Cycle Magazine Aug-Sep 2014

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AU G U S T/S E P T E M B E R 2 014 ÂŁ3 o r f r e e to c tc m e m b e r s This issue c y c l i n g at universit y cyclist s

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Wales E2E tour Cyclists at war MTB bivvy biking Bar bags test

war wales end to end tour mtb biv v y bik ing bar bags tested budge t hybrids re vie w

U n i c yc l i n g Bikes & advice for students & parents A U G U S T/ S E P T E M B E R 2 0 14

c t c . o rg . u k

Bikes Events 2015 Ad.indd 1

16/12/2014 14:52

C yc l e A U G U S T/S E P T E M B E R 2 0 14

Contents

Clockwise from far left: Steve Rock, Alamy, Dave Barter

Founded in 1878

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32

From the Editor your bike out of the airing cupboard? I want to dry my clothes.' Cycling facilities were limited at university years ago. There might have been a few Sheffield stands, but they were exposed to the weather and the attention of thieves. My bike – a Muddy Fox Pathfinder fitted with a pannier rack that I used for anything and everything – was the only item of value I owned. So I parked it in the airing cupboard, vertically.

Dropping my own sons off at university in recent years, there were still Sheffield stands – inside a bespoke bike store, with a key-coded locked door and a cavernous amount of space.

There were quite a few trafficfree cyclepaths too.

What hasn't changed is that cycling remains an excellent way to get around as a student. After buying the bike itself, costs are minimal compared with public transport or, even more so, a second-hand car. And it's practical for the short distances that students tend to travel.

Regular cyclists know this. But university is a time when young adults often come back to cycling, having drifted away in their teens. It's a chance for them to find out how fantastic – and how fantastically practical – cycling is. It's an education.

University is a great time to take out individual membership of CTC too. I would say that: that's when I joined.

‘Can you take

58

membership

Every issue

this issue

5

4 B i g p i c t u r e This issue: the Côte de Buttertubs

News CTC's analysis of the cycling news

12 C a m p a i g n s c o m m en t

Debate on sentencing bad drivers

32 T h e d r a g o n ' s b a c k b o ne An end-to-end through Wales

14 E v en t s ne w s Recent and upcoming cycling events

38 Un i c y cl i n g Why student cycling is getting better by degrees

18 S h o p w i n d o w

New products that are worth a look

44 p e d a ll i n g t o p a le s t i ne 7,000km, post-university peace ride

20 Ge a r u p Components, kit and accessories on test 25 L e t t e r s

Your feedback on Cycle and cycling 30 C T C & Me

New CTC member Caren Hartley 32 M y b i k e

Tom Bannister's Santa Cruz Bronson 64 Q & A Your technical, health and legal questions answered 78 C T C m e m b e r b ene f i t s

Special offers for CTC members 81 T r a v elle r s ' T a le s

CTC members' ride reports 83 C T C C y cl i n g H o l i d a y s

Let us take you there

Get five years’ CTC membership for the price of four. Details on p78

48 t h e h o m e f r o n t The impact of WW1 on 1914's cyclists 55 T h e c a m p a i g n trail Get cycling on the next government's agenda 58 W i l d W a le s Off-road with a bivvy bag U N I C YC L I N G

68 L o w - c o s t city bikes Hybrids for a student budget

BIKES & ADVICE FOR STUDENTS & PARENTS

On the cover

72 An elec t r i c MTB Cube Stereo Hybrid 120 Pro 29er 74 B a r b a g s The touring cyclist's handbag/ manbag

Cyclist passes Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge. © Kumar Sriskandan/Alamy

CTC, Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford, GU2 9JX E: cycling@ctc.org.uk W: ctc.org.uk T: 0844 736 8450 or 01483 238300 (national office) 0844 736 8451 or 01483 238301 (membership dept) Cycle promotes the work of CTC. Cycle’s circulation is approx. 51,000. CTC is one of the UK’s largest cycling membership organisations, with 67,000 members and affiliates CTC Patron: Her Majesty the Queen President: Jon Snow CTC Council Chair: David Cox Chief Executive: Paul Tuohy.

Cyclists’ Touring Club (CTC) a Company Limited by Guarantee, registered in England No 25185, registered as a charity in England and Wales Charity No 1147607 and in Scotland No SC042541. Registered office: Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford, GU2 9JX.

Dan Joyce Editor

Cycle Magazine: Editor: Dan Joyce e: editor@ctc.org.uk Designers: Mary Harris, Simon Goddard Advertising: Anna Vassallo tel: 020 7079 9365 e: annav@jppublishing.co.uk Creative Director: James Houston Publisher: James Pembroke. Cycle is published six times per year on behalf of CTC by James Pembroke Publishing, 90 Walcot Street, Bath, BA1 5BG. Tel: 01225 337777. Cycle is copyright CTC, James Pembroke Publishing and individual contributors. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission from CTC and James Pembroke Publishing is forbidden. Views expressed in the magazine are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or the policies of CTC. Advertising bookings are subject to availability, the terms and conditions of James Pembroke Publishing, and final approval by CTC. Printed by: Precision Colour Printing, Haldane, Halesfield 1, Telford, TF7 4QQ. Tel: 01952 585585

CTC. O R G . U K cyc l e 0 3

THE BIG PICTURE

North Yorkshire

Photo by Steve Fleming

Côte de Buttertubs This is Buttertubs Pass, which featured in Stage One of this year’s Tour de France on 5 July. The climb is about 4km long. I took this on the steepest part, halfway up, where it’s about 18% gradient. Huge crowds enveloped the riders. Jens Voight got a great reception when he came through ahead of the peloton (pictured). Officially it was reported that 10,000 people were on the pass; at the time, it felt far more than that. Many spectators had cycled up. Steve Fleming

4 cycle AUGUST /SE P T E MBER 2 014

THE BIG PICTURE

CTC. O R G . U K cyc l e 5

stay in touch

what’s happening in the cycling world

n ews

c yc l e c l i p s : CTC’s free weekly email newsletter – email your membership number to membership@ctc.org.uk

This month Space for Cycling, Play on Pedals, Velocity, inclusive cycling, cycle-rail awards, and the sad death of ex-CTC Chair David Robinson

Cycle-friendly streets support

CYCLE c a m pa i g n n e w s :

CTC’s monthly campaigns bulletin. Sign up at ctc.org.uk/subscribe-tocycle-campaign-news

In London boroughs, 43% of councillors have pledged support for Space for Cycling

Councillors nationwide have pledged support for Space for Cycling. New map shows what percentage in each authority are on board

as more councillors pledge to support Space for Cycling.

Campaign training To ensure that Space for Cycling and Road Justice have more impact at a local level, CTC has begun a series of training events with Cyclenation groups aimed at boosting cyclists' campaigning skills. For while national campaigning can help influence government policy, funding and legislation, local cycling conditions are often best improved by local activists.

The training days are free and open to new and experienced campaigners alike. The first event in Birmingham in June was attended by over 25 people from across the West Midlands. Similar events are confirmed for Sheffield (Saturday 13 September) and Newcastle (Sunday 14 September). Dates for Glasgow, Manchester, Bristol, North Wales and London will be listed on the CTC Events webpage soon.

The training days feature workshops on: understanding your local authority; getting press coverage; using social media; and running effective groups. More focused sessions will look at Road Justice and Space for Cycling. To book a place or find out more, email righttoride@ctc.org.uk

Photo: Ben Hughes

More than 12,000 people across Britain have demanded that their local councillors support, and will seek funding for, Space for Cycling. The national campaign was launched in April in partnership with Cyclenation groups, building on the campaign of the same name in the capital run by London Cycling Campaign. So far almost 300 councillors outside of London have signed up, with more coming on board each day.

If you haven’t written to your councillor yet, help us turn this map from red to green. It's easy to do: just visit the website ctc.org.uk/spaceforcycling and use the online messaging tools.

The green and yellow areas on the map show local authorities with the highest support. City areas with larger and more active campaign groups are currently topping the chart. The London Cycling Campaign did a superb job in ensuring that almost half of London borough councillors signed up.

At the time of writing, the top eight areas were: London boroughs 43%; Newcastle Council 36%; Manchester City Council 20%; Trafford 17%; Bristol 16%; Salford 14%; Edinburgh City 11%; and Birmingham 10%.

The online version of the map is interactive and will change

Support for Space for Cycling

0% of councillors signed up 1-5% of councillors signed up 5-10% of councillors signed up 10-30% of councillors signed up 30+% of councillors signed up

CTC. O R G . U K cyc l e 7

News

FROM CTC COUNCILLOR

Former Chair of CTC Council David Robinson died in May, aged 67

R ic h a r d B at e s

D a v i d R o b i n s o n RIP several hundred people, many of them cyclists, attended the funeral of former Chair of CTC Council David Robinson in Chester on 30 May. He died of heart failure on 13 May, after being ill in hospital for several weeks. He was 67.

David was a CTC Councillor for the North West and was a member of Chester and North Wales CTC. He was a councillor by profession as well, sitting on

Cheshire West and Chester Council as opposition environment spokesman.

He was a former teacher who had been a Chester City Councillor for 13 years and a Cheshire County Councillor for eight years. He also stood unsuccessfully against Conservative Gyles Brandreth as Labour's parliamentary candidate in 1992. After a heart attack that year, he was fitted with a defibrillator.

David was a keen

transport cyclist, always turning up at CTC functions on his Brompton. His political interests followed the same theme: environment and transport were where he made his mark. He helped bring the first Park and Ride to Chester, pushed for Chester to be a cycle city, and backed the 20's Plenty campaign.

He is survived by his wife Monica and his grown-up children.

Photo: Jenny Wicks Photography

Preschool wheels

All four-year-olds in Glasgow will have the chance to learn to cycle

Play on pedals, the Glasgow-based project to enable all four-year-olds to learn to ride a bike before starting school, has been busy since receiving £231,000 from the People's Postcode Lottery Dream Fund earlier this year.

The partnership project between CTC, the Glasgow Bike Station, Cycling Scotland and Play Scotland has appointed a Development Officer, Polly Jarman. It has been recognised by Glasgow City Council as a community-based Commonwealth Games legacy project. And at the project’s official launch in May, Clyde, the mascot from the Commonwealth Games, awarded seven-year-old Mia Coppin first prize for her ‘Wee McWheelie’ drawing, now the official Play on Pedals logo.

Over the summer, children will have taster Play on Pedals sessions at community festivals and volunteers will pilot training sessions in south Glasgow. In the north of the city, a first ‘hero organisation’ will be piloted with North Glasgow Homes, to prepare for rolling out the project across the city this autumn.

For more information about Play on Pedals, email polly. jarman@ctc.org.uk or visit playonpedals.wordpress.org

8 cycle august /september 2 014

Velo-city is an always interesting annual meeting of cycling advocates. Attendees come not just from Europe, under the banner of the European Cyclists' Federation (ECF), but from around the world. This year's event took place in Adelaide, Australia, and the conference launched the World Cycling Alliance to reflect the growing interest globally in cycling as a sustainable form of transport.

I travelled to Australia for my own interests and on my own budget, as I've been an avid attendee at recent Velocities. Arriving in warm autumn weather, I found Adelaide to be a first-rate city. It has a mayor who is a town planner, pushing through what in Australia are controversial cycle paths! I explored the city environs on a hired bike from Bicycle SA (i.e. South Australia), a regional equivalent of CTC. At Velo-city, we heard how other countries and other cities are finding and spending cycling funding. In Europe, the ECF lobbies the European Parliament and wants 10% of the transport budget to be spent on improving cycling. Yet it was impressive to hear just how much had been done for cyclists in New York with only 1% of the highways budget.

Next year's Velo-city will be in Nantes in France. It's feasible to cycle there along the Eurovelo routes developed by the ECF. You could combine a tour of the Loire with a visit to this interesting conference.

Liberté, egalité, Velo-city…

News

CTC and Wheels for All took a fleet of adapted cycles to Otley's Tour de France spectator hub

NEWS I N B R I E F SAFER LORRY DESIGN DELAY In June, European Transport Ministers rejected an opportunity to save hundreds of lives a year by voting to delay the introduction of safer lorry design standards for eight years, despite the European Parliament supporting their immediate introduction. The UK Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin, backed the European Parliament’s position after hundreds of CTC supporters wrote to him. When the regulations eventually come into force, they will increase the size of lorry cabs, reducing blind spots and creating a ‘crumple zone’ to prevent cyclists and pedestrians from being knocked under vehicles’ wheels.

Adapted cycles tour de f or ce with the support of Big Lottery funding, CTC is working alongside Cycling Projects to get more people riding adapted cycles in England. The project is building on the excellent network of Wheels for All centres, providing a joined-up approach across the country that will enable more people to get involved in cycling. There's a map of the centres at ctc.org.uk/ride/inclusivecycling.

There's a wide range of inclusive cycling activities on offer. Gavin Wood, CTC

Regional Development Officer for North East England and the Midlands, describes what happened one day in July when the Tour de France came by.

‘I was asked by Leeds City Council if we could run an adapted cycles tryout at the spectator hub in Otley. Working with Wheels for All, we put together a fleet of tricycles, handcranked cycles and quads.

‘We also had information on regular adapted cycle activities in Leeds, Bradford, Halifax and Sheffield. The early part of the day was pretty quiet,

Ministers rejected a proposal to allow crossborder use of mega-trucks.

STICKERS twist Transport for London has agreed to

but once the race had left town we were inundated.

About 180 people tried out the adapted cycles.

We had two young friends, both with broken legs, who were overjoyed at the fact they could sit side by side and pedal a hand-cranked tandem (pictured). And there was a young boy with cerebral palsy who was able to ride a fixedwheel tricycle; his parents are now keen to buy one.'

‘It was great to be part of the Tour de France, and even better to bring inclusive cycling to the attention of more people.'

collaborate with stakeholders to re-design the infamous ‘cyclists stay back’ stickers seen on lorries, vans, buses and even taxis in the city. It has also promised to issue guidance to fleet operators on how to use the new stickers properly. They were intended to warn cyclists against passing lorries on the left, yet they have been widely misused to suggest cyclists shouldn't even pass small vans, on either side. The use of the stickers on buses, which have much better visibility than HGVs, is also misleading. Different stickers for lorries and buses will be designed to ensure the correct messaging is depicted.

NEW CTC MEMBER GROUPS Two new CTC Member Groups have formed: Redditch and Bromsgrove; and Fleet Cycling.

Their contact details are: Redditch and Bromsgrove, Pat Bradshaw 01527 544450; Fleet Cycling, Colin Waters 01252 677909.

NEIN TO HELMETS

C y c l e - R a i l A w a r d s 2 0 14

In a landmark ruling, the German Supreme

It's voting time again for the ATOC

up for grabs for the two best cycle-rail photographs. (One of the 2013 winning photographs is on the cover of the 2014 National Rail Cycling by Train leaflet.)

In other integrated-transport news, the Department for Transport has announced £15m to be spent on cyclerail improvements for 2015-16, typically additional cycle parking at railway stations.

This is the first announcement of any substantial funding for cycling in almost a year. However, it was overshadowed by £2bn in funding for 39 'local growth deals' across England, which will mainly fund new roads, junctions and business parks.

to cycle without a helmet, so there is no

For more on this, see bit.ly/1qrGBDS

opposing it.

Cycle-Rail Awards, which recognise the progress made by those working to integrate cycling and rail travel. The 2014 categories in full are: customer service; partnership working; innovation; cycling champion; door-to-door journeys; London cycle parking; cycle security; station of the year; operator of the year; and the photography competition. Applications can be made online at cycle-rail.co.uk. The deadline is 12 September.

From CTC members, ATOC is particularly seeking nominations for the best rail station and best train operator.

There are also two GoPro cameras 10 cyc le august /september 2 014

Court has ruled that it is not negligent justifiable reason for reducing the injury compensation payable to helmetless cyclists. The case is a major victory for the ADFC (Allgemeiner Deutscher FahrradClub, the German equivalent of CTC), who supported a member in an appeal against an earlier ruling of ‘contributory negligence', handed down in June 2013 by the regional court of Schleswig, North Germany. Closer to home, The States of Jersey – effectively Jersey's Parliament – is considering introducing a helmet law later this summer. CTC has joined forces with British Cycling and Sustrans in

N E W S | C AMPA I G N S comment

Bad driving d e b at e d Driving offences often incur derisive sentences.

How can we change that?

C T C R o a d S a f e t y C a m p a i g n e r R h i a W e s t o n r e p o rts

CTC’s Road justice campaign,

which aims to get the justice system to take bad driving seriously, held a high-profile debate in June into the sentencing of driving offences. Current sentencing practice neither punishes offending drivers appropriately nor deters bad driving, and is seen as unjust by victims. CTC is particularly concerned with the reluctance of judges to impose long driving bans.

