a detailed log of your rides and share them with others.
Sharing a route you’ve ridden with others is relatively easy using the ‘Export to GPX’ option provided by most of the navigation apps/ websites. This will download a GPX file to your computer or smartphone, which can be sent to someone as an attachment to an email. Alternatively you could upload the route to one of the route-sharing sites such as Komoot or Ride with GPS; you’ll need to create an account first. You can make your route publicly available or only viewable by those with whom you want to share.
Using your phone’s web browser, go to the site containing the GPX (e.g. cyclinguk. org/weekender-dragonsback). Click on the ‘Download GPX’ link.
wish to use for navigation, such as Komoot or Ride with GPS.
Find the file on your phone – usually in your downloads folder. Select it and click ‘Share’.
2
3
Choose the navigation app on your phone that you
The app will open and process the GPX file. You may be asked to set the activity type – obviously we choose ‘Cycling’.
Tap ‘Start Navigation’ when you’re at the route’s start point and are ready to begin.
Eurovelo routes GPX files for the 19 long-distance Eurovelo routes are now available to download: en.eurovelo.com
Dave is a cycling author and IT professional who has written his own opensource route planner.
High gears don’t
Guy has been a bike tester for 25 years. He’s a freelance technical editor for paper and online media and talks to himself while riding bikes at YouTube/ GuyKesTV
As the cost of living continues to rise to ever more painful levels it’s taking the prices of bikes and holidays with it.
So can you still get an enjoyable and capable adventure bike at a remotely affordable price and rescue the idea of a touring/exploring/ bikepacking trip as an economical escape?
I tested couple of £500ish gravel bikes from Schwinn and Voodoo to find out.
There’s no traditional touring bike in this test because there aren’t any at this price. The Dawes Galaxy is now a flat-bar hybrid and frame-only touring bike options from specialists like Spa Cycles and St John Street Cycles are the same price as the complete bikes featured here: a Voodoo Limba from Halfords and a Schwinn Scree from Decathlon.
Like many budget brands, both bikes only come in small, medium and large sizes. The main separator between the test bikes is the riding position and
handling balance. The Limba looks and feels like a conventional gravel bike, with a 410mm fork, short head tube, and the stem fitted flat to give a relatively low handlebar height. In contrast the Scree has a 430mm fork and a 30mm longer head tube, so even when I switched the headset spacers out the bar was still significantly higher. The top tube slopes down dramatically like a mountain bike’s so there’s lots more seatpost exposed for a given saddle height.
In terms of tubing both bikes have aluminium frames but the Voodoo is chunkier in nearly every dimension, with a kinked down tube and an angular cross-section top tube. While cable guides are external it gets a neat pipe chainstay bridge and a shaped head tube with an actual physical head tube badge for a high-quality feel. Practical wins include
You can’t buy a touring bike for £500 these days but there are gravel bikes at that price. Are they any good as all-rounders? Guy Kesteven finds outMore upright riding position and simpler shifting suit beginners better. GUY KESTEVEN
a forward-facing seat slot to fight spray, both bottle cage mounts inside the mainframe to keep nozzles clean, rack mounts at the rear, and mudguard mounts front and back.
The Schwinn gets a much shallower, rectangularsection top tube than the Voodoo. Brake and gear cables are internally routed but there’s nothing to stop them rattling inside the frame. The straight head tube with external bearing cups and the flat-plate brace between the chainstays point to a cheaper chassis cost. There’s only 1.5mm clearance between the fat 45mm tyre and the chainstays too, which wouldn’t take much to clog on a dirty day on the Ridgeway. While there are rack mounts and mudguard mounts at the rear, the Schwinn doesn’t have front mudguard mounts. That means that any bottle put in the cage mount under the down tube is going to get filthy even more quickly.
The cosmetic wins keep on coming for the Voodoo when it comes to the components.
The Shimano Claris shifters have both gear and brake cables exiting under the hoods and tape for a clean look to the front end. The handlebar has an ergo, teardrop top profile and is slightly flared at the drop; while it’s only 410mm on the top it’s 480mm at the tips.
The Schwinn uses lumpier-looking Microshift levers with external routing, so there’s a long length of shift cable dangling in the wind before it gets to the frame insertion point. The one lever controls all ten gears as the Scree has a single 42-tooth chainring (with alloy guides either side) on a chunky, 3D-forged ‘Chariot’ arm and spider. While I’d normally champion single chainring setups for gravel, as the sequential shifting is a lot easier to predict, it lacks the wide-ratio cassette essential for a good gear range. In fact it has the same small 11-28 tooth spread as the Limba, but over ten sprockets rather than eight. However, the Limba also has two (nonreplaceable, pressed steel) chainrings, giving 46- and 30-tooth options up front. The tyre choice and wheel builds of the
Price: £499.99
Sizes: S, M (tested), L
Weight: 12.43kg
Frame & fork: Schwinn 6061 aluminium gravel frame with internal brake and gear cable routing, QR dropouts, and fittings for two bottle cages, rear rack and mudguard.
Schwinn steel gravel fork with QR dropouts.
Wheels: 45-622 WD gravel tyres, double-wall 700C rims with 36 plain gauge spokes laced 3-cross on QR hubs.
Transmission: Chariot aluminium
chainset with 170mm cranks and 42 tooth chainring with twin alloy guards, 10-speed chain, square taper bottom bracket. Microshift
R10 10-speed gearing with 11-28 tooth cassette. Ten ratios: 42-106in.
Braking: JAK
Super Brake cableoperated callipers with 160mm rotors.
Steering & seating: 410mm aluminium drop bars, 95mm stem, threadless headset. Aluminium single-bolt seatpost, Schwinn colourcoded saddle. decathlon.co.uk
two bikes are noticeably different. The Voodoo gets 35mm WTB Riddler tyres with a small-knob, ‘semislick’ tread and retro-look skinwall carcasses; the Schwinn uses much fatter but unbranded 45mm rubber with a very shallow tread. Neither bike’s tyres or rims are tubeless compatible. The Schwinn’s wheels have 36 spokes threaded into hubs with a crude metal plate seal over the bearings, while the Voodoo has 32 spokes each end and rubbersealed hubs.
Top: While the tread is okay off-road, you may want to go wider: 45mm tyres will fit Bottom: Claris shifters route the cables under the bar tape these days, like Sora etc
Both bikes are specified with cable-operated disc brakes with 160mm rotors front and rear. The brands are different (JAK and Tektro) but the single-piston design and (eventually) adequate function are basically the same. It’s well worth bedding in the brakes on both bikes by following an alternating pedal-hard-andbrake-hard protocol until you can feel the rotors and pads scrub in and start to work properly
Saddles and seatposts are different. The Voodoo has a centre-channeled, kevlar-reinforced WTB Volt saddle on
top of a tidy looking twobolt seatpost with a fully forged head. In contrast, the Schwinn has a long, amorphous white-striped saddle on top of a long post with a pressed steel upper cradle.
With the frame and components all looking like they’ve had more time and money spent on them, you’d be forgiven for presuming the Voodoo Limba was the runaway winner of this test. It certainly rides very well for the money if you’re looking for a conventional all-rounder with decent tyre space and off-road capability. The lower-set handlebar gives a ‘proper’ bike fit that stokes the speed in terms of a more purposeful position. The handling is well balanced too, with enough weight on the front wheel for tracking loose or otherwise slippery corners well.
The Schwinn’s taller fork and head tube give it a much more upright riding position. This makes it lighter on the front wheel, so even though the head angles are only 0.5º different, it didn’t feel as
Price: £525
Sizes: S, M (tested), L
Weight: 12.26kg
Frame & fork: 6061 aluminium frame with QR dropouts and fittings for two bottle cages, rear rack and mudguard. Steel fork with QR dropouts and mudguard fittings.
Wheels: 37-622
WTB Riddler Comp tyres, Voodoo aluminium rims with 32 plain gauge spokes laced 3-cross on QR hubs.
Transmission: Prowheel double
chainset with 175mm arms and 4630 tooth chainrings, Shimano CS-HG50 8-speed 11-28T cassette. Shimano Claris R2000 shifters and derailleurs. 16 ratios: 30-117in.
Braking: Tektro Mira cableoperated discs with 160mm rotors
Steering & seating: aluminium 410/480mm flared drop bar, 80mm stem, threadless headset. WTB Volt saddle, 27.2×350mm aluminium seatpost. halfords.com
The frame has good features and fittings for all-round use, while the spec cuts few corners
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.
determined to take higher speeds through corners. Headwinds are more obvious too. Some of my testers did prefer the more upright position – the ‘sit up and enjoy the view’ vibe is great for less hurried riding, whether that’s in town, rolling along back lanes, or on the trails. It also takes weight off the wrists and more strain off the lower back if you’re not used to ‘assuming the position’. With less weight on the front wheel and a noticeably less grippy tyre, it’s much more tentative through turns. As the bars aren’t flared, there’s no increase in leverage if you drop your hands either. The higher position obviously maintains the more ‘heads up’ advantages even when you switch to using the drops to get more leverage from the brakes.