The debate this summer aimed to influence the Sentencing Council’s review of sentencing guidelines for driving offences, but was also an opportunity to influence the Government’s review of offences and penalties, planned to begin this year.

The Government review will look at the legislation regarding driving offences and could lead to new offences being created, and maximum and minimum penalty boundaries being changed. The sentencing guidelines review will evaluate the guidelines used by judges, with the aim of ensuring sentences that are consistent and appropriate to the severity of an offence.

Bans and confiscations The expert panellists at the debate included barristers, legal academics, a High Court judge and the Chief Executive of the Magistrates’ Association. The panellists

Cycle Campaign News

answered questions compiled from CTC members’ suggestions and from the audience of road safety campaigners, crash victims, and legal professionals.

The panellists debated alternative penalties for bad driving to the ones the current system favours, with calls for: offending drivers’ vehicles to be confiscated more frequently; all banned drivers to undergo extended re-tests; and robust evidence of the effectiveness of unconventional sentencing options.

They also discussed the influence of sentences on juries’ willingness to convict.

Professor of Judicial Studies Cheryl Thomas pointed out that jurors are not given directions on the possible sentence an offender could receive, so sentencing should not have any bearing on their verdict.

However, Simeon Maskrey QC argued that juries’ verdicts can be swayed by misconceptions about cycling made throughout a case. He also claimed that judges often frame bad driving behaviour as a ‘momentary lapse of concentration’, which brings down sentencing.

Cheryl Thomas added that jurors often do not understand the difference between careless and dangerous driving, and had requested written explanations in the past.

The need to deal appropriately with lowlevel offending was highlighted, and Simeon Maskrey called for a detailed examination of

Get monthly bulletins from CTC’s Campaigns Department delivered free to your email inbox: sign up to Cycle Campaign News at ctc.org.uk/ subscribe-to-cycle-campaign-news. It keeps you up-to-date with the latest news, events, publications, policy developments, and points you to in-depth articles written by experts.

12 cyc le august /se p t ember 2 014

how the police handle lesser offences.

All of the panellists agreed that the consequences of driving are given too much weight when it comes to sentencing, when it is the standard of driving, not the injuries caused, that should dictate the sentence.

Campaign reports Two Road Justice campaign reports – ‘Charging and Prosecution’ and ‘The Courts and Sentencing’ – were launched at the debate. They complement the first campaign report: ‘The Role of the Police’, launched in July 2013. All three reports can be downloaded from roadjustice.org.uk.

CTC has written to the Secretary of State for Justice, Chris Grayling, requesting a meeting to discuss the campaign reports.

What you can do The debate was the culmination of years of research into the justice system and six months of planning for the day itself. We now have an opportunity to influence the Government’s forthcoming review of driving offences and penalties. Please consider making a donation to support us in this. You can send a cheque payable to CTC, quoting ‘SD14’ on the back of the cheque, to: CTC, Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford, GU2 9JX. Or you can donate online at ctc.org.uk/ donate-to-campaigns.

Facebook

Tell us what you think on the CTC Facebook pages: facebook.com/CTCCyclists

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Read the latest updates and get in touch on Twitter@CTC_Cyclists

membership

News | events

Get five years CTC membership for the price of four. Details on p78

NEWS IN BRIEF L’eroica Britannia CTC took part in the inaugural L’Eroica Britannia from 20-22 June, the first L’Eroica event that has taken place outside of Tuscany. L’Eroica is known as ‘the most handsome bike race in the world’, and all ride participants and visitors to the three-day

The rally is scheduled for the midsummer weekend

festival were encouraged to take on a bit of vintage flair. (Photos of the day can be seen

Y o r k R a lly r e t u r n s

online: instagram.com/ctc_cyclists.) Riders

A group of volunteers has formed to revive the York Rally for 2015.

The rally will take place at its traditional home: York Racecourse on the Knavesmire, where the event began in 1945 – and where stage two of the 2014 Tour de France started.

The rally will be on the midsummer weekend, 20-21 June. Cyclists and potential cyclists from across Yorkshire and the UK are invited to attend, as

taking in the Monsal Trail, private lands of

are cycle trade exhibitors.

There is almost unlimited space on the Knavesmire for cycling clubs and associations to showcase their activities.

To support the re-launch of the event, the organisers are staging the York Rally Grande Classic Sportive in September through spectacular North York Moors scenery. There is a choice of rides: 36km, 100km, and 140km. All proceeds from the event

will be used towards staging the rally.

Full details can also be found at the new York Rally website, yorkrally.org, where supporters of the event can participate in the relaunch by becoming a ‘Friend of the York Rally’.

The rally is an allvolunteer organised event.

Anyone is welcome to attend meetings. The next is at Your Bike Shed, Micklegate, York, at 10am on 13 September 2014.

had the option of 30, 50 and 100-mile routes from Bakewell showground on the Sunday, the Chatsworth Estate, and the picturesque towns of the Peak District. Over 2,000 did so on a wide range of vintage cycles. Sixty CTC volunteers helped out and were instrumental in directing riders. L’Eroica Britannia will return in 2015.

RideLondon Sixty-one CTC cyclists will join the throng riding the RideLondon Surrey 100 sportive on 10 August in order to raise much-needed funds for CTC’s campaigning work. The route uses roads from the London 2012 Olympic road race course and includes the climbs of Box Hill and Leith Hill. To sponsor CTC’s cyclists, or follow their progress, visit CTC’s Justgiving page: justgiving. com/cycliststouringclub. If you’d like to be a part of future Team CTC events, watch this space – and keep an eye on CycleClips and the CTC website.

Train with CTC Due to high demand, additional CTC training courses have been lined up for late summer Meriden is said to be at the centre of England

A new plaque was unveiled for cyclists killed in action

and autumn. As well as the regular courses – Trail and Technical Leader, Maintenance, and National Standard Instructor – we have some

Meriden marks centenary

extra ones: Bike Tour Leader, Advanced

Four hundred cyclists attended

brass band, and the Bishop of Warwick led the service to mark the 100 years since the start of the First World War. He also unveiled a new plaque dedicated to cyclists killed in action since 1945.

The memorial was originally unveiled in 1921 by CTC, and more than 10,000 cyclists attended. In the First World War, some cyclists joined the Army Cyclist Corps, which played a key role in reconnaissance and provided vital communications at the front. Many cyclists also joined up as ordinary soldiers.

Cyclists. There’s a 10% discount for CTC

For more about cyclists in the First World War, turn to page 48. For a blog about the day from CTC’s Ed Holt, see bit.ly/1jtiZAb

Velofest was also a music festival, with

the Meriden centennial service to commemorate the sacrifice of cyclists in WW1. The service was held on Sunday 18 May, just after the June-July issue of Cycle went to press. Riders began arriving from 10am onwards, their jerseys showing them to have ridden from Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, Tamworth, Evesham, and further afield.

John Bennett, one of the organisers, said: ‘We were very pleased to have a great turnout on the day. It was fantastic to see cyclists come from far and wide to mark this occasion and pay their respects to cyclists who fought and died in the war.’

The ceremony commenced with a 14 cyc le august /se p t ember 2 014

Leader, Club Leader, Trail Inspection, Volunteer Trail Repair, and First Aid for members available until the end of 2014 on most courses. See ctc.org.uk/training.

VeloFest success 7,000 cycling fans attended the CTCpartnered Velofest Tour de France event at Kilnsey Park Estate in the Yorkshire Dales in July. The weekend festival was on the route of Stage 1 and just 10 miles from the nearest point of Stage 2, enabling visitors to cycle parts of the route and see Le Tour en Yorkshire. live acts both nights culminating with headline act, Toploader, on the Sunday night.

PRODUCT NEWS

Shop wi n dow Editor Dan Joyce summaries a selection of new cycling products that are in the shops or coming soon 1 2

3

1. tOUR DE fer The name is odd because it’s an evolution of the cyclo-cross-inspired Genesis Croix de Fer. This one is a dedicated tourer, with sub-20in MTB gearing, bar-end shifters, cable discs, racks, and guards. It’s £899.99. genesisbikes.co.uk

2. THE BULLMOOSE IS BACK Hello? Is that 1979? You’ve got an idea for a stiffer handlebar…? 2015’s is carbon fibre of course, so it’s only 350g (and 270 Euros!).

70-110mm stem length, 720-740mm bar. ritcheylogic.com

5

4

3. MINI BOARDMANS Boardman have entered the mid-quality kids’ bike market with road, mountain and hybrid options.

This 2×7 Claris/Tourney aluminium road bike is £319.99. boardmanbikes.com

4. XTR GOES ELECTRIC No sooner had it gone 11-speed, Shimano’s top-end MTB groupset now has a Di2, batterypowered option. Wonder if it will work with dropbar Di2 levers? shimano.com

5. SAUCE OF WONDER

6

7

Don’t like Marmite, London Pride beer or Heinz Baked Beans but want to declare your love of ketchup? Foska have got you covered with their latest novelty jersey. foska.com

6. READ ALL ABOUT IT Fill that sports cycling hole now the Tour de France is over with these collections of excellent essays.

Volume four is just out and one to three have been re-issued. £8.99 each. vintage-books.co.uk

7. FREE FIRST AID St John Ambulance already had a first aid app for smartphones, but they’ve just launched one specifically aimed at cyclists. It’s free from Google Play and the App Store

not long until show time! The Cycle Show at Birmingham’s NEC is on from 26-28 September – see cycleshow.co.uk 16 cyc le AUGUST /SE P T EMBER 2 014

KIT REVIEWS

submit a review

gear up

Components, kit, accessories and more, reviewed by specialist journalists, CTC staff – and you.

This issue: mudguards, multitool, MTB pack…

If you want to submit a review, write or email the editor – details on page 3 – for advice. Each one printed wins a Green Oil Eco Rider Deluxe set worth £34.99.

For more about Green Oil’s environmentally friendly bike products, visit green-oil.net

re view of the month

John Blake Publishing

Pros + F it under short-drop brakes

Cons - M inimal clearance - No stay release feature

Giant

Road Fenders

£29.99

giant-bicycles.com

These lightweight (360g) peephole mudguards get around the road bike’s clearance problem by leaving a gap wherever a bit of frame or brake comes close to the tyre. See how the thin plastic guard is riveted to a holey metal bracket either side of the brake/ frame/fork? And if the brackets fitted higher on the brake-bolt those holes might even help! As it is, however, there’s less clearance than there would be if the guard continued right through but wasted less space under the brake etc.

These guards do nevertheless clear the 25mm tyres on the Giant Avail reviewed last month. But only just, in places by less than 4mm, which is the minimum permitted by EN14781, the safety standard for road bikes. I was also concerned by the lack of any front mudguard stay release feature and applied the standard test for safety against front wheel obstruction. It failed with flying

18 cyc le AUGUST /SE P T EMBER 2 014

colours, which in practice would be a cyclist over the handlebars!

So I didn’t ask Helen or Cherry to test this fender’s water-fending properties by riding the bike. Recently, however, I’ve ridden (over rough and smooth, in sun and rain) with someone who has these guards, and they seemed to work okay for him, so far… They’re available from all Giant dealers.

Reviewed by Chris Juden

Life Cycles by Julian Sayarer £8.99

johnblakepublishing.co.uk This is cycle courier Julian Sayarer’s account of his 169-day race-touring journey around the world. He did it unsupported, averaging around 110 miles day. While others have since gone beyond this – Mike Hall did nearly 200 miles a day – it’s a hugely impressive feat. As an avid cycle tourist and both a writer and reader of cycle touring tales, I expected Life Cycles to be worth my time. And it was. There’s all the spirit, thrill and adventure that you’d expect here, but plenty more, including accounts of being stranded without money in the deserts of Kazakhstan, being bitten by a dog in North Carolina, and sleeping under motorway bridges in China.

Moreover, Julian adds an interesting slant on the genre, with world politics being high on his agenda.

ISBN 9781782199038 Reviewed

by Bradley Howard

R E V I E W S | gear up

Thule

Chariot Cougar 1

PROS + E asy to disengage + I ntegral reflectors

£749.99

CONS - C ould be lighter

madison.co.uk

Shimano

PD-TD700 Click’R pedals

Chariot (now owned by Thule) make the only bike trailer/stroller that’s fully compliant with UK fire safety regulations, as far as I know.

Meeting those standards kept Chariot trailers off the UK market for over a year. The single-person Cougar 1 comes with both a drawbar for towing and a pair of front wheels for pushing. Whichever part isn’t being used stows neatly out of the way on the trailer itself. There’s also an optional jogging kit with a single front wheel. Construction is lightweight aluminium and plastic: the trailer is just 11kg. The spoked wheels come off and the trailer folds flat for storage. Maximum passenger weight is 22kg and it’ll take a child up to 111cm tall. It’s not recommended for children under six months, and a small child may need the optional padded seat with extra support. With a two-way mesh or window cover and luggage capacity, it’s useful in all conditions. There’s also a two-child Cougar 2, but if you’re only carrying one then this narrower trailer is convenient; it’s under 70cm wide and fits through most doorways. The only real downside of the Cougar is the price.

Reviewed by Mike Davis

£69.99

madison.co.uk

Click’R is Shimano’s answer for people who, like me, find it difficult to clip out of standard SPDs. Aimed at commuters and first-time SPD users, Click’R includes pedals and optimised shoes, although I found standard SPD shoes were fine. The pedals have a very light mechanism for engaging/ disengaging, and are sold with sm-sh56 multi-release cleats (£17.99 when sold separately). pd-td700 is the lightest doublesided pedal of the range (457g per pair) and comes with a wide platform and road-legal reflectors.

I tested them pulling a heavy

trailer (U-Plus 2) on hilly rides with two lively six-year-olds. It was easy to clip out at a moment’s notice, even for an emergency stop. I’ve been using these pedals for some weeks, replacing conventional pedals and toe clips. I like them a lot, especially with insulated winter cycle shoes. Clipping in doesn’t feel as positive as with standard SPDs, but I got used to it, and I’ve never pulled out unintentionally.

They are a bit heavy and clunkylooking; I’d like to see a lighter ‘performance’ version.

Reviewed by CTC member Jane Hodgkinson

Nutter

Cycle Multi Tool £39.99

full-windsorshop.com The Nutter comes in a leather pouch, which can be strapped to your frame or saddle rails. The body of the tool has a tyre lever on one end, a 15mm box-head spanner on the other, and a spoke key and bottle opener in the middle. The other tools - 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8mm allen keys; philips and flat head screwdrivers; Torx T25 – are bits that are inserted into the main body and are held there magnetically. The tool body provides leverage but I found it tricky to use overall. The bits are held tightly in place inside the pouch, and my cold, gloved fingers struggled to extract them. (And there’s the risk of dropping one in the gutter and losing it!) As with some other multitools, access to certain bolts on the bike can be awkward; even with the tool-bit extender, I couldn’t easily adjust my front derailleur. It’s stylish, but there are more effective, better value multi-tools available from the likes of Lezyne and Topeak.

Reviewed by Gavin Wood

2 0 cyc le AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

PROS +D oubles as a stroller + F its through most doorways

CONS - E xpensive!

R E V I E W S | gear up

PROS + C omfortable on and

Shimano

off the bike

Unzen U10

+G ood value CONS -O nce they’re gone, they’re gone

One of the more annoying things when using a hydration pack is filling the hydration bladder, expelling any air and then wrestling it into its compartment so that you can do up the zip. The Shimano Unzen has a side zip for the bladder to be inserted. It’s an easier process, notwithstanding a bit of fiddling with the bladder tube.

It is made of a wet-look stretchable material. The unisex ‘Rider Cross Harness’ means there are few dangling straps and buckles. It’s secure and comfortable as the wide straps don’t dig into your shoulders or stomach.

It’s impossible to adjust while riding, however, and it does feel hot on your back. While nice to wear, it needs some refinements to make it a replacement for my usual Dakine pack. It’s available in 2, 6 and 15-litre capacities, as well as 10-litre, and in green, black or blue.

Reviewed by Julie Rand

Exustar

SS502 Sandal spacycles.co.uk

We wouldn’t normally review a discontinued product, but Spa Cycles tell us they have enough to last many months, all knocked down from £70! I already have a pair I use occasionally (size 41/42, weight 922g) and find them good for riding and walking. I prefer a dark colour and open toes, but can see the sense in shielding your digits from debris. Tastes vary, and in case pastel shades might appeal more to women, I sent a small pair to Marion Guy for her comments…

‘I was surprised how comfortable these sandals were on their first outing: firm and not too tight, with three points of adjustment ensuring a good fit. They remained firm when pulling up

£45 hills, and when walking the curve of the sole suited my inflexible big toes. I appreciate a toe-shield to keep out grit.

Sizing is generous, as I normally take a 39 and these are 37/38.

‘On a longer and warmer ride I wore the sandals without socks, finding them just as secure and though the insoles felt rough to start with, I soon got used to that. My feet kept comfortably cool all day and I look forward to taking them on tour – somewhere nice and hot! But generally I like colourful socks showing brightly through the straps. I’ve rarely ridden in any other shoes all month.’

Reviewed by Chris Juden & CTC member Marion Guy

PROS + E asy to store/

OdPod

+ F its most bikes CONS - L acks workstand

od-designs.co.uk

transport

adjustability

2 2 cyc le AUGUST /SE P T EMBER 2 014

£89.99

madison.co.uk

PROS + Comfortable straps + Side zip access C ONS - Hot on your back

bike stand

£34.95

This simple tripod design provides a stable support by holding the bike off the ground with a cradle under the bottom bracket. With the back wheel held in the air and with cranks unencumbered and free to rotate, the gears, brakes etc. can be easily adjusted. It folds flat, so it’s perfect if you’ve not got the space or budget for a larger full-size workstand, or want to take it to events for pre-ride adjustment. It equally suits MTB, road and kids’ bikes.

The stand became indispensable for post-ride bike cleaning, as I was free to wash the bike from all sides, tune gears and spin wheels to clean tyres and rims. It’s now the parking space of choice for the number one bike to keep it away for the pile of family hack bikes in the garage. The model I tried was red, white and blue – it’s UK made – but other colours are available.

Reviewed by Matt Mallinder

your opinions • YOUR CYCLING • YOUR IDEAS

Cycle Letters, CTC, Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford GU2 9JX

W r i t e to u s :

This month WW1 centenary, a fitting Tour legacy, Brompton camping, London touring, fat bikes on beaches, the winged wheel, and more

MERIDEN REMEMBRANCE The Meriden Memorial Service is the one occasion I have always been sure not to miss. Starting in 1955, I have attended every service up to and including this year, which makes it 60 years without missing any. In 1956, while cycling in Scotland, I met a London cyclist, Ron Martin, who also cycled to Meriden. We agreed we would meet up each year and go together. In the early years, I cycled 150 miles on the Saturday from Wareham, Dorset, meeting Ron for lunch in Bicester or Buckingham, and rode 150 miles home on the Sunday.

From 1967, the journey on the Saturday was partly car assisted, and after lunch we cycled the rest of the way.

When we retired, we turned the Meriden weekend into a six-day tour, and on several occasions I cycled with Ron down to London, including some rough-stuff and canal towpaths.

Ron passed away in December 2008, but meeting with other cyclists at Meriden for the annual memorial service still gives me great pleasure. I continue to use this occasion to do several days of cycling.

— John Sullivan

le t ter of the month

A GR AND LEG ACY Dave Barter’s article highlights the problems we have in developing cycling as a normal everyday activity in Yorkshire and elsewhere in the UK. The Tour de France riders will have the road cleared – they will have their Space for Cycling. The rest of us, if we want to ride the Tour route, will have to put up with incessant traffic – not necessarily dangerous but certainly unpleasant. York may be a cycling city but Leeds, Ilkley and Ripon, to name but three places on the route, are distinctly hostile places to cycle through.

The Tour circus will come and go, with a carbon footprint I don’t even want to think about.

If there is to be a Tour legacy, it will depend on campaigners continuing to push for real Space for Cycling every day of the year.

— Simon Geller

BROMP TON CAMPING On many occasions I have laid aside our great magazine with some sadness, feeling that those of us that cycle-camp with a Brompton appear to be a vanishing breed. Having just received the June/July issue, I am delighted to find that this is not so. I was cheered to read two articles – Calvin and Jon’s

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adventure, riding their Bromptons in the French Alps, and your review of solo tents suitable for touring. I write to encourage other members to consider the advantages of cycle-camping with a Brompton.

I have no difficulty in stowing all my gear for any length of tour in a front Brompton T-Bag and a Racksack on the rear carrier. My solo tent is a Hilleberg Akto, reviewed in your article.

Expensive? Yes, but mine has been in regular use for 14 years and is as reliable as ever.

The storage space under the Akto’s flysheet is large enough to accommodate a folded Brompton too.

— Mike Perrin

iStockphoto.com

letters

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A CAPITAL ADVENTURE Every year, CTC Cycling Holidays organises tours all over the world and many members make use of the expert leaders who lead them. Recently, I had the pleasure of joining one of these tours, The London Experience, led by Bernie Curtis. Bernie is an official London guide, both cycling and walking, and along with Alan, his right-hand man, he leads a fabulous four-day tour of the capital city.

Each day, Bernie takes the tour to different parts of London.

CTC. O R G . U K cyc l e 2 5

LETTERS

FAT OFF THE L AND As an all-round cyclist and keen mountain biker, I enjoyed the article on Coastal Cycling. I do feel, though, that the picture on page 46 gives the impression that Clive is riding through the sand dunes.

Sand dunes are a delicate and important environment.

I know the bike featured has 4-inch tyres, which will have a lower impact than most, but even these are still likely to cause some damage. Perhaps the next Cycle could include a few words advising fat-bikers to avoid riding through dunes where possible, and to cross them carefully to access the beach?

— Chris Reed

MISSING WHEEL I was disappointed and alarmed to notice that on the cover of latest issue (June/July 2014) of Cycle, the ‘winged wheel’ logo was not displayed alongside the current modern one. Is this a deliberate move to attempt to phase out our original logo, as has been attempted in the past, or was it an error in the printing?

As I have in the past fought to retain the original, may I reiterate my views. Don’t delete by stealth.

If Council wishes to disassociate

themselves from the original, then go to the membership with a resolution to delete the original logo.

— Ted King MBE

Obituaries Ray Lowe Lifetime cyclist Ray Lowe of CTC Wessex passed away on Thursday 15 May 2014, aged 84, a few weeks after suffering a stroke. He last rode the Gridiron event when he was 80, accompanied by his grandson. He was also a keen gardener.

Ray’s funeral was on 2 June, and many of his cycling friends were in attendance in full cycling gear, as requested by Ray’s widow Sylvia. He was always a cheerful person, and will be missed by his many cycling friends. — Keith Matthews

The winged wheel went missing during the re-design, but will appear in Cycle for the foreseeable future.

MOUNTAIN HIGHS When on an enjoyable CTC holiday recently in the Alpes Maritimes in France, I was very impressed by the road signs, and in particular by the regular waymarks that tell you how far it is to the summit of many of the cols. On some, like Mt Ventoux, the signs even tell you what gradient to expect for the next kilometre. This really helps you to time your ‘big effort’ to the top.

It’s a shame that there is no similar signage in the UK, particularly where I live on the edge of the Lake District. It would be good too if the potholes on our hills were filled and the roads brought up to French standards!

— Susan Lucas

Peter Wilson East Yorkshire CTC President Peter Wilson passed away on 22 March. Peter was a pioneering cyclist in the Fifties, exploring Continental Europe as well as Scotland and the Lake District with wife Maria. He maintained a loyalty to CTC, particularly in the clubroom and at social functions. His photos won him many prizes, and his slideshows enlivened the stories of his travels. He was our club chairman for 15 years and had been the social secretary. — Sheila Sampson

Peter B Moore: 1934-2014 Passed away following a stroke in January. Peter joined CTC as a young man and never left. He cycled to work every day for 44 years and wore shorts year round. He toured from the 1950s onwards, and was still cycling up until his stroke. His second hobby was technology and gadgets. He had been a radar fitter, and also had a keen interest in steam engines.

Peter ran and managed the easy riders Sunday events for older, less able cyclists, and was a local cycle campaigner. He received the CTC Certificate of Merit in 2010. Fifteen cyclists accompanied his hearse. — Adrian Leeds

iStockphoto.com

The tour I joined spent the first day seeing part of the beautiful county of Essex. It’s not very often you hear Essex called beautiful but the route taken by Bernie shows how wrong we can be. The views over London at the vantage points were as good as anywhere in the country, the roads were undulating, and most of the time traffic was light.

We must have seen everything and been everywhere. A big thank-you to Bernie and Alan.

— Peter Brake

3D-PRINTED PEDAL S I recently made some pedals for the kiddy-cranks on our tandem, using a 3D printer. The pedals have to be securely attached to the child’s feet to avoid injury.

The pedal bearing is simply a long shoulder screw. The blue piece is removable for when the child’s feet grow. Each one took 24 hours to print.

— Mark McClean

Letters are edited for space (if above 150 words), clarity and, if necessary, legality.

Please note that if you have specific complaint or query about CTC policy, you should address it to your CTC Councillor or relevant national office staff member. Letters and emails for the October-November issue must arrive by 29 August. Write to us at: Cycle Letters, CTC, Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford GU2 9JX

2 6 cyc le august /se p tember 2 014

Join the conversation Get immediate feedback from other CTC members on the CTC forum: forum.ctc.org. uk. Here's an abridged extract from one popular thread before Cycle went to press (see bit.ly/1oHmstD) DEET content. It is reputed to dissolve plastic…

MarkF: The only thing that works for me is Autan. I only get bitten if I’ve bikerwaser: 2 things forgotten to apply it. to try. 1, tea tree oil.

I once slept under I have a friend that the stars and thought swears by it, not only I'd coated myself in as a mozzie repellent Autan. The mozzies but as a deodorant. 2, ravaged the soles of I've also heard a lot my feet. of good stuff about Furkuk: Try taking Avon Skin So Soft. antihistamines. It cnb: I’ve heard that won’t stop them eating Marmite for Neilo: What works for a couple of weeks biting you but it will stop you coming out me is a combination. before your trip helps in big red bite marks. Repellent, cover up keep the dreaded with long sleeves and midge at bay. Not Mistik-ka: Traditional long trousers, wear sure about mozzies a mossie net, take wisdom from though…

Saskatchewan, where antihistamines. Use an after-bite stick, the mozzies are so skicat: I think I burning mossie coils, would rather have big we hunt them with shotguns: insect camp where there is the midges than repellent with a high a breeze.

Marmite ;-) DEALING WITH MOSQUITOeS randomblue: Any tips for keeping away the mozzies? I seem to be allergic to the bites: I end up with a big, red, raised area.

I’ve tried a ton of mosquito repellents.

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MY BIKE

Tom Bannister’s Bronson

Both brakes, the single shifter, and the dropper seatpost control are on the right-hand side

Despite the use of only one arm, 27-year-old Tom Bannister is a downhill mountain biker. He’s adapted his Santa Cruz to suit

W

hen I was 19, I had a horrific crash on my bike. I tore all five of the nerves in the brachial plexus: C5, C6, C7, C8 and T1. This left me with a paralysed left arm. It was a traumatic time but I’m not the type of person to let it stop me doing things.

Six weeks after surgery I was on a bike…

I didn’t know what else to do with my time.

I started out on a hardtail just riding around the street. A month later, I was back riding in the forests of South Wales on a custom-built Specialized SX Trail. I’m now riding a carbon fibre Santa Cruz Bronson. At 29.5lb, it’s about 8lb lighter than the SX. As I ride one-handed, I obviously can’t have any of my controls on the left. Using a 750mm handlebar instead of the 710mm I used before helps accommodate all the controls on one side! To help centre the

steering, I use a Hopey All Mountain steering damper. For anyone riding one-handed, it is a godsend! Simply screw in the knob on the top to increase the resistance of the steering and help to keep you on the straight and narrow.

I run my rear brake the most outboard; I pull this lever with my second finger. My gear shifter is mounted between the two brake clamps; both up and down shifts are done with my thumb. My front brake is inboard of the gear shifter clamp; I pull this with my first finger. The remote for my

“Using a 750mm handlebar helps accommodate all the controls on one side!”

Tech spec: Tom’s customised Bronson Frame & shock: Large Santa Cruz Bronson Carbon with Fox Float X CTD Kashima shock 200mm×57mm Fork: Fox 34 Float 650B CTD FIT 15QR fitted with 160mm shuttle bumper Wheels: 650B×2.3in Maxxis High Roller II 3C EXO tubeless, Hope Hoops Pro 2 Evo hubs with Stans Flow EX rims. Handbuilt by Howard at Bromley Bike Co Transmission: Shimano M785 XT SPD pedals, SLX Hollowtech II 175mm crankset, e.thirteen G-Ring 33T, KMC X10 chain, Shimano HG81 SLX 11-36 cassette. Adapted Shimano SLX M660 shifter, Shimano SLX medium cage rear derailleur Brakes: Formula T1 Disc Brake Set 203mm front, 180mm rear Steering & seating: ODI Ruffian Lock On grips, Easton Havoc carbon handlebar 750×35mm, Easton Havoc 50mm stem, Hopey All Mountain steering damper, Chris King tapered headset. Charge Scoop saddle, RockShox Reverb Stealth seatpost Extras: e.thirteen XCX+ ISCG 05 chain guide

Rock Shox Reverb Stealth dropper post is the most inboard clamp; I use my thumb to operate this when required.

I tried SPD pedals on this bike for the first time. They give me vastly more control.

Instead of the bike skipping around in between my legs on rougher terrain, the SPDs hold my feet firm and I can use my legs to throw the bike around with greater ease.

After my first proper technical night ride on the Bronson in the Garw Valley, South Wales, I realised I wasn’t as comfortable as I would like on steep and technical stuff. So I tipped the handlebar back and changed the shuttle bumper in the fork back up to 160mm to give a better ride height on the front for the steep stuff. I also changed the shifter from a Shimano M670 to an M660-10R shifter fitted with a Trickstuff Sram-Shimano Adapter onto a left-handed Formula Mixmaster clamp. This has pulled the shifter out of the way of my thumb when I grip the bar in some positions.

I prefer to ride steep and very technical tracks, as I’ve come from a downhill background. Riding for me is a very social thing so I want to ride what my mates ride, and I give them a run for their money. I’ve recently been riding a lot at Bike Park Wales, Cwmcarn and Afan in preparation for the Megavalanche that I will be competing in this July.

share your story: If you’ve got an interesting bike that’s been chosen or customised to suit you, get in touch. Email editor@ctc.org.uk 2 8 cyc le august /se p t ember 2 014

CTC & M E

Caren Hartley Thousands of cyclists join CTC each year. Dan Joyce asked one of them, Caren Hartley, for her views on cycling and CTC

C

aren’s reasons for joining CTC recently were straightforward.

‘I had an accident last year on my bike,’ she says, ‘and it got me thinking about insurance. A friend of mine is a CTC member and she told me about it. It wasn’t too expensive to join and it meant I’d be doing something to support an organisation that’s working to make cycling better in the UK.’ CTC’s heritage appealed to her as well, she says. ‘I love the fact that I belong to a club with such a history. I really enjoyed being in my vintage CTC jersey at L’Eroica Britannia this summer [see p10], where the history of cycling was such a strong theme.

Having “Since 1878” on my sleeve was a great talking point.

‘It was the first time I’ve done any cycling in the Peak District. It was a great route, and such stunning scenery I had to keep reminding myself I was in the UK. I was surprised to be one of the few female riders on the day, and it seemed to shock people that I was riding the 50-mile event.’

Caren is a keen road cyclist, however, and had no problem with the Peak District hills. The month before L’Eroica, she’d spent a week in Provence. ‘The highlight was climbing Mont Ventoux. I was nervous as the closest I’d been to cycling up a mountain was Swains Lane in London! But the ascent was amazing. We enjoyed it so much we rode up it again in the afternoon!’

It was commuting in London that originally turned her into a cyclist, she says. ‘I was a student and had no money for a bus pass. It

Caren (centre) at L’Eroica Britannia with friends Jenni Gwiazdowski (left) and Kelly Miller (right)

“I love working with metal. Making jewellery and framebuilding uses a lot of the same skills – it’s just that the scale is different!” wasn’t long before I got the bug.’

Caren ranks her Mercian as her favourite bike. That could soon change as she’s building a bike of her own. When the Hartley Cycle is finished, it will be adorned with one of Caren’s own head badges. She’s been making them for a while and even runs courses in how to do it.

‘I was chatting with Andrew from The Bicycle Academy and he was telling me how hard it is to find anyone who makes bespoke head badges. I thought “I could do that”. It’s basically jewellery for bikes – and I’m a jeweller and silversmith.

‘I love working with metal. Making jewellery and framebuilding uses a lot of the same skills – it’s just that the scale is different!

‘I’ve realised how challenging it is as a woman to find the type of bike I want to ride

Caren getting ready for L’Eroica’s 50-mile route through the Peak District

in a geometry that fits – unless you want it in pink. Most road bikes are made for men and then shoe-horned to fit a women. I think this is fundamentally wrong. Building bespoke frames gives you a chance to start with the a near perfect fit and tweak from there.’

In terms of attracting new members to CTC, Caren reckons that it’s important to have a shop window at events like L’Eroica Britannia. But she also has a message about image: ‘I think that CTC’s branding can be off-putting to younger members; it feels quite dated and dry, and doesn’t give any insight into the fantastic history of the organisation. When I saw the original 1878 winged wheel logo, I thought: “Why aren’t CTC using this? It’s perfect!”’