As well as its more orthopaedic position, the Schwinn is the more comfortable bike to ride on and off road. Most of this comes from the fatter tyres, which I ran at 30-35psi with a 70kg rider. Also, the longer, narrower-legged fork doesn’t jab and jar as much as the Voodoo’s can. My less experienced test riders preferred the long, soft saddle. On longer riders, however, the WTB Volt saddle on the Limba offers more support and its flatter handlebar top, flared drops and cork tape offer more cushioning.
When I switched wheels (there’s actually more tyre space in the Voodoo than the Schwinn), the overall comfort gap was far narrower, with the Limba noticeably benefitting from more bounce and the ability to run lower pressures. It was still faster, so upgrading to a larger volume tyre offers useful versatility if you’ll be riding off-road –or on rough roads – regularly.
While the Schwinn delivers a more enjoyable ride than its frame and feature suggest, it falls down very badly in one area: gearing. The Microshift 1× gears are intuitive but the compact cassette is a killer on even gentle climbs. The range of 42-106in is more suited to the Low Countries than loaded riding on any gradients. You could switch the chainset for one with a smaller chainring but that loses the taller gears. What’s frustrating is that the medium cage R10 rear mech will happily cope with a 34-tooth maximum sprocket, and an 11-34 10-speed cassette is right there in the Microshift catalogue. It should have been on the Schwinn.
Same cassette but with a 46-30 double
In contrast, the double chainset arrangement on the Voodoo seemed clumsy and noisy to our novice riders but its gear range (30-117in) was more forgiving of fitness limitations and closer-spaced contours. I still want a bigger cassette. The rear mech can take a 34t sprocket, which would enable pedalling rather than pushing up longer, steeper slopes off-road.
TRIBAN ROAD BIKE RC120 £499.99
Sitting next to the Schwinn in the French-based sports supermarche is their excellent own brand all-rounder. Tyres are thin and gears are tall, but a carbon fork and tubeless ready rims give it great gravel potential. decathlon.co.uk
I didn’t have high hopes for the Schwinn initially but it delivered a smoother, comfortably upright and more enjoyable ride than expected. It particularly appealed to the less experienced testers who liked the softer saddle and the intuitive single-ring shifting. The choice of chainring size and close-ratio cassette hamstring it horribly on hills or with loads, however, and the lack of front mudguard mounts is annoying for commuting.
MERLIN MALT G2 CLARIS £599
Lancashire direct-sell stalwarts Merlin offer an entry level version of their Malt G2 gravel bike that still gets a carbon fork. While the Claris gear range is more on road than off, 35mm Kenda tyres provide a good off-piste start. merlincycles.com
In terms of both everyday riding and weekend exploring, the faster, wider-gear-range, fullmudguard-ready Limba is the more versatile bike. If you find its ride harsh over rougher terrain there’s plenty of space to add the float of fatter tyres. The frame and overall spec are good enough to make upgrading the transmission or even fitting a lighter carbon fork a viable option in the longer term. Aspects like the better-sealed hubs, twin-bolt seat post, WTB saddle and superior bar tape that might seem trivial now will be more important further down the line too.
An 11-28 cassette limits the Schwinn’s gearing
Skin-tight lycra isn’t the only option for saddleproofing your posterior. Lauren Brooks tests four pairs of padded pants for women
Look for breathable fabrics, such as nylon and polyester, with some stretch in them (from a percentage of elastane/lycra). The longer the ride, the more padding you may need.
Check the size guide against your measurements. Too small and they will roll down or dig in. Too big and they will move around and cause rubbing. I found all four pants here true to size.
are quick-drying, odour-resistant, and will withstand frequent washing. I found that all pairs tested dried outdoors within a couple of hours.
The smaller the style of pants, the less bulky and the less conspicuous they are (if that’s what you’re looking for). The longer the padding in the front, the more comfortable the pants are for female anatomy.
Cycling UK’s digital communications and media officer is a new-to-gravel cyclist who often complains of sore sit bones!
Handy for commuters, bikepackers, tourers, and mountain bikers, padded pants provide extra saddle comfort without the not-always-flattering look of clingy lycra. They’re great if you’re self conscious about your shape and also for off-the-bike situations where lycra looks a little odd.
You can wear padded pants under normal clothes, including dresses and skirts, as well as under baggy cycling shorts. They’re less obtrusive than wearing lycra shorts underneath (especially bib shorts) and they pack smaller when not worn.
Often made from blended fabrics, padded pants wick away sweat where that job is most important for pH balance. The key issue with them is the padding itself. Too much and you may as well be wearing your usual chamois. Too little and your bum won’t thank you for it.
This test is of padded pants for women. There are men’s versions of all of them except the VeloVixen pants, although the Altura Tempo Undershorts for men are a very different style.
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.
If you’re touring, blended fabrics that include merino wool, polyester or bamboo
Look for strong seams. While some fabric stretchiness is good, more than about 4% elastane may result in overstretching long term.
THESE HIGH-STRETCH boxers have substantial padding; I could happily ride 40 miles off-road in them with the help of some chamois cream before my sit bones ached. You could team them with baggy shorts or trousers for off-road rides, or a loose dress or skirt. I wore mine under some ‘fashion’ cycle shorts and they felt comfortable but a little bulky. The pants have a fastwicking antibacterial finish, which is good news for hot days. Sizes: XS-XL. The biggest size fitted my size 16/18 frame comfortably.
£39.99 corinnedennis.co.uk
THESE COTTON-RICH undies have medium-thickness padding, which I found comfortable for up to around 25-30 miles of offroad riding. They’ve got more of a ‘short’ cut than the Endura boxers, which makes them feel more like underwear and thus not so noticeable underneath jogging bottoms, shorts, leggings, or a skirt. Because they’re made from 90% cotton they won’t wick sweat away as effectively as other materials so may start to feel damp on long/ hot rides but will keep you fairly warm on cold days. Sizes: 8-20.
£42 velovixen.com
I FOUND THE style of these knickers unflattering. They have decent yet firm gel-like padding but a very noticeable pant line, so I’d only wear them under loose garments – baggy shorts or trousers, dresses or skirts. While they’re good for commuting or leisurely rides in ‘normal’ clothes, I didn’t find them particularly comfortable for rides longer than 20 miles. They come in various designs if that’s what you want from a pair of padded undies. I didn’t feel sweaty in them thanks to the moisture-wicking polyester.
If you’re looking for ‘true’ padded pants then the similarlypriced Corinne Dennis or VeloVixen pairs will do the job for casual or short rides, giving you noticeable extra comfort. Of the two, I think the VeloVixen pants steal it: although they’re the least flattering, the material is more breathable and so won’t leave your groin damp.
The Altura pants are the least conspicuous but also provide the least amount of padding, so they’re ideal for more ‘fashion conscious’ riders who don’t feel comfortable going commando under kit for short rides.
If you’ll be out all day and don’t mind the bigger pad you can’t beat the Endura boxers, which have excellent padding from front to back and feel unnoticeable once they’re on due to the stretch in the material.
£20 altura.co.uk
THE MOST APPEALING of the four pairs, these actually look like knickers. They’re unnoticeable when worn, making them ideal for short-duration cycling like spin classes, as well as for situations where you want to wear normal clothes. I wouldn’t choose them for journeys longer than 15 miles, however, as the padding is not very thick. I had no VPL, which is good if you’re conscious of how they look under bottoms. They’re made from a lightweight breathable fabric, which is inconspicuous but may not be as durable.
Barely-there
For more reviews of bikes, kit and components, as well as how-to guides, visit... cyclinguk.org/advice
Price: £375
Sizes: S, M (tested), L Weight: 11.1kg/ 24.4lb (with pedals)
Singlespeeds can be simple, affordable transport or stylish lifestyle accessories. Dan Joyce tests a £375 model that’s both
The fixie fad may be long behind us but singlespeeds with and without freewheels remain popular in big cities – particularly London where Steed Bikes is based. The company has two models: the flatbar Thoroughbred (£450) and this Stallion (£375).
It looks like you’d expect a London singlespeed to look: skinny (hi-ten) steel tubes, deep section rims, bonkers bullhorn handlebar, and those little cross-top brake levers that people seem to like. Oh, and it’s all black. “Cool bike,” a bloke said to me when I was parking it in town on my first ride. Score one to the Steed Bikes marketing department.