For details about Caren’s head badge courses, see madebyore.com

share your story: If you know – or are – someone with a CTC-related story to tell, email editor@ctc.org.uk 3 0 cyc le AUGUST /SE P T EMBER 2 014

Bikes Events 2015 Ad.indd 1

16/12/2014 14:52

Where: Wales: Newport to Holyhead, via the Cambrian Mountains start & finish: Newport Transporter Bridge to South Stack Lighthouse, Holyhead distance: 287 miles, riding 32-47 miles per day photos: some by Steve Rock, others by Alamy

T he D r ago n ’ s B ack b o ne | G R E AT R I D ES

Gre at r ide s

The Dragon’s Backbone Steve Rock’s first cycle tour was in Wales. Decades later, he returned to ride from one end to the other, taking in the best climbs along the way

Opposite: © Warren Kovach / Alamy. Others by Steve Rock, unless noted

V

ivid forget-me-nots and bluebells lined the road as I cycled along in the sunshine of a late spring morning. This was what I had come for.

The road climbed gently up the Irfon Valley from Llanwrtyd Wells, into the eastern flank of the Cambrian Mountains. I savoured the moment, knowing what lay ahead.

At Abergwesyn, the character of the route changed. A sharp climb and an ‘unsuitable for caravans’ sign provided early warning.

Woodland and pasture gave way to an open valley, with the narrow road running along its flank. After another couple of miles, the head of the valley appeared to be blocked by a hillside of dense woodland. I could see the road disappearing into the bottom of the trees and emerging near the skyline above them. The Devil’s Staircase is one of the steepest roads in Britain. This was also what I had come for.

Then and now The idea of doing a Welsh End to End had been on my mind for a number of years, something to daydream about and turn over in my mind like an unsolved puzzle. It would be a challenging ride, covering as many of Wales’s fierce climbs and wild places as I could link together in a week.

My first ever bike tour was in Wales. I was 18, my school-mate Russ was 16, and we cycled from home in Merseyside to Pembrokeshire and back, staying at youth hostels. The idea of traversing the opposite diagonal had a neat symmetry. It would also

be a Welsh coast to coast ride: Casnewydd (Newport) to Caergybi (Holyhead).

Back in the day, Russ and I had done a lot of pushing up hills. I had a Sun 5-speed and Russ had a Triumph with a 3-speed Sturmey-Archer. Nowhere did we push more than on the Bwlch-y-Groes, between Bala and Machynlleth. This had the reputation of being the highest road in Wales. Not only did we push up it, we walked our bikes down the first part of the descent, as we did not trust our feeble sidepull brakes. (Having already overshot one corner…)

Modern technology makes it easy to research where to go, how to get there, and where to stay. It’s a far cry from those precomputer days of youth hostelling, when we made bookings (including meals) with stamped, addressed envelopes and postal orders. For route planning and navigation we used my father’s old Bartholomew’s half-inch cloth maps. Now it can be all electronic, and it’s getting more sophisticated every year.

Mountain roads While planning my route, I found out that the Bwlch-y-Groes is only the highest road in North Wales. At 545m, it is just pipped by the 549m of the Gospel Pass between Abergavenny and Hay-on-Wye, so this road also went on the list. Then the route of this year’s Tour of Britain was announced, with a mountain top finish at The Tumble. More research showed that instead of taking the easy route along the canal north of Pontypool, I could climb steadily along the

(Top) Steve on the Tregaron cycle trail. It goes all the way to Aberystwyth, although Steve didn’t (Above) Nant Gwynant. There’s a tranquil campsite nearby – no radios are allowed

CTC. O R G . U K cyc l e 3 3

T he D r ago n ’ s B ack b o ne | G R E AT R I D ES

“I had magnificent views across to Snowdonia and the Lleyn Peninsula as I rode across Anglesey” old railway trail to Blaenavon and then take in The Tumble en route to Abergavenny. This would be the ‘easy’ side of the mountain, with only two miles of 11% from Blaenavon.

Adding in the mountain road from Llanidloes to Machynlleth and the majestic Nant Gwynant and Llanberis passes in Snowdonia gave me ‘The Dragon’s Backbone’, a ride along the spine of Wales from the Bristol Channel to the Irish Sea. It was a surprise to hear a cheery ‘Good morning’ behind me as I approached the steepest part of the Gospel Pass. Matt was from near Swindon and had just finished his finals. He was now getting away from it all by cycling to Snowdonia to meet up with family.

As he was staying in bunkhouses rather than camping, he had less kit than I did. He also had a lighter bike: a Specialized Allez road bike, compared to my Bob Jackson steel tourer. This would have made him faster up the hills even without the 40-year age advantage. However, he seemed more interested in having company than racing ahead, as this was his easy day and a warm-up for the next day’s 100-plus miles from Rhayader to Pwllheli.

We had a lovely descent to Hay-on-Wye,

enjoying the views of the Wye valley and the smooth road surface. After celebrating with coffee in Hay, we carried on up the Wye Valley. By the side of the road we saw two cyclists sitting on a bench admiring the view.

They were students from Colorado, making their first ever bike tour – from Dublin to Budapest. They had stayed the previous night at the bunkhouse near Rhayader where Matt was headed. Small world.

Here be dragons One of the charms of travelling alone is meeting people and sharing stories. Another is the kindness of strangers. I had two very welcome cups of tea: Dot was a resident in a mobile home at the campsite near Builth and had the tea made before I had put the tent up; Phyllis and Richard were having a picnic in a layby overlooking the Dylife Gorge and invited me to join them.

The landlord of the Eagles Inn in Llanuwchllyn at the south end of Llyn Tegid (Bala lake) opened the pub when he saw me outside, even though it was his day off and the pub was closed. A pint of orange and lemonade was very refreshing after the exertions of the Bwlch-y-Groes.

Do it yourself Both Newport and Holyhead have direct train services to and from Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff and London. As I live in the Thames Valley, it suited me to travel back via Newport, meaning no stairs or lifts at all for the return journey, just a sameplatform change. I found my campsites through a combination of symbols on the OS mapping and Google searches. It should be possible to find B&Bs within five miles of each of the campsites, though it would be advisable to book ahead. Bunkhouses or youth hostels are fewer and further apart. Whatever time of year you choose, respect the Welsh weather: you never know when the dragons are going to wake up.

CTC. O R G . U K cyc l e 3 5

G R E AT R I D ES | T he D r ago n ’ s B ack b o ne © Keith Shuttlewood / Alamy

(Left) The River Twymyn in the Dylife Gorge, Powys. There’s a 40-metre high waterfall further upriver at Ffrwd Fawr

Fact file: THE DRAGON’S BACKBONE Distance: Planned 268 miles, rode 287 due to extra at each end to visit the Newport Transporter Bridge and South Stack Lighthouse. Daily mileage ranged from 32 to 47 miles with lots of climbing.

Time: One week.

Bike: Bob Jackson tourer.

Maps: Open Cycle Map on ViewRanger for planning and detailed navigation, plus OS 1:50k mapping on Memory-Map. Backup in case the phone failed was a printout on one sheet of A4. Matt from Swindon was using the Sustrans Lôn Las Cymru North and South sheets.

Terrain: Lots of up and down, much of it over very exposed moorland above 1,000 feet. Wonderful road surfaces, even on the narrowest roads.

Campsites ranged from the basic ‘tap in a field’ at Llanthony to four-star rated with café or B&B on sites in Snowdonia. Some of them were sufficiently far from the nearest pub that I had planned to cook my own food in the evenings, stocking up at a shop earlier in the day. This strategy worked well most of the time. Not wanting to carry more weight than necessary up the Bwlch-y-Groes, I was counting on getting some more supplies in Trawsfynydd. I had decent weather for the morning’s big climb, but in the afternoon there was a huge thunderstorm. Not your wimpy English heavy rain for 20 minutes then all sunshine and light again; this was a real Welsh thunderstorm that went on for hours. I took shelter next to a stream under a bridge for an hour hoping the storm would blow over, as the next stretch of road was over very exposed open moorland.

When the rain eased I carried on, but it came back with a vengeance, with the thunder ominously close behind the lightning. Already delayed, I made slow progress in the rain and wind. The shops were closed by the time I reached Trawsfynydd, and I was down to iron rations for my evening meal. Later that night, I sensed where the dragon legends came from as the thunder returned. Even inside

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my tent with my eyes closed, I felt the flash of their fiery breath and heard the echoes of their roars as they resounded across the Trawsfynydd from Moelwyn to Manod.

North through Snowdonia There were other ‘this is what I came for’ moments. The descent of the Gospel Pass was outstanding, particularly sharing it with a fellow cyclist. I enjoyed the remote spaces of the Cambrian Mountains despite, or even because of, the effort involved in climbing up there.

One of the highlights of the trip was Nant Gwynant. Unlike many other roads in Wales, this is engineered to a steady gradient. It was a joy to get into a rhythm and winch my way slowly upwards, drinking in the views.

From the viewpoint near the top, Snowdon’s summit and Crib Goch were occasionally visible as the cloud came and went.

Beautiful weather meant I had magnificent views across to Snowdonia and the Lleyn Peninsula as I rode across Anglesey, and even a hazy glimpse of Ireland’s Wicklow Mountains from the cliff above South Stack.

I had intended it to be a challenging ride, and for me it was. But am I glad I did it? Very. Lots of lovely memories… and a greater appreciation of dragons.

Essential kit: Busch and Müller E-werk battery charger, which connected to the dynohub on my front wheel and reduced the rate of battery depletion when using the smartphone for GPS navigation. I also carried a battery backup pack.

Next time I would: take a Euro plug adapter, to recharge camera and phone battery from shaver sockets at campsites.

Further info: sustrans.org. Paper maps for Lôn Las Cymru are available from a number of sources. My route is at goringgapcycling.co.uk/c2cwales/

steve’s e2e route 6

5

4 3 2 1 1) Newport 2) Abergavenny 3) Builth Wells

4) Llanidloes 5) Trawsfynydd 6) Holyhead

Uni cycling For students starting universit y this autumn, it’s easier, cheaper, and trendier than ever to get around by bike. journalist Rob Ainsley takes a tour of the campuses

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(In the photo) Students in Cambridge. A strong cycling culture and traffic restrictions mean bikes everywhere

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Previous page: Alamy.com. Others by Rob Ainsley

f e at u r e | st u d en t cyc l i n g

York University’s Market Square: student Andy Bewley (left) doesn’t use his best bike for cycling around the city

P

icture ‘a student’ and you probably think of them on a bike. Well, there’s good news for the 650,000 or so starting a university course or similar this autumn: it’s easier than ever to cycle through a degree.

Students can enjoy free training, cheap bike hire and purchase, free workshop access, subsidised accessories – and steadily, though often slowly, improving cycle routes and facilities.

Such schemes are welcome. Only 3% of pupils get to their secondary school by bike, according to Bikeability stats. But going to university clearly encourages people back into the saddle. Edinburgh Uni’s website reckons 12% of their students cycle, a figure that seems fairly typical around Britain.

Some places boast much higher levels.

At York University it’s 20%. Oxford and Cambridge are probably tops, thanks to short town centre distances, narrow streets, a ban on student car use, and sheer selfperpetuating two-wheel culture. Precise numbers are a matter of guesswork, but Cambridge Cycling Campaign suggests student figures are probably over 50%.

And everywhere, it seems, more students are cycling. ‘Levels have noticeably increased over the last three years – there’s a real movement and sense of community,’ says Francis Collett-White, who graduated this year from Manchester University. ‘There are queues of cyclists at the lights and a new bike shed is already overflowing. Even when it

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rains, which is quite often in Manchester!’

No wonder: the eternal truths still hold.

Pedalling around the campus or town is quicker, cheaper, more fun – and nowadays more fashionable – than any other mode of transport. Which makes cycling more useful than ever for students, in an era where higher education life is challenged economically (graduate debts of £20,000-plus are common thanks to tuition fee hikes) and logistically (with distant accommodation, faculties and part-time jobs).

Making choices Choosing a university isn’t solely about the course. Cycling factors may well be on the tick list. Somewhere handy for the Yorkshire Dales could clinch a choice for roadies or tourers, while Welsh or Scottish universities’ off-road potential might tip the balance for mountain bikers.

Geography doesn’t change, but sporting reputations can. Keen racers can look at the British Universities and Colleges Sport website’s cycling section (bucs.org.uk) to see which institutions feature consistently (Loughborough, for example).

Those who simply like getting around on two wheels may find that some campuses, such as East Anglia or Nottingham, are more bike-friendly than others, or that certain places – such as Bristol – are attractive for their strong and vibrant urban cycle culture.

To find out how good a university is for

the everyday cyclist, its website may help.

Some have prominent sections on cycling, with details of facilities and routes. Others put the information under headings such as ‘Sustainable Transport’ or ‘Active Travel’.

Mention of a BUG (Bicycle User Group) suggests an active cycling culture.

There’ll be an email or phone contact in these sections for an ‘officer’ or ‘co-ordinator’, who will be delighted to supply information both general (‘are there nice leisure routes nearby?’) and specific (‘where can I store my recumbent?’), and give reliable judgements (‘how safe is that main road into town?’).

Student bodies have a fast turnover, so such contacts will most likely be staff members. Often they’re graduates, and enthusiastic cyclists of course, now working at the university in academic or admin posts.

Many university employees enjoy bike travel expenses (typically 20p per mile), cheap hire, and all that campus infrastructure, storage and parking.

Storage and parking Most first year students get a room on campus, but they won’t be able to keep their bikes there. (Folding bikes are no problem, although to protect long-suffering furnishings, bags are usually required indoors.) So if they want to bring a valuable bicycle, storage and security will be issues.

Usually universities have secure, lockable units near their accommodation, and a good

“Cambridge Cycling Campaign suggests that the proportion of students cycling in the city is probably over 50 per cent”

Student membership of CTC is just £16. See p78

range of bike racks round the campus and at the faculties. York, one of the best, boasts 4,700 bike spaces for the 6,000 students on campus (of a total of 16,000).

In privately-rented accommodation, often the default for second- or third-years, storage is a lottery; railings outside (some pavements in Cambridge’s studenty backstreets are almost impassable); hallways (a shin-barking assault course of pedals); or a garden shed (a target for thieves – locking to something fixed is a must). Insurance small-print is worth checking. For a cycling-specific policy, see CTC’s Cycleclover: cyclecover.org.uk.

A good option is to buy a cheap bike purely for town and campus. That’s what Andy Bewley, a second-year English and Philosophy student at York, did, reserving his Ridgeback tourer for special trips, such as his Vienna jaunt last year. ‘It’s tempting to use it at uni as well,’ he says, ‘but you always have the worry of theft, and a good bike stands out like a sore saddle in a crowd of second-hand models.’

Getting a cheap bike is easy.

Many universities subsidise schemes that provide students SAVE money with reconditioned models. Robin Find out how much Lovelace, a cycling academic and money cycling can researcher at Leeds University, save you: bit.ly/ points to Sheffield: ‘They employ StudentCycling a company called Recycle who sell bikes to students for £30, subsidised by £40,’ he says.

f e at u r e | st u d en t cyc l i n g

CTC o n c a m p u s Getting students cycling Plymouth University Plymouth’s CTC Cycling Development Officer Brett Nicolle led over 50 students on guided tours of the city during freshers’ week, enabling them to see a lot more of what Plymouth has to offer. CTC has also worked with Bikespace, a social enterprise that helps youngsters who struggle at school, to sell recycled bikes to students. Over 50 bikes were sold over the two sale days.

Reading University CTC Cycling Development Officer Javed Saddique has worked with the student union to deliver regular bike maintenance sessions and training.

This has developed to include bike maintenance courses, ‘confident cycling’ courses, a cycle-buddy scheme and a bike recycling scheme.

York University: around 20% of students cycle

‘That cuts out bureaucracy and gives a sense of ownership. The students look after them better than hire bikes.’ Maintenance is assisted too: ‘Recycle come round two or three days a week charging reasonable prices for repairs.’

Free ‘Dr Bike’ sessions (troubleshooting and minor repairs by a trained mechanic) are common across universities, and some places, such as Manchester, even offer free maintenance classes.

Another option is to hire. Manchester offers bikes for as little as £1 a week. Velocampus, an initiative for students at Leeds University, Leeds Beckett, and other institutions, rents out sturdy town bikes (with mudguards and rack) for £50 a year. It also provides a free workshop space for students to learn basic bike maintenance. (Similar facilities are commonly available in other universities too.)

Funding permitting, Velocampus co-ordinator Conor Walsh hopes to offer tailored workshops in future. Such as ones for women, who (it is estimated) make up 30–40 per cent of cyclists at university – and the proportion is increasing.

‘We actually have more step-through frames than crossbars in our 200 hire bikes,’ Conor says, ‘and we need to order more small step-throughs because of the rise in students from Asia.’

Educating cyclists Many first-year students are first-time, or returning, cyclists. Bike training sessions with qualified instructors, provided through the university, are common – and usually free.

Freshers can be naive about security.

Carole Sparke, of Birmingham University’s active BUG, points out that their campus

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has a full-time on-site police officer, who demonstrates the inadequacies of cheap locks to first-years. ‘The officer snipping though cables with pocket wire-cutters gets the message across very effectively!’ she says.

Such education, plus the promotion of subsidised gold-standard D-locks (£40 models for £15), is reducing theft. Most other universities have similar schemes and

“Another option is to hire. Manchester Uni offers bikes for as little as £1 a week” offers. At York, for instance, insecurely locked bikes are tagged with a voucher for £5 valid against a lock at the campus shop.

Illumination is an issue too. York’s Travel Plan Co-ordinator Fiona Macey marvels that some freshers don’t even know lights are compulsory at night. ‘At our two-day October roadshows we hand out 200 free lights,’ she says. ‘They cost us £5, but it’s worth it for raising awareness.’

The lights have to be fitted there and then by one of their Dr Bike people, lest the student be tempted to sell them on eBay.

What puts cyclists off Safety on the roads, away from the tranquillity of the campus, looms large. The biggest barrier to cycling take-up, says Francis Collett-White, is ‘poor cycle infrastructure and the perceived danger. A few months ago a student was killed in a collision with a cement mixer outside student halls. These incidents are not only tragic for the families but change

the way students feel about cycling.’

But talk to most student cyclists and you’ll get very positive feedback. Nathalie Richards, a fourth-year at Nottingham, says having a bike ‘just makes me freer, without relying on public transport and gives me the option to get to lectures quicker if I am running late.

Living out this year it’s become more useful, especially for cycling to campus.’

Nathalie prefers roads to the cycle paths, which are frequently interrupted by lights and junctions. But the paths find favour with returning cyclists: two of her housemates were encouraged to get back on their bikes for the first time in years.

Her sister Jenny, a final-year student at St John’s, Oxford, is equally enthusiastic. She cruises round on a second-hand Raleigh three-speed. Jenny cycled before, but in rural Cambridgeshire, ‘so it was a bit of shock cycling in Oxford at first. But I couldn’t have got by without my bike, without its speed and ease of getting places.’

Moving on After finals, things come down to earth as rapidly as those mortar boards thrown aloft for the graduation pic. The big challenge for today’s graduates is simply finding a job.

But nowadays, students who carry on cycling post-study are surely at an advantage when they get on their bikes and look for work. Because bikes are trendier than ever, and the phrase ‘keen cyclist’ does no harm on a CV. Chances are, some of the interviewers are too.

‘I’d like to continue cycling after uni,’ enthuses Jenny. ‘I don’t think it’s just a student thing. However, if it’s hilly, I’d invest in more than three gears!’

Bikes Events 2015 Ad.indd 1

16/12/2014 14:52

Where: Across Europe to the Middle East Start: London finish: Palestine Distance: 7,000km, riding around 100km each day pictures: Robbie Gillett and PEDAL (100daystopalestine.org) unless noted

P e d a l l i n g to P a l e s t i n e | G R E A T R I D E S

Gre at r ide s

Pedalling to Palestine Shortly after university, Robbie Gillett and 19 friends cycled to Palestine to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

The West Bank, Palestine © Sheri Laizer / Alamy.

I

f you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’ The African proverb seemed fitting for our cycle trip from London to Palestine in 2011. Our group of 20 cyclist would be travelling 7,000km.

We choose to ride to the Occupied Territories in response to the ongoing detention, displacement, home demolitions, deaths and human rights abuses suffered

by Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Along our route through Western Europe, the Balkans and Turkey, we arranged to stay with different communities involved in community food growing, permaculture, and DIY educational projects, volunteering our help while we were there.

Our group met through networks of friends in Glasgow, Manchester and London.

Many of us knew each other from climate and anti-war campaigning at university.

All were keen cyclists but none of us had undertaken any touring on this scale.

There were four requirements for people joining the trip: a roadworthy bike; a competent cycling ability; enough money to cover £5 per day for food; and an understanding of and agreement with the political aims and objectives of our trip.

These were: to promote environmental justice and food-grower networks along our route; to contribute to the growing international movement of boycott and sanctions against Israel in light of repeated

violations of UN resolutions; and to share stories of resistance between different communities as we travelled.

Group dynamics It was an emotional farewell from friends and family at Cable Street, London. We would be gone for six months, heading across unfamiliar countries into a troubled political landscape. Nonetheless, we were eager and excited to get going as we set off through Kent in the March sunshine.

After spending six days in Calais working with homeless international migrants, we began a 200km, two-day stint across the flat fields of Flanders to Brussels. I found the flat monotony of the roads exhausting, and was glad to be surrounded by gentle rolling hills and Sunday bike clubs as we came closer to Brussels.

We rode in groups of six or so and met up for lunch and dinner. Riding in groups any larger was not practical. Delays were too easily caused, especially setting off after rests, as people faffed with panniers, dealt with punctures and repairs, visited the toilet, or bought extra snacks. We re-grouped in

DO IT YOURSELF Our trip was mostly a political project with a cycle touring element. In the six months prior to our trip, we met three times in Glasgow, Manchester and London to collectively create our political aims, plan our route, and pick the communities we would visit along the way. We also did a much-needed practice ride from London to Uckfield. In doing so, we discovered that our singlewheel trailers were rubbish. We replaced them for two-wheel trailers before departing.

“Germany’s bike paths were a luxury to cycle along. They gave way to snowy Alps and green mountains in Slovenia” CTC. O R G . U K cyc l e 4 5

G R E A T R I D E S | P e d a l l i n g to P a l e s t i n e (Opposite) The ride south down the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia was blessed with great weather (Right) Crossing the Alps. Like any cycle-tourists on a long trip, the group grew fitter as they went along (Below) Protesting in Bil’in against a concrete wall that cuts villagers off from their farmland (Bottom) A collective farm in Austria.

The group visited a range of communities on their journey

“After one long, sweeping descent through the clouds, we found ourselves by the crystal waters of the Adriatic” the evenings to camp and make dinner together.

Although we had all been saving before we began the trip, none of us had money to splash around, given that it had to last six months. However, after buying equipment (bikes, panniers, trailers), our day-to-day costs were extremely low. We wild-camped nearly everywhere, asking permission when practical and being discreet when it wasn’t.

We were always mindful to leave the land exactly as we found it.

Food was our biggest daily cost. We tried purchasing food from a communal kitty but our appetites grew as our mileage increased, so we were soon gorging on snacks at each stop. Throughout Western Europe, we found plenty of good, clean food discarded in supermarket bins – often shrink-wrapped in plastic. As we moved into Eastern Europe and beyond, food outlets

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became far less wasteful and we gave up looking, especially as the prices were so much lower. I still look back in wonderment at how hungry we felt. Our stomachs were like furnaces devouring fuel.

Germany to Albania Germany’s bike paths are well-appreciated amongst cycle tourists in Europe, and they were a luxury to cycle along. They gave way to snowy Alps and green mountains in Slovenia, where we were surprised to find the Royal Wedding on television in a bus station café in a small border town.

After one long, sweeping descent through the clouds, we found ourselves by the clear, crystal waters of the Adriatic. We’d reached Croatia. We followed the coast road south through beautiful tourist towns for 400km, always with dry, red rock on our left, clear blue sea on our right, and the sun above our

heads. The road didn’t provide much room for passing traffic but the views and sunshine more than made up for this.

Albania contained a few surprises. Firstly, everyone was extremely friendly, tooting and waving from their motorcycles as they passed, even offering us places to stay.

Secondly, despite the obvious poverty of the country, there were Mercedes cars everywhere. Albania’s bumpy dirt roads do require a robust vehicle, and Mercedes was evidently the favoured marque of the country’s former political leaders, so the brand had a particular status there. But still: a Mercedes isn’t cheap. Where had they all come from? Albanian émigrés working abroad?

The third surprise in Albania was the E851, a 90km stretch of smooth motorway that blasted its way from Rrëshen near the coast through a dramatic mountain range to Kukës near the Kosovan border. This fourlane highway was largely empty of vehicles and had ample space on the hard shoulder to cycle on. The array of expensive cuttings and bridges that lined the route were

P e d a l l i n g to P a l e s t i n e | G R E A T R I D E S

Fact File: PEDALLING TO PALESTINE Distance: 7,000km.

Route: Through Belgium and Germany, then the Alps to Austria and Slovenia, along the Dalmatian Coast in Croatia, then through Kosovo into the heat of Greece. We then rode to Istanbul and south through Turkey, where we split into two groups.

Conditions: Germany and the Alps were chilly in mid-April. Turkey in early June was very hot; we cycled only in the mornings and early evenings.

conspicuous in a country notable for its poverty and rising public debt. Which foreign company had been paid to construct such a pricey and under-used road? (We later discovered it was US-Turkish consortium Bechtel-Enka, for an estimated 1billion euros.

There were allegations of corruption.)

The lack of traffic on this road and the clear view ahead meant that we could take descents at full speed. After 60km on the E851, we were dismayed to find a traffic cop standing at the entrance to a 6km tunnel at Thirres. He prohibited us from cycling through, so we enlisted the help of a truck driver. He took us through with our bikes in the back and Balkan klezmer music blasting out of the stereo.

On the other side of the tunnel, we found the best descent of the entire trip: 10km without pedalling, to a lake where the sun was setting on a snow-capped mountain in front of us. We had bureks for dinner, then laid out our sleeping mats in the gardens of an abandoned hotel. It was a curious day.

Protesting in Palestine After three months we arrived in Istanbul, where we joined an annual bike protest on the Bosphorus suspension bridge, calling for the installation of a cycle lane to connect the Asian and European halves of the city.

Some of our group turned back here, lacking the money or time to continue. Our numbers were down to twelve.

Our route ahead was unclear. By June 2011, the pro-democracy uprising in Syria was receiving violent repression from the Assad government. The death toll was mounting. Refugees were pouring over the border into Turkey. Should we head

east across the plains of Turkey and travel through Syria, or south to the coast in search of a ferry across the Mediterranean?

It was a split decision: some took a 24-hour, nervous bus ride through Syria to Jordan; others (including me) an expensive boat from Cyprus to Haifa in Israel.

Both groups reached the West Bank, where we would remain for two months. We met with community groups, farmers’ unions, university students, and dissenting Israelis, all resisting the ongoing occupation and annexation of Palestinian land.

Our bikes were mostly retired in the August heat; we travelled around in shared taxis. But one village in Bil’in invited us to their weekly protest against the large concrete wall that cuts off villagers from their farmland. The protest was bicycle-themed.

It was humbling to see these community activists – many of whom had been imprisoned, injured or lost family members – borrowing our bikes as we rode and marched together through the tear-gas and stun grenades fired by the Israeli Defence Force.

With each group we visited in Palestine, we shared stories of our travels and of the communities we had visited. My bike was eventually stolen whilst locked up a checkpoint near Jerusalem – a happy ending, as I was trying to sell it anyway and the insurance paid out back home.

We still talk of our time on the road.

The sense of freedom, independence and physical fitness that travelling by bike brings was coupled with a sense of purpose about why we were travelling. It was about solidarity rather than charity – and a desire, shared by so many others, to see a just peace in the region.

Accommodation: We free-camped everywhere. As we moved out of European countries, people began offering their homes, especially in Albania and Turkey.

Bike used: A heavy but robust Bronx Rambler Hybrid (£270) with Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres.

Maps: From petrol stations en route.

I’m glad I had: A sturdy roll matt for sleeping out anywhere. Others had inflatable matts that punctured.

Next time I would: Not bother with trailers. You fill whatever carrying capacity you have. Our three trailers held seldom-used gas stoves, hand axes (for chopping wood) and other inessential kit.

The trailers made the hills harder. We eventually gave them away.

Further info: 100daystoPalestine.org

route to palestine

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2

3 4

5 6 7 8

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10

1) S outh east England 2) N orthern France 3) B elgium

4) B avaria, Germany 5) A ustria and Slovenia 6) Croatia

7) K osovo and Albania 8) Greece 9) Turkey 10) Palestine

CTC. O R G . U K cyc l e 47

On the eve of war: club cyclists exploring the Wicklow Hills, Ireland, August 1914

the home front For the cyclists of 1914, the outbreak of WW1 meant a journey from the open road to ‘hell with the lid off’. Cycling historian David Birchall tells their story

T

he Great War was indiscriminate: anyone and everyone was affected.

Cyclists were among the young men hunched in trenches. Cyclists at home, far from the battlefields, still felt the reverberations. We know this first hand from some of them, thanks to the archives of the Anfield Circular, the newsletter of the Anfield Bicycle Club (ABC).

Formed in March 1879 in Liverpool, the ABC is one of the oldest continuously active cycling clubs in the world. It shares its origins with CTC, which it is now an affiliate group of. Through the Anfield Circular, the many members caught up in the fighting recorded their experiences in their own words as the catastrophe unfolded. On the home front, as conditions grew harder,

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those who remained behind described how the club kept their pastime going. The immediacy of the reporting is extraordinary: reading the accounts now is like stepping through a door to the world as it was then.

The Circular was the crucial link between home and abroad. It ensured those overseas were not forgotten, and promised a return to normality when the war was over. But it was the inspired decision to send those on service gifts (like tobacco and pipes, chocolate, tinned food, and writing materials) that led to a steady stream of news and first hand reports of the war.

An Edwardian summer At the turn of the century, the heart of clublife was the Saturday afternoon fixture, every

week throughout the year. From Merseyside and Manchester, ABC members would meet at comfortable inns following a ride in the lanes of Cheshire or Lancashire.

Often, a few would weekend further afield: a pleasing prospect allowing exploration of Welsh mountain tracks, Shropshire’s pastoral countryside, or the Derbyshire dales.

During the winter there was time for more leisurely riding and social fixtures.

Highlights were ‘smoking concerts’, with hotpots on the menu followed by homespun entertainment. There were official tours too: Easter at Betws-y-Coed in North Wales, August in Ireland, an annual all-night ride, and, rounding off the year, the Autumnal Tints weekend. In addition, from April to September, it was the racing season with

C y c l i s t s a t w a r | f eat u r e (Left) During the war, WP Cook worked tirelessly for cyclists. He was a leading light in fundraising for the cyclists’ Prisoners of War Fund and for the National Cyclists’ War Memorial (Below) Irish Road Club 100, near Dublin, August 1913. A year later, races in the UK began to be suspended as men went to war

“Those halcyon days, which followed so warm and sociable a pattern of good fellowship, good company, and sportsmanship, ended abruptly” members competing for a prize fund worth, in 1914, the equivalent of about £13,000.

But these halcyon days, which had followed so warm and sociable a pattern of good fellowship, good company, and keen sportsmanship, ended abruptly after the August 1914 Bank Holiday.

War declared The impact of the war was immediate: support for club runs collapsed as young members ‘joined the colours’ and older members volunteered for civic duties.

Racing was suspended. Catering was disrupted as the Army took over inns and hotels, and there were visible reminders too.

On one club run, the Circular reported: ‘We were kept aware that Old England was at war by the continuous procession of military on the way to Chester, which were met every few miles. The Cheshire Yeomanry in full war kit gave a martial aspect to the countryside, some of the squadrons being splendidly mounted.’

Many clubs did not survive. Some were so decimated that they disbanded, while others, including CTC, were weakened financially and emerged with fewer members.

In the armed forces, cyclists, whether racing men, club riders or tourists, were dispersed widely. Although some were directly called on to use their cycling skills, as despatch riders and in the cyclists’ battalions, most could be found in all arenas and on all fronts.

For those who return Senior ABC members, like WP Cook (CTC Vice President, Liverpool DA President, and recipient of the Alfred Bird Memorial Award), saw their role as defending club life for those who would return. They redirected the prize fund to ‘War Relief’, re-engaged nonactive members (and recruited new), and waived subscriptions for those fighting. But happiest of all was their decision to send members on service abroad monthly parcels of ‘small comforts and luxuries’ to soften the harshness of military life.

The catalyst was a letter from Jack Hodges, in Egypt with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. Feeling homesick, he asked if prize money owed him could be drawn to purchase essentials that would make life more bearable. It was the prompt for Christmas gifts to all those abroad. As tokens of remembrance, the gifts were

so greatly appreciated that, on Cook’s instigation, the scheme then continued until the end of the war.

One of the recipients was WM Robinson, the cycling journalist ‘Wayfarer’. Fighting in France, far from ‘the open road which we love so well’, he mused that the scheme must have been ‘suggested by the Angels’ for ‘the man who may be called upon at any hour of the day or night to look Death between the eyes, and to glimpse Hell with the lid off’.