Beneath the fashionable exterior there’s a fairly sensible frameset for urban use. Mid-drop brakes create room for mudguards and there are eyelets to fit them. There’s toe room too,
SINGLE-SPEED 500 £249.99
Steel frame and fork, flip-flop hub, fittings for mudguards. Not as stylish as the Steed but more than £100 cheaper and comes with better brake levers. decathlon.co.uk
despite a short-offset fork, as the top tube is long. The chainstays are short, however, so you may have to cable-tie a cut-down rear mudguard to the seat tube. The rear dropouts have useful Allen-bolt adjusters. The rear brake cable guides can be removed if you convert the Stallion to fixed-wheel and dispense with the rear brake. (The bike has a flipflop hub but you’ll need to add your own sprocket and lockring.)
The components are a mixed bag. Shorter, square taper cranks? Good. That handlebar and those brake levers? Bad. The dinky levers give less braking leverage than ‘proper’ ones and their position either side of the stem forces you to ride with your hands there while whizzing down the busy urban streets the bike is built for, as you can’t reach them with your hands on the
£599
Long-drop brakes allow pothole-smoothing 40mm tyres but there are no frame fittings at all so you’ll need to bodge mudguards to fit. Reviewed Feb/Mar 20. ribblecycles.co.uk
Frame & fork: hi-ten steel frame with fittings for rear rack and mudguard. Hi-ten steel fork with 1 1/8in steerer and mudguard fittings.
Wheels: 28-622 Kenda Kwest tyres, 622×17 40mm deep section aluminium rims, 32×2 spokes, aluminium solid-axle hubs.
Transmission: Wellgo plastic pedals, aluminium chainset with 165mm cranks and 46t
chainring, square taper bottom bracket, KMC 1/8in chain, 18t freewheel.
One ratio: 69in.
Braking: Unbranded bar-top levers, Promax mid-drop callipers.
Steering & seating: polymer foam bar tape, 26×410mm aluminium bullhorn bar, 7º×90mm aluminium stem, threadless headset.
Anatomic ‘vegan leather’ saddle, 25.4×300mm aluminium seatpost, Allen-bolt seatpost clamp. steedbikes.com
handlebar’s forward extensions. I’d much prefer TT brake levers fitted to the bar ends, which I'd first saw several inches shorter. Riding with your hands on the bar ends would also give more steering leverage to counteract what is, for a ‘fixie’, a lot of trail.
The 69in gear is probably ideal for London but slightly tall for a hilly town like Scarborough. It’s harder to spin up to speed than the gear size suggests because the narrow, bar-top hands position prevents you bringing your upper body into play. Heavy, deep section rims with stodgy, pricepoint tyres don’t help, although I did appreciate the tyres’ width – which the wider-than-usual rims plump up further.
Handlebar and brake levers detract from what is otherwise an affordable, commuter-friendly singlespeed that’s rack and mudguard ready. A pair of TT levers and new cables would cost around £50, so Steed’s Thoroughbred model looks to be the better buy.
Above: Mid-drop sidepull brakes means room for mudguards even over these nominally 28mm wide tyres
This summer Saartje Drijver and her friend Fiona spent three days bikepacking through northern Scotland
While most of the UK was experiencing a heatwave in the middle of July, the weather in the north of Scotland provided excellent conditions for a summer cycling trip. My good friend Fiona and I had both read about the Moray Way and fancied a mini adventure.
We planned the trip at short notice and were happy to wild camp for the two nights. Norman Thomson’s guidebook was our bible to tell us about historical features en route. After a drive, and lunch in Granton-on-Spey, we followed the delightful Dava Way to Kinloss and on to Findhorn. Here we enjoyed a beer and found a quiet camping spot in the dunes.
The following day we had a swim in the Moray Forth and meandered along the Moray Coastal Trail past Burghead and Hopeman to Lossiemouth. We joined families enjoying the sunshine on the beach at Lossiemouth, then were guided by two local mountain bikers through the woods to get us on our way to Spey Bay. We think we saw dolphins but they could equally have been big birds.
From there we turned south along the Speyside Way. The route took us away from the river and up into the hills for a few miles. This is where we found our second camping spot. A snapped chain link took some time to mend the following morning. We had the right tools but no idea how to use them. Luckily we had internet connection and were able to follow the instructions on a YouTube video.
The rest of the route followed the River Spey, railway routes along the Speyside distilleries, and finally through the woods back to Granton-on-Spey. All in all, this is a great 100-mile trip which is comfortably done over three days if you want to appreciate the countryside and towns along the way.