Wayfarer invalided Letters acknowledging the gifts were expected, and crucially each was published.

The accounts were written dispassionately,

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C y c l i s t s a t w a r | f eat u r e

ABC annual photo, Halewood, Liverpool, 1918.

Four members died in WW1

“In this hell of wet, mud and cold, normality was living in rat-infested dugouts with death all around and trenches smelling of gas” but with humour, irony and wry observation.

None ducked the realities of war – whether the unspeakable horrors of the Western Front or the boredom of life away from the action.

Some correspondents were brave enough to express their fear for the dangers they faced. One was Wayfarer, who at the age of 40 served on the Western Front in the Queen’s Westminster Rifles. At first he wrote lighthearted letters about training. But one account stands out, serious in tone: ‘On Monday I joined my Battalion and came at once into the Reserve Trenches. In a few hours time I expect to go into the Fire Trenches for eight days. Then follows a ‘Rest’ – (loud laughter) – and afterwards we keep on going round the mulberry bush.’

Within days, he was severely wounded.

Stretchered back to England, recovery from his injuries was slow.

Others described the British Expeditionary Force’s retreat from Mons; delivering despatches on an army bicycle under fire; driving field hospital ambulances in Flanders amongst the thick of the fighting; manning a heavy gun battery at the Somme, where the bombardment lasted for weeks and the noise was ‘awful – one continuous roar day and night’. In this hell of wet, mud and cold, normality was living in rat-infested dugouts with death all around and trenches smelling

of gas; and where being buried alive when shells exploded too close for comfort was considered a lucky escape.

Correspondents & casualties There were lighter moments too. George Stephenson, training with the 3rd Yeomanry Cyclists’ Regiment, was booked for not cleaning the inside of his mudguards. Later he was put in charge of 500 army bicycles and men, before ending his military career in the role of stationmaster near Dublin, where he lived ‘a splendid life’. In 1917, Clifford Dews was flying with the Royal Naval Air Service at Vendôme (‘a quaint old place’ where fruit was cheap – ‘fresh peaches at 8d per dozen and Williams pears ½d each’) and Boulogne (‘Hun planes dropped pills all around – a little too close to be pleasant’).

At Christmas with the RAF in Greece, he attended a christening party where the ‘oozoo’ flowed freely.

Those in Mesopotamia, Palestine and Egypt found life monotonous and often unpleasant: ‘the mosquitoes are the limit, and cockroaches of enormous size are very plentiful’. All longed for home. Some found bicycles, though a 25-mile ride on a windy day in ‘Ishmailia’ proved tough. In India, Harold Band learned about horsemanship and discovered the monsoon ‘where even WP Cook would have to admit to rain’.

By the end of the war, 44 ABC members were on the Roll of Honour – a third of the membership. Four had given their lives: 2nd Lieutenant David Rowatt and Private Edmund Rowatt were killed at the Somme, David (age 26) on 1 July 1916 and Edmund (age 19) on 30 July 1916. Edmund’s body was not recovered. Corporal Edward Andrew Bentley was mortally wounded in October 1916. He died in hospital at Boulogne on 18 November 1916 aged 31, and is buried at Boulogne Eastern Cemetery. Air Mechanic George Poole died on 4 January 1919 (age 31) at Chester, where he had been receiving treatment for severe frostbite suffered during the winter of 1917-1918.

For DC Rowatt, a veteran from 1890, the war brought disproportionate tragedy. In addition to the two sons killed, another was severely wounded, one more died in the 1918 flu pandemic at the age of 17 and, compounding the heartbreak still further, a

CTC. O RG . U K cyc l e 51

f eat u r e | C y c l i s t s a t w a r (Left) Llanberis Pass, Snowdonia, during the ABC’s Easter Tour of 1911. Weekends away were a key part of club life

lest we forget

fifth succumbed to polio in the years after the war.

Winning the peace On the home front there was a satirical bite to reports on the war’s impact: the Defence of the Realm Act (nicknamed ‘Dora’) was hated as a virago who restricted pub opening hours, watered beer, banned treating (buying rounds) and required compulsory red lights. ‘Even Dora is powerless against what one can think’ was one defiant comment.

There were complaints about ‘get-richquick caterers’, and of meals under ‘Lord Have-no-potatoes’: ‘beef and boiled mutton weighed out at 2.9oz and bread confined to one round’. Worse came with increased prices, vegetables eking out egg rations, and no-meat teas. Members even tried augmenting meals with their own loaves, and using ration books to buy food.

Dodging ‘itinerant specials and prowling policemen’ for a pint, even if awful, was a risky business that led one member to court as a witness in a case about contravening regulations.

News of the Armistice was delivered during a club run at Alderley Edge, on 9 November 1918. At last, members could look

5 2 cyc le August /Se p t ember 2 014

forward ‘to the time in the near future when the sporting activities of the club will spring into life again with freshness and vigour’. But winning the peace was not so simple.

Those returning, who found ‘old things old’, decided they wanted new. The ABC’s ban on Sunday racing led to divisions.

But despite the unrest, senior members continued to support the young, and, through CTC, the defence of cyclists’ rights nationally. In addition, WP Cook helped raise funds for the National Cyclists’ War Memorial, Meriden, while Wayfarer fired romance and adventure with his journalism and lanternslide lectures on ‘the Open Road’.

But what truly marked the end of the war for the ABC was the repeal of the hated ‘Dora’ who ‘passed away quietly on 31st August [1921], unwept, unhonoured, and unsung after a lingering illness’.

In 2013, the Anfield Bicycle Club secured a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £16,000 to conserve and share its extensive archive of documents and photographs, some of which have been used in this article. Digital output from the project, ‘Those Amazing Anfielders and their Cycling Machines in Peace and War’, is available online at anfieldbc.co.uk.

‘To the Lasting Memory of those Cyclists who died in the Great War 1914-1919’.

After the war, thousands of memorials to those killed were erected throughout the British Isles, but none was dedicated solely to cyclists.

In 1919, a memorial to CTC’s fallen was proposed. From this beginning, FT Bidlake and GH Stancer urged a national scheme.

Two years later, 21 May 1921, on a perfect summer’s day, thousands of cyclists were riding in small parties and club groups through the heart of rural England from all parts of the British Isles to the ‘old world village’ of Meriden near Coventry.

The centre of attention on Meriden Green was the Memorial, an obelisk of Cornish grey granite, ‘beautiful in its simplicity’. It had cost the equivalent of £150,000, raised by donations.

A bugle called the crowd to silence. Mr WG Howard Gritten, ‘the cyclists’ MP’, delivered a memorable address, and Lord Birkenhead (the Lord Chancellor) released the Union Jack. Closing the ceremony, ‘as the great flag fluttered down’, buglers sounded the Last Post.

Wayfarer wrote that the unveiling and dedication of the Memorial was the last great scene of the war from the cyclist’s point of view. But there was still one more act of remembrance for many: the lower portions of the obelisk were very quickly covered with wreaths.

As the only monument to all United Kingdom participants in an individual sport or pastime who fell in the Great War, the Memorial is unique.

This photo of the memorial’s unveiling was on the cover of Cycling

s pac e4cyc l i n g | f e at u r e

On The campaign trail With less than a year to go until the next general election, Chris Peck examines how you can help get cycling on the next government’s agenda

Illustration: Adam Gale

C

ouncillors across the country have already received over 12,000 messages from you and other cyclists, urging them to make Space for Cycling.

Almost 300 have signed up in support of the campaign, which is coordinated by CTC and local campaign groups nationwide.

As the general election draws closer, it’s important to strengthen grassroots support for cycling.

Space for Cycling is aimed at councillors because they have the power to change things at a local level. They decide where resources go, where new developments will be, and how they will be accessed, as well as the design of streets, crossings, width of cycle paths, even

the type of materials used in projects. All these things have a profound effect on whether people will cycle and how safe it is.

Show us the money Although councils often control multi-billion pound budgets, those budgets are declining in the face of austerity measures imposed by central government. More and more of the discretionary spending that local authorities have goes to pay for vital services, such as looking after older people or vulnerable adults.

The message from local authorities – the coal face of providing for cycling – is clear: we need longer term, consistent funding coupled with clear guidance and regulations on how

to build better streets and remove the huge legacy of decades of car-dominated road planning.

CTC has liaised with the main parties through meetings with Cycling Minister Robert Goodwill MP and his counterpart in the opposition, Richard Burden MP, as well as a close collaboration with the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group, whose members led the Get Britain Cycling inquiry in 2013. So far, the messages we’ve been getting back are very supportive of cycling. But politicians won’t yet commit to dedicating the necessary funding – at least £10 per head, per year, rising to £20 over time. This was the level of funding that was identified in the Get Britain

CTC. O R G . U K cyc l e 5 5

f e at u r e | s pac e4cyc l i n g

Slapdash solutions The destruction of Cycling England in 2011, in the ‘bonfire of the quangos’, set back planning for cycling massively. Local authorities that had been making real progress as ‘Cycling Towns’ suddenly had their ring-fenced cycling cash removed, at precisely the same moment that they were being asked to make colossal savings because of central government imposed austerity measures. The coalition claims it has spent more money on cycling than ever before, but much of it has been in the form of one-off dollops of cash in the last couple of years. Principally, that’s been the resurrected ‘Cycling Cities’ programme, as well as the spending down of the legacy of the 2010-2011 Cycling England programme.

Presently, we have eight cities in the middle of implementing what are, in some cases, highly ambitious plans for cycling, but doing so on an absurdly rushed timetable, with the expectation that there will be no resources to continue the work after May 2015. This short-term thinking is hugely inefficient: by the time local authorities have skilled up teams to consult on, design and procure projects, the money will have run out and those resources (and learned lessons) will be lost.

As reported in Cycle Dec 13/Jan 14, Leeds has almost £18m to spend on its flagship schemes, including a 10-mile route right through the city and all the way to Bradford.

This is an immense project to try to build in just 18 months, yet that is what is required.

5 6 cyc le augu st/se p temb er 2 014

Left: iStockphoto.com. Below left: courtesy of British Cycling’s Martin Key

Cycling report (supported by Parliament) as required to project Britain from the bottom of the international cycle use league to the top.

Since the coalition government took office in 2010, we have seen uneven progress. Overall cycling levels appear to have plateaued, albeit substantially above where they were ten years ago, yet serious casualties have continued steadily to rise, so the rate of injury for cyclists has also risen. In part, this is because of the government’s utter failure to tackle bad driving, despite some improvements recently thanks to CTC’s Road Justice campaign.

Achieving more as well as safer cycling – the well-documented ‘safety in numbers’ effect – requires government and local authorities to cater for that increased cycling by making conditions more amenable. That means reducing speed limits in residential areas, making space for cycling on main roads and through green spaces, and tackling specific safety problems, such as major junctions, heavy vehicles, or bad driving. Without those problems being tackled, new or returning cyclists must rely on drivers being more aware of them. More cyclists on the roads does make drivers more aware, but that alone isn’t enough.

The aim is to secure commitments to cycling ahead of the 2015 general election

To secure that long-term funding, cyclists need to be bolder in mobilising the political support for cycling. That means reaching out to people who ride bikes seldom or not at all, but who might want to, particularly parents of young children, and those on the cusp of retiring. We need our existing networks of campaigning and recreational cycling groups to challenge their local politicians with a simple, recurring demand: give us long-term funding for cycling of £10 per head per year, rising to

£20 per head per year as time passes.

Having focussed efforts on local decision makers over the summer, autumn will be the time to start badgering MPs and the major parties – gearing up for a general election in May – to commit adequate resources to cycling. In short: to make Space for Cycling, we’ll first need funding for cycling.

Visit space4cycling.org.uk to find out more about how to get involved.

s u p p o r t f o r £ 10 p e r h e a d o n c yc l i n g The Commons Transport Select Committee’s report on Cycle Safety was published just as Cycle was going to press. CTC gave evidence to the committee in February, along with the AA and British Cycling, and many of the points raised

by Campaigns Director Roger Geffen are endorsed in the report. They include: high standards for cycle-

friendly design (such as Space for Cycling); more emphasis on cyclists’ safety in driver training and the Highway Code; and raising the level of funding for cycling to £10 a head, which is the minimum CTC believes is necessary to radically improve our roads and streets so that anyone can get around safely and easily by cycling.

(L to R) Edmund King, Chris Boardman and Roger Geffen spoke to the Select Committee

Where: Powys, Mid Wales Start & finish: Pennant (on the B4518 between Llanbrynmair and Llanidloes) Distance: 140 miles (40 miles on day 1, 80 on day 2, 10 on day 3) pictures: by Alamy and Dave Barter

W i l d Wa l es | G R E AT R I D ES

Gre at r ide s

Wild Wales Mountain bike, camping kit, list of checkpoints: novice bikepacker Dave Barter had everything he needed to explore mid Wales. Except a plan

Left: Hafren Forest, Powys © Richard Becker / Alamy. Others by Dave Barter, unless noted

M

y bag-strapped mountain bike was at the bottom of a steep, grassy gully 20 metres below, lying where it had fallen. I stared down at it and swore. I’d begun the Welsh Ride Thing, an orienteering-style bikepacking event in Mid Wales, less than hour before. The route I picked to the first checkpoint was looking overly optimistic…

The Welsh Ride Thing (WRT) is an anarchic event with no winner. The aim isn’t to amass points but to have fun and adventure while exploring and camping out off-road. It’s now in its sixth year. The 2014 edition took place over the early May Bank Holiday and attracted around 100 riders.

The format is simple. You pay an entry fee of £20, the profits of which are donated to the air ambulance. You receive a set of checkpoints via email, and you plan a route visiting as few or as many as you wish. You set off some time after 1pm on the first day of the event and return two days later for tea and cake.

Routing around I’d been itching to have a go at bikepacking, and the WRT seemed like the perfect introduction. I went online, searching for information about bike luggage, cooking apparatus, dehydrated foods, and backwoods ‘hygiene’. When I arrived at the start point, I was confident that I had every base covered.

I’d researched equipment well; I’d researched my route less well. I headed up a

remote bridleway without properly checking where it went. The overgrown track clung to a steep valley side and was littered with bushes that snagged at my laden bike. After pushing it for hundreds of metres, I lost my grip and the bike tumbled down the hill.

The beauty of the WRT is that I didn’t have to continue along this route. It was up to me.

Minutes later, I was retreating from this steep, overgrown bridleway in search of more rideable tracks. As the event is based in the Cambrian Mountains, there are plenty of good ones to choose from – although even the better ones are hilly.

My kit for the three days hung from the front and rear of the bike. A handlebar harness held sleeping and bivvy bags, and a custom seatpack contained food, stove and spare clothing. On the road, things felt fine. Off-road, I had to take things easier, occasionally pushing but still enjoying the views.

I rode through Hafren Forest for a while.

Its shade fended off the midday sun, so I began to explore and head a little off piste, a luxury not afforded to those competing in point-to-point events. I ignored the nagging GPS and relished the freedom. Meandering around the cycle trails, I encountered the occasional dead end but it didn’t matter. I’d

DO IT YOURSELF There is a vibrant community

of British bikepackers more than willing to offer advice and company. I found many at the Bear Bones forum. There's a link to it at bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk Stuart Wright offers bikepacking specific courses for novice riders or those wanting to improve. His website is: forestfreeride.co.uk Bikepacking gear is available from alpkit.co.uk and wildcatgear.co.uk

“Water dragged me back to civilisation.

I’d forgotten a filter and my dehydrated dinner would lose its appeal eaten raw” CTC. O R G . U K cyc l e 5 9

G R E AT R I D ES | W il d Wa l es (Left) Llyn Clywedog. The reservoir supplies water to Birmingham and the Midlands (Right) Camping gear is at each rider’s discretion: ‘in or under whatever you think best’, the organisers say (Below right) The weather wasn’t bad during the 2014 WRT, but this is Wales. It had rained not long before…

Fact File: Welsh Ride Thing Distance: I covered 140 miles Route: Started at Pennant (Powys), headed south to Hafren Forest, then east via Llanidloes, over high moorland via Pegwyn Bach, then lanes/tracks/ bridleways to Knighton. Road to Bishop’s Castle, then Kerry Ridgeway to Cider House. More off-road to Llandinam, road section to Esgair Hir, then return to start.

© Stephen Dorey / Alamy

Bike & kit: Boardman MTB Pro 650B hardtail. Wildcat Tiger seatpost harness for food and cooking utensils. Small backpack for water, tools and trail food. Handlebarmounted drybag, attached with Wildcat Mountain Lion harness, containing: Alpkit 3.5 single-person tarpaulin, Terra Nova Discovery Gore-Tex Bivi Bag, PHD Minim 400 down sleeping bag with liner, Thermarest Neoair Xlite Sleeping Mat. Maps & guides: I planned the entire route using Tracklogs digital mapping software on top of 1:50K Ordnance Survey maps.

I’m glad I had: My Jetboil lightweight gas stove – hot coffee was a morale boost.

Wet wipes – the less said why, the better.

“another key lesson was learned as I awoke outside of my tarpaulin: don’t pitch camp on a slope” just point the bike in the opposite direction and meander elsewhere.

A night in the woods Water dragged me back to civilisation.

I’d forgotten a filter and realised that my dehydrated dinner would lose some of its appeal if eaten raw. I returned to my planned route, using NCN route 8 to race the River Severn into Llanidloes in search of an open shop. The irony of following a river to purchase water was not lost on me.

I left town and headed back into the wild, my next objective a windfarm-strewn moor.

The thrill of leaving the road behind again was offset by the effort required to gain that height. I forgave my loaded bike, however: it was worth the sweat to escape the crowds.

I rode for hours without seeing a soul.

Fading light ushered me towards a campsite deep within a coniferous plantation. My

6 0 cyc le August/Se pt emb er 2 014

home for the night: a tarpaulin draped over my upturned bike and pegged to the ground. Dinner: a disgusting rehydrated survival meal that looked like it had been used before. Company? I’m not sure. I was woken twice during the night, once by my own snoring, the second time by a heavy rustling in the trees. Encased in a bivvy bag with a midge net over my head, I must have looked like a giant grub, but whatever was out there wasn’t interested in me. I awoke refreshed, ate a marginally more tasty rehydrated muesli breakfast, and looked at the map.

The Kerry Ridgeway gave me the opportunity to abandon a planned road section and make my way west via off-road ridge tops instead. No contest. This was why I’d decided to try bikepacking in the first place: unstructured exploring. I brushed aside a few miles of steep hills and narrow

Next time I’d: Carry less in the backpack – two kilos of water caused some shoulder pain. Put contact lenses in after suncream application.

Further Info: Welsh Ride Thing – bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk Self Supported Challenge Rides – selfsupporteduk.net

dave’s mid-wales ride

1 2

5

6 3 4

1) Pennant 2) Hafren Forest 3) Llanidloes

4) Knighton 5) Bishop’s Castle 6) Llandinam

lanes before joining the track shortly after Bishop’s Castle.

A great escape The weather was fine, and I made rapid progress along easygoing trails. Bikepacking, I decided, was brilliant. I’d covered a huge variety of trails and terrain in a single ride: thin lanes, technical singletrack, hard climbs, river crossings, even a short but misguided length of dual carriageway…

My wild camping gear had kept me away from hostels, B&Bs, and the televisions they contain. I had no idea what was happening on the nightly news nor on Facebook.

Instead, I was happily whistling to myself, high on a Welsh ridge system, slightly muddy yet looking forward to another night in the wild. A long series of poorly-lubricated gates did little to dent my revelations, while a solitary pint in a pub beer garden simply

reinforced them. I smelled slightly ripe; the lounge bar was not the place for me.

My second night out was quieter than the first but another key lesson was learned as I awoke outside of my tarpaulin: don’t pitch on a slope. I breakfasted with birds for company and followed trails back to the event HQ. Stuart the organiser welcomed me back and occupied my hands with tea and home-made cakes. A number of other riders had also returned. We shared stories of our nights in the wild, the mistakes we’d made, the hills we stupidly climbed, and the trails that had been a huge mistake.

I’ve never felt such camaraderie at the end of a cycling event. Nobody had won, nobody had lost. All of us had shared the joy of a relatively unencumbered bike adventure.

Bikepacking opens up every legally-rideable route for us to explore. I can’t wait to get the maps out and plan another trip.

meet the experts

expert advice

Q&A Your technical, legal and health questions answered.

This issue: insurance and legal cover; groupsets for smaller riders; more compact doubles; child trailer advice; and smartphone mapping

Chris Juden CTC Technical Officer and qualified engineer

question of the month

Dr Mat t Brooks Cycling GP

Paul kitson Partner from Slater & Gordon (UK) LLP

Doubling up on cover won't negatively affect your CTC third-party insurance or legal assistance

Legal

DOUBLE INSURED

Above right: iStockphoto.com

Q

I've long believed that if you are ‘double insured' – for example, on a motor vehicle or home contents – then both insurance firms may refuse to pay out, insisting that the other firm should pay.

I am a member of CTC and benefit from third-party insurance and legal cover. If I joined London Cycling Campaign as well, would this affect my position in the event of a claim or accident?

Joe Bonnell

A

It is preferable to be ‘double insured' than uninsured. As a CTC member, you benefit from £10m thirdparty insurance cover in the event that you cause an accident whilst riding or wheeling your bicycle.

6 4 cyc le August /Se p t ember 2 014

In my experience, CTC members are safe and considerate road users, but a moment's loss of concentration could result in a collision. It is highly unlikely that a cyclist would need more than £10million indemnity cover.

If you have additional insurance – say, through a household contents policy – this would not prevent CTC insurers Aviva from dealing with your third-party claim. It would in any event be preferable to utilise your CTC insurance as this would have no impact on your household insurance premiums.

Members are also able to utilise the CTC Legal Services Scheme, which is operated by my firm, Slater & Gordon (UK) LLP. A claim can be pursued if a member is injured whilst cycling or wheeling a bicycle as a result of the negligence or breach of a statutory duty of a third party.

The majority of claims are against careless drivers but my firm also pursues claims against highway authorities for road defects and for other incident types,

such as claims against dog owners. (Very minor injuries – i.e. small claims – are not covered by this scheme as legal costs are not recoverable from a third-party insurer unless the value of the injuries exceeds £1,000.)

A CTC member would not be declined support by virtue of their membership of another organisation, such as LCC or British Cycling. Provided your claim has reasonable prospects of success (in excess of 50%) and there was defendant worth suing (i.e. an insured defendant), then support would be provided to pursue a civil claim.

Since April 2013, following a review

by Lord Justice Jackson, claimants can no longer recover all of their legal costs from a defendant, and there is usually a shortfall of costs recovery which has to be met from damages. CTC members, however, do recover all of their damages without any deduction for legal costs.

So it's well worth using the CTC legal scheme: you will receive high-quality legal assistance from cycle-friendly lawyers and you will recover 100% compensation in the event of successful claim.

Paul Kitson

Properly compact doubles, like this Sugino OX801D that will take an inner down to 24T, are still rare

Technical

GROUPSETS FOR SMALLER CYCLISTS

Q

I enjoyed the article on petite road bikes in the June-July issue.

I have been looking at smallframe cycles and the groupsets that come with them. Shimano STI levers I find bulky and uncomfortable. Campag Veloce controls felt much better but the shortest crank length is 170mm.

I use Stonglight 165mm cranks and chainrings with my Chorus system but there is no indexing on this. My ideal groupset would be Veloce levers and a 165mm crankset. Is that possible?

Brian Tunbridge

A

Campag no longer offer metal cranks shorter than 170mm. Veloce cranks and all of Campag's triple cranks are aluminium. So if you want 165mm from Campag you'll have to pay more for carbon and be content with a so-called compact double’s 34 tooth inner ring. If that’s compact enough for you (doubtful, since shorter legs are better for spinning

Shimano 105 offers indexed front shifting and a 165mm triple chainset

than heaving), then Centaur – the next group up from Veloce – offers that in the same ‘deep black’ colour.

And are you sure you want the front shift indexed? This feature is superfluous with a double, and although it seems like a good idea with a triple, it's often more trouble than it's worth. But if you must: Shimano middle rings are pre-worn and gap-toothed as necessary to assist front indexing. And Shimano 105 is available with 165mm cranks on a triple with the same rings (50/39/30) as Veloce and in a similar ‘lodestar black’. What's more, 105 is one of the few remaining road triples with a 74mm inner bcd, to which may alternatively be fitted an inner ring as small as 24!

Chris Juden Technical

MORE COMPACT DOUBLES

Q

I liked your article (A/M p18) about the Middleburn Incy Spider.

Had it been available last year I’d have considered that when I was building up my Salsa Vaya. As it was, I imported – at great expense from Japan – a Sugino OX801D chainset with 46/30 rings. This works really well with Ultegra 10-speed STI and Shimano CX70 cyclo-cross front mech, plus a 12-36 cassette, 10-speed of course, but shifted by a 9-speed MTB mech (as recommended in Cycle). Finding that I could use even lower gears on this adventure touring bike, I’ve just changed the rings to 42/24. The system continues to function perfectly: great range and manageable jumps.

Nigel Birch

A

I hear from lots of cyclists who’ve fitted a 46-tooth cyclo-cross outer ring on the not-so-compact-road double

Q&A

they're aware of the problem, they're more likely to do something about it.

Matt Brooks TECHNICAL

MAP APP FOR FRANCE

Q

Do you have knowledge of the Maverick Android app? My app has OSM cycle map pre-loaded, but I would like to be able to have IGN or Michelin as well. Do you know if it is possible to get either of these maps on Maverick?

David Holdsworth

A

The forces required to cause brain injury in a child are greater than they'll receive while travelling in a cycle trailer

that came with the racing bike they bought in pursuit of lost youth! Admittedly 46 is a lot more useful than the usual 50-tooth dinner-plate, but does nothing to help them up steep hills. For that they want a smaller inside ring too – but nothing less than a 34 can be fitted to their chainset. Cue the expense and trouble of switching to a triple: which shifts less efficiently thanks to an outer ring they don’t need!

A truly compact double of 46/30 is perfect for so many people, very few of whom would still want a triple (especially since most road triples lost the capacity to go any lower than 30). So I’m glad to hear from someone who’s managed to get their hands (and feet!) on one of these Sugino OXD chainsets.

Here’s hoping a few more firms (as well as Sugino in Japan and Middleburn in UK) will realise that lightweight bikes are not just for the young and strong to play at racing on, wake up to the frustrated demands of older and less competitivelyminded riders and satisfy them at a price most people can afford!

Chris Juden HEALTH

ALL SHOOK UP?

Q

I enjoyed the recent article about touring with a two year old. We have just bought a cycle trailer for our one-year-old daughter which has no suspension, to use for trips around town and touring. The roads in our area are in a poor state, with

Contact the experts

numerous potholes. She sits on a twoinch foam block to try to insulate her from the bumps and we try to cycle slowly. Is there a significant risk of brain injury from the vibrations, and if there is, what can be done to mitigate this?

Alison Dugmore

A

I think the simple answer to your question is no: I am not aware of any significant risk of brain injury to a child from the vibrations caused by a particularly bumpy ride in a cycle trailer.

It would be fair to say that there is a lack of evidence on this subject but in general, the forces required to cause brain injury would be much greater than those sustained during a rough ride in a cycle trailer.

The pneumatic tyres will act as a partial shock absorber from bumps and potholes.

If the ride is very rough, you could consider buying a trailer with suspension but this is not usually necessary.

Most young children enjoy riding in a cycle trailer and will let you know if they're not happy (sometimes a bit of bumping around adds to the fun)! Children can sit in a cycle-trailer seat without any additional support once they can comfortably sit up.

This age varies but is usually by around 9-12 months.

If you haven't done so already, it would be worth reporting all these potholes to your local authority (you could use the CTC's Fill That Hole website). Some are better than others at taking action but if

I don’t know Maverick, but from what I’ve discovered it doesn’t look as good as Maps With Me, a similar app I use on my phone. All these free or very cheap apps get their maps for nothing from the Open Street Map (OSM) and Google etc. Which is good in parts, but France has a lot of little roads, many of which have yet to be charted by OSM contributors. So there are gaps in the apps that come free. So we yearn for good old commercial mapping, which is made by cartographers, who need to get paid!

I don’t rely on my phone for cycling navigation (a proper GPS does it better), but if I did I would get the Viewranger app (a basic, OSM-mapped version of which can be used for free) and buy commercial maps where OSM isn’t good enough yet.

Viewranger has arrangements with many commercial map publishers and for only £41.66 you can download IGN ‘Top-100’ mapping for the whole of France. That’s 1cm = 1km scale, perfect for cycling with contours and everything. Not free, but excellent value, I think.

Chris Juden

IGN 100k mapping is available for the whole of France for £41.66 for Viewranger

Send health and legal questions to the Editor (details on p3). We regret that Cycle magazine cannot answer unpublished health and legal queries.

Technical and general enquiries, however, are a CTC membership service. Contact the CTC Information Office, tel: 0844 736 8450, Email: cycling@ctc.org.uk (general enquiries) or Chris Juden, technical@ctc.org.uk (technical enquiries). You can also write to: CTC, Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford, GU2 9JX. And don’t forget that CTC operates a free-to-members advice line for personal injury claims, tel: 0844 736 8452.

6 6 cyc le august /se p t ember 2 014

R E V I E W S | B I K E TEST

Revolution Courier Race

bike test

budget city bikes Transport cycling can be affordable even when it requires a new bike. Dan Joyce tests the Revolution Courier Race and Vitus Vee 27, both under £400 Judging by what I've seen around

universities lately, the typical student bike is a cheap hack: an old mountain bike or a second-hand hybrid. Students don't have much money, and bike theft tends be high in university cities. Even if they're getting a new bike, it makes sense for it to be basic and affordable: a roadster, like those we reviewed in the June/July 13 issue (bit.ly/TOm41v), or a budget hybrid like one of these. They're not specifically student bikes; they could be urban runarounds for anyone.

Revolution is Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative's own brand. The original Courier was a good value urban mountain bike with single chainring and an 8-speed derailleur. This Courier Race is much the same, except it uses 700C wheels.

The Vitus Vee 27 is the geared equivalent

6 8 cyc le August /Se p t ember 2 014

of the Vee 1 that we tested in the Feb/Mar 2012 issue (bit.ly/1z7gcko). It's a rigid-forked urban mountain with 26-inch wheels – a rare configuration nowadays.

Neither bike comes with transport cycling essentials: mudguards, a pannier rack, and lights. While that's par for the course in the UK, it means that you'll ultimately pay more to have these ‘accessories', because you can't buy them as cheaply as manufacturers can. And it's likely to be you that has to overcome any issues fitting them. I think online cycle retailers ought to offer clickable à la carte build options, like online computer retailers. That way you could ‘accessorise' your new bike at point of purchase, as you might in a bricks-and-mortar shop (which, to be fair, Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative and Chain Reaction Cycles also have).

Frame & fork Both bikes have aluminium frames and hightensile steel forks, and both are finished in a utilitarian black. I tested the middle-sized bike from each range. Frame geometry isn't radically different; the Courier Race is a bit longer from saddle to handlebar, but that's more to do with stem and seatpost.

The Courier Race has the better selection of frame eyelets: two sets at the rear dropouts, so a rack and mudguard don't have to share; mounts for two bottles; and an extra set on the fork legs to fit a low-rider rack. Whether you'd want to burden this bike with four panniers is debatable. The frame doesn't have cable stops for a front derailleur, the expectation being that you'll stick with a single chainring.

The Vee 27 is essentially a mountain bike,

B I K E TEST | R E V I E W S

P61

Vitus Vee 27

so it has a reinforcing gusset under the down tube where it meets the head tube, as well as clearances for fatter tyres. The frame even has disc brake mounts. Yet you can still fit a rear rack and mudguards. As there's more space under the fork crown than there is under the front V-brake, you'll need to extend the front mudguard's bracket to stop the guard fouling the brake.

(Above) The Courier Race has fittings for racks front and rear, in addition to mudguards (Below) Simple but effective single-ring chain security. The 44T chainring yields quite high gears, however

Components The Courier Race keeps things simple by eschewing a front derailleur. A chainring guard stops the chain derailing on the outside – and helps prevent trousers from getting caught in the teeth – while a dogfang style guide mounted on the down tube stops the chain falling off on the inside. Both worked fine; I never lost the chain.

The lack of a front mech means there's less to go wrong, which is a bonus on a bike that might receive only cursory maintenance. You do miss out on overall gear range. Here the missing gears are at the bottom, because the single ring has 44 teeth. I'd prefer a 36 or smaller, since with 8-speed at the back you're limited to a 32 big sprocket – or 34 with MegaRange. Altus is way down Shimano's off-road groupset hierarchy, but in practice it shifted more snappily than the Sram X5 of the Vee 27.