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Chase the Sun UK South is a 205-mile sportive from Kent to Somerset. Louise Bell rode it
THREE WEEKS BEFORE tackling Chase the Sun I tested my legs on the RideLondon. I left at 4.45am, rode the 30 miles there, and finished the 100-mile event feeling strong. I was just about ready for the east-to-west, coast-to-coast Chase the Sun. I planned to ride solo and self-supported, aiming not for sunset but simply to plod the distance with minimal stops.
The day’s high point was locking eyes with another solo rider at the start in Minster. We instantly became a team. She fed me flapjack; I fed her cake. She waited as I sorted a mechanical; I navigated when her Garmin died. She was in a relay team so we cycled miles 1-60 and 100-150 together. Those miles tripped by and were an absolute joy.
My low point was before lunch, riding on my own for two hours after I had burned too many matches joining stronger riders. My legs were leaden and I couldn’t keep from dwelling on the task still ahead. Not yet halfway, the urge to stop was fierce.
From Devizes, at 150 miles, I was solo again. This time, however, my mind was strong. Although the rain, wind and cold on that English summer day were brutal, I gained comfort from being part of a small wave of cycling humanity, inching forward, united in bearing terrible conditions.
My navigation failed in Cheddar Gorge and my hands were too frozen to right the problem. Instead, I followed a twinkle of red lights, pedalling fast for the last hour to keep them in sight and keep from freezing. We arrived in Burnham at 9pm, half an hour before sunset, to cheering supporters.
Fixing a chain after YouTube advice The start on the Isle of Sheppey Camping near Findhorn
London Edinburgh London meant a different journey for Rev Graeme Holdsworth, who combined cycling with helping out on the 1,500km audax
Having ridden London Edinburgh London (LEL) in 2017, I was keen to support the 2022 edition alongside 750 other volunteers. Nearly 2,000 cyclists had entered, all planning to ride the 930-mile route in under 128 hours. I was part of the team at the start, and later at another control point near the North York Moors. I combined cycle-camping with the East Coast mainline train.
As the start of LEL is on the edge of London, I cycled out from King’s Cross Station. It was a nice ride past bustling cafés and pubs in warm sunshine. Low Traffic Neighbourhoods have created a corridor free from heavy traffic.
There was so much to do preparing the start site to process rider registration, but the organiser looked after us with food and drink. I worked the helpdesk as part of a small team. We handled all sorts of questions, including “Can I store my boat at the start?” and “I’ve bought this bike computer, can you show me how it works?”
Sunday 7 August was the Grand Depart. We cheered audaxers off in groups of 50 and, as a start-gate marshal, I had the chance to speak to almost everyone. There was a lot of nervous excitement. This is probably the UK’s
hardest mass-participation endurance event, yet the women and men taking part seemed to be so normal. After waving off the last riders, I cycled back into London to catch the train north, dotwatching tracker signals while I travelled.
I cycled with my camping gear to the Northallerton control, arriving just before those I had waved off at 5am in London. These riders had transformed from the fresh faces I’d seen 250 miles ago. Apart from the physical effort, many were emotionally tired. I took the opportunity to offer advice from my own experience and encourage them through dark times.
I had to return to work by the middle of the week but was glued to the social media reports on LEL2022 progress. I’ve made new friends volunteering and it has been a wonderful journey among generous people.
I’ve often seen signs for the Trans Pennine Trail. Curiosity got the better of me and I committed to ride
it. Rather than book accommodation, I chose to return home by train each day, picking up the trail again the next morning. This meant breaking my journey at stations with a good connection to Sheffield. I finished day one at Stockport, day two at Goole, and returned from Hull at the end of the ride. Returning home each night meant I could travel light.
The start from Southport was easygoing, although I rode through a short summer downpour. Signage became harder to spot in urban areas and I got lost a couple of times, taking an unofficial route through Sale via the Bridgewater Canal towpath. The train home from Stockport was cancelled so I had to travel on services I didn’t have reservations for. Luckily the train crews were sympathetic.
Day two was the toughest part of the trip: 176km, including the Pennine crossing. An early start meant I enjoyed breakfast in Hadfield before climbing to the highest point of the trail, with the Woodhead Tunnel deep below. I was then in familiar territory as I sped towards East Yorkshire with the wind on my back.
The long day before gifted me a relaxed finale. I enjoyed pleasant backroads along the Ouse and the Humber before the last stretch on the Hull-to-Hornsea Rail Trail.
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The outer London start
Graeme cycle-camped
Eddie booked trains not B&Bs
Eddie Miles cycled the 360km Trans Pennine Trail in rail-assisted stages