The gear range of the Vee 27 is obviously wider: it's a 27-speed bike. I'm glad that Vitus have stuck with ‘mountain bike' rather than

Also available

1) b'twin nework 5 £279.99 A fully-equipped hybrid. As well as mudguards and a rack, it has dynohub lighting. It's £280! No obvious corners have been cut: it has an aluminium frame and 24-speed gearing – partly Shimano Acera. decathlon.co.uk

2) giant escape city 3 £349 No lights, but at least you get guards and a rear rack. The aluminium frame and most components are fine, though the 21-speed Shimano Tourney gearing is basic. giant-bicycles.com

CTC. O RG . U K cyc l e 6 9

B I K E TEST | R E V I E W S (Far left) Vitus's singlespeed Vee 1 and Vee 29 bikes are available with disc brakes as the Dee 1 and Dee 29, but there's no Dee 27 at present: gears means V-brakes (Near left) Sram X5 isn't the slickest 9-speed gearing you'll ever use, but it works okay and the overall range is excellent, thanks to 22-32-42 chainrings

Tech Spec Dimensions in millimetres and degrees

710 585 73˚

780 40

445

640 70.5˚

80

64

508

690

135 622

170 292

32

1085

Revolution Courier Race Price: £349 Sizes: 18, 20, 22in Weight: 12.1kg

‘trekking' chainrings. I never found myself spinning out on the 42/11 top gear and I was grateful for the 22 inner when I took the Vee 27 off-road.

Apart from gears, the main difference between the bikes is the wheels. Both use inexpensive tyres, but the 32mm 700Cs of the Courier Race roll noticeably better than the 26×1.95in semi-slicks of the Vee 27. Fatter tyres mean better shock absorption, on the other hand; the Vee 27 is unperturbed by potholes and is properly off-road capable. With 36 spokes apiece in smaller diameter rims, the Vee 27's wheels are stronger too. I didn't have any problem with the 32-spoke wheels of the Courier Race, and there is room for fatter tyres – up to about 47mm – if you wanted them.

Both bikes have quick-release wheels that could easily be stolen by an opportunistic thief if you parked in public. Allen bolted skewers would be an improvement. Security skewers requiring a specific key (e.g. Pitlock) would be better yet, but I wouldn't expect them on a budget bike. (Both bikes do at least use allen-bolted seat collars.)

It's nice to see lock-on grips on the Vee 27. They won't fall off by accident or gradually come loose. The Courier Race, meanwhile, has an adjustable stem. This is useful if you haven't yet found your preferred handlebar position, but I'd swap it for a conventional 10cm stem.

The ride Both bikes offer a single transverse hand position. I preferred the wider bar of the Vee 27, and it jars your hands less because this bike uses fatter, lower pressure tyres. I'd fit bar ends to the Courier Race. On the other

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hand, the holey saddle of the Courier is a little more comfortable to ride in trousers with thick seams, such as jeans.

The Vee 27's 26×1.95 tyres are draggier on tarmac. Whether that matters, given that most trips made on this bike will be under five miles, is moot. You could switch to budget slicks, such as Schwalbe City Jets.

Or you might want to invest in touring or offroad tyres; this isn't just a city bike.

The Courier Race is brisk on road but only suits smoother surfaces and easier gradients. That's because of the narrower tyres and the limited gear range. Even on road, a 37in bottom gear is steep. I was often in first gear and wanting something lower. Dancing on the pedals is fine on a singlespeed but somewhat defeats the purpose of derailleur gears.

Summary The Revolution Courier Race is a spartan city hybrid whose simplified gearing saves maintenance. It's a shame the gears don't go lower, but if you're athletic or live somewhere without serious hills, you might not mind.

Corners have been cut primarily in terms of missing equipment such as mudguards; the quality of the components you do get is as good as you'll find on a £350 bike. Purely as a street bike, it's the better of the two here.

Where the similarly unequipped Vitus Vee 27 scores is in terms of versatility.

It's a reasonable city hybrid that's really a do-anything bike – a hybrid in the true sense. The tyres might be a bit stodgy and the gears a bit hesitant, but if you need one bike for transport, touring, and off-road riding, it's a value-for-money option; as Cycle went to press, it was selling for £320.

Frame & Fork: 7005 aluminium & hi-ten steel. Fittings for 2 bottles, mudguards, racks

44T chainset, square taper BB, Shimano CS-HG31-8 11-32 cassette. Altus shifter & mech.

8-speed, 37-109in Braking: Tektro V

Wheels: 32-622 VeeRubber V028 tyres, 622-18 alu' rims, 32×3 2.0 spokes, Formula hubs

Steering & seating: 600×25.4mm riser bar, 100mm adj. stem, 1 1/8in headset.

Anatomic saddle, 27.2×350mm post

Transmission: plastic pedals, 170mm SunTour

Contact: edinburghbicycle. com

Dimensions in millimetres and degrees

685 580 73.7˚

740 43

425

635 71˚

68

76

457

656

170 285 1053

135 559 50

Vitus Vee 27 Price: £399.99 RRP Sizes: 16, 18, 20in Weight: 12.54kg Frame & Fork: 6061 aluminium & hi-ten steel.

Fittings for 1 bottle, mudguards, rear rack, rear disc brake

170mm SunTour NCX 42-32-22 chainset, square taper BB, Sram PG-950 11-32 cassette. Sram X5 shifters & mechs.

27-speed, 18-99in Braking: V-brakes

Wheels: 50-559 Kenda K935-002 tyres, 559-17 alu' rims, 36×3 2.0 spokes, QR hubs

Steering & seating: bolt-on grips, 660×31.8mm riser bar, 90mm×11º stem, 1 1/8in headset. Vitus saddle, 27.2×400mm post.

Transmission: plastic pedals,

Contact: vitusbikes.com

R E V I E W S | B I K E TEST

Tech Spec Dimensions in millimetres and degrees

614 588 74˚

760 46

135

504 69˚

93

84

465

740

170 325

622

1190

57

CUBE STEREO HYBRID 120 PRO 29er Price: £3199 Weight: 21.75kg Sizes: 41, 46, 51, 56cm Frame & fork: 7005 aluminium with four-bar rear, 120mm Fox Float CTD shock. Fox 32 Float 29 CTD 120mm fork, tapered, 15mm £ 3200 full-suspension pedelec

CUBE STEREO HYBRID 120 PRO 29er Pedelecs are no longer just tarmac transport. Richard Peace tests a German full-suspension mountain bike Don’t be misled by the word hybrid: this

is a full-suspension mountain bike powered by pedals and a second generation Bosch crank motor. On paper, it looks like it should conquer any trail. Like a motorbike?

No. It’s only around 8kg heavier than the unpowered equivalent, and the motor offers no assistance over the legal assist limit of 25km/h (15.5mph). Its impact on trails should be no greater than any other bicycle. Who’s it for? Anyone who needs a helping hand off-road, particularly on climbs.

H ybrid po w er The Stereo is a pedelec: you pedal and the power kicks in as a response. The settings of Eco, Tour, Sport and Turbo give maximum assistance (as a percentage of your pedal

The left-hand control sets power assistance, while the display shows – among other things – power remaining

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power) of 50%, 110%, 170% and 275%.

The power level control is by your left grip, making it an easy matter to change power levels whilst riding. A full/empty battery icon lets you keep an eye on remaining power; it’s a lot of bike to pedal unassisted.

Motor and battery are located low down in the main triangle, and their additional weight is suspended. So their impact on the bike’s handling is limited. The Fox fork and rear shock are CTD units that can be adjusted on the fly, and there’s a dropper seatpost too.

Although it’s only 250W (any more is illegal on a pedal cycle), the quick response of Bosch’s motor, allied with hydraulic brakes, coped with every climb and descent I encountered in the South Pennines, mud and 1-in-6 gradients notwithstanding. With the added power, 10 gears felt plenty.

Range per charge varies by terrain, rider weight and power settings chosen. For a 70kg rider, it will likely be 25-70 miles. Using mainly Eco power on hilly roads, I got a ground-breaking consumption estimate of 6.3Wh per mile: that’s 60+ miles from the 400Wh battery. Over true off-road terrain – mud, rocks, cobbles and grass – I managed 15Wh per mile, or 25+ miles on a charge.

That was using the power settings liberally so that I barely got out of breath. If you want a workout, choose lower power settings.

Wheels: 57-622 Schwalbe Nobby Nic tyres, DT Swiss CSW AM 1.9 wheels, 28/32 spokes, 622-23 rim Transmission: Miranda Cube Hybrid Crankset, 18T (gearedup inside casing, equivalent to 45T chainwheel), XT shifter & mech, 11-36T cassette.

10-speed, 36-119in. Bosch 250W Performance Cruise Drive Unit Battery: Bosch 400Wh with charger. Replacement costs £530 Braking: Shimano Deore M615 hydraulic discs with 180mm rotors Contact: cube.eu/uk/cubebikes/

Also available

1) Scott E-Spark 710 E-Bike £3799 Trail-orientated eMTB with 27.5in wheels. scott-sports.com

2) Haibike xDuro FS SL 26 2014 £2850 Attractively priced 26in eMTB, the lower price meaning a smaller 300Wh battery and an earlier model of motor.

haibike.de/en/

Bikes Events 2015 Ad.indd 1

16/12/2014 14:52

REVIEWS | groupTEST grouptest

Bar bags A bar bag is the practical cyclist’s nosebag, handbag or ‘manbag’. Technical Editor Chris Juden shows what to look for and reviews four Here is where you carry things too valuable to let out of your sight or that you’ll want in a hurry: important things like passport, money, phone, and camera; and handy things like gloves, sunscreen, a pen…

A bar bag never leaves your side, so it needs a quick-release attachment to the handlebar. Klickfix by Rixen & Kaul sets the standard. Many other brands use this attachment, even Ortlieb now. Choose something else and you can’t fit anything else. And beware that some other bag holders are difficult to fit or use, and can be insecure. A common fault is weak clamps and/or a lack of anything under the stem to keep it from drooping, until bag meets frame or brake, which rubs a hole in it!

And look out for bag sag, where the bag itself distorts and droops.

You want the shortest attachment that’ll fit, to minimise the effect of bag weight on steering. Klickfix originally projected 5cm from the bar centre but is now at 6cm and Ortlieb 7cm. The Klickfix system has accessories to accommodate all common diameters and shapes of handlebar.

W a t er p r o o f i n g Many of the valuables in a bar bag can’t stand to get wet, so waterproofing is vital. External raincovers hinder access to contents. Tough, weldedseam construction is better, with a deep lid giving easier access than rolltop closure. Mere resistance to water may keep contents dry enough for halfhour commuting journeys

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E x t er n a l f e a t u res External pockets are merely nice to have: they’re unlikely to be waterproof or secure enough for valuables. Some bags also provide for an additional bundle to be strapped underneath. The most common extra is an integral or attachable map sleeve. Many are too small for published maps but are still handy for cue sheets and maps you’ve printed yourself. The map sleeve must be waterproof.

M a i n c o m p a r t me n t Should preferably open towards the rider, with one hand, for easy access whilst riding and yet be secure against stuff jumping out.

This is less important for city/commuter bags, where off-bike style matters more than on-bike performance. A flat base, so the bag stands stably upright off the bike, is also desirable.

Ca pac i ty Of main compartment and pocket(s), measured in litres by filling with foam granules. Dimensions are the approximate Length×Width×Height in cm of the biggest thing that’ll fit the main compartment. The load limit in kg is the specification of the bag and/or holder. A bigger capacity is a mixed blessing; more weight means worse handling.

I n t er n a l f e a t u res S h o u l d er s t r a p This is essential to keep the bag with you offbike. Most straps are removable, but getting it out and clipping it on is a faff, so you’ll want to leave it attached. To keep the shoulder strap off the front wheel you must be able to shorten it quickly. A shoulder pad can prevent this, so remove it – you don't need it.

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Internal pockets and moveable dividers help organise the main compartment whilst limiting the scope of small and valuable items to jump around and damage each other. A camera insert provides padding plus movable dividers and will fit similar-sized bags, as well as the one it’s made for.

groupTEST | REVIEWS

1

2

3

1) Ortlieb Ultimate6 M Pr o E

3) Avenir 3-litre Bar Bag

£180 ortlieb.com

£51.99 raleigh.co.uk

Instead of a map pocket (available separately), the lid of this state-of-the-art bag is equipped to carry a smartphone beneath its waterproof, touchscreen-compatible window. And if your bike is equipped with a generator and transformer: plug it into the handlebar bracket and integral cabling will charge that phone (or other device) whilst you ride.

The electrical contacts between bag and bracket automatically disconnect. If you don’t want these features, you can lose the ‘E’ and save 25%. The holder combines Ortlieb’s underand-over stem-wire security with Klickfix compatibility and features a lock that can also secure the bag lid. There’s a front mesh pocket and underbag bundle loops I had little use for. All the important stuff went in the main compartment. A zipped pocket, key-holder and internal dividers keep contents tidy, with magnetic catches to secure the lid, firmly or very firmly. My one annoyance is how the lid interferes with the shoulder strap. Weight: 698g (130g bracket). Capacity: 6½+½lt, 24×12×19cm, 3kg.

Top product, performance and quality, but expensive

Says it’s Klickfix compatible but doesn’t fit any of the Klickfix holders on any of our bikes.

Its non-standard attachment also needs filing to fit 26.0mm bars. Apart from that, and a small mapcase which is useless because it won’t attach securely, the Avenir 3-litre is a stable, strong, waterproof and convenient little bag. But it’s as heavy as most full-size bags – twice the weight of an Ortlieb Compact (which answers the same need) without being much cheaper. A lot of the excess is in a shoulder strap strong enough to lug the bike! Two internal Velcro dividers keep contents organised and the lid secures easily with a couple of elastic loops. However it flings wide open when released, so be careful on the move! Weight: 708g (124g). Capacity: 4lt, 20×11×17cm, 5kg.

Bigger and heavier than it looks, not actually Klickfix, useless mapcase

2) VauDe Aqua Box £85 vaude.com

4

A simple box-shaped bag that's strongly made with waterproof welded seams. It comes with an authentic Klickfix attachment.

The Aqua Box is well stiffened, does not sag, and is similar in size features and price to an Ortlieb Classic – with the mapcase included rather than an extra. And it’s a good mapcase, provided you cut the covers off Landrangers.

The shoulder-strap is good too – once you’ve cut off the pad! The main compartment has a large, removable, zipped pocket and a lid that can be relied upon to stay shut without pressing the press-studs. This bag is light, easy to fit and use on and off the bike. And from my experience of VauDe, I'd expect Ortlieb-like performance and durability. Weight: 770g (120g).

Capacity: 6lt, 24×12×19cm, 7kg.

Excellent simple bag: best buy for touring

4) Basil Sport Design Fr ont Bag £59.99 basil.nl The sporty name belies this bag’s obvious city/commuter purpose. It seems just the thing for normal-clothes commuters who also want a non-bikey shoulder bag. It even features a zip-down attachment cover, to hide its cycling alter-ego and keep those clothes smart.

A ‘BasEasy’ handlebar holder is included, but it’s heavy, ugly and won’t fit road bars without some fettling. I’d rather have the optional Klickfix adapterplate and buy my own Klickfix holder! It’s a big front bag and robustly made, but heavy.

The top/front flap is thickly padded and can be opened to lay back over bars and stem, revealing a transparent pocket for your streetmap: on paper or more likely an iPad, hence the padding. The main compartment is not quite A4-sized, with a zipped internal pocket. There’s also a slim front pocket. The bag is only showerproof, so a raincover is included. Weight: 1266g (206g). Capacity: 6+1lt, 26×9×23cm, unknown kg limit.

More features and weight than you may want – on your city bike or shoulder

CTC. ORG . U K cyc l e 75

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0% off 1 Cyclecover Travel Insurance 10 off £ European Bike express trips lus discounts on P events, products and hundreds of cycle shops! Visit ctc.org.uk/ membershipbenefits for more details

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VALUE MEMBERSHIPS

Cycle Show savings CTC members can save up to £4.50* on entry to the Cycle Show, which takes place at the Birmingham NEC from 26-28 September. CTC adult online tickets cost just £11.50, with children getting in for just £1.

The Cycle Show is the UK’s biggest cycling show – and it’s even bigger this year. After record attendance and the highest-ever number of stands last year, the show has expanded into a new hall.

The floorplan is already well over three-quarters full, so expect a bumper crop of 2015 bikes on display.

New for this year’s show is freestyle MTB dirt jumping, cyclo-cross racing, a ‘devil takes the hindmost’ four-man roller race, plus the return of the premium road bike track, as well as three other test tracks.

To take advantage of this CTC members’ offer visit cycleshow.co.uk/ctc and enter the code ‘CTC’.

Terms and conditions *£16.00 on the door price. Online tickets usually £13.00

78 cyc le AUGUST /SE P T EMBER 2 014

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Why join CTC? Whether you’re new to cycling, ride regularly or want to get back into it, we cater for you. With over 130 years of experience to share, we are passionate about helping more people enjoy the benefits of cycling.

As an independent charity, we are heavily reliant on voluntary donations for funding.

You can help us grow and support our work by being a member.

t r av e l l e r s ’ ta l e s Jersey is a great destination for novice tourers

Island hopping Bembridge Wheeler Judith Atkins swapped the Isle of Wight for Jersey

Ushuaia in Argentina is the southernmost city in the world

To the world’s end Martin Philpot headed for the tip of South America, riding on the Carretera Austral

T

he Carretera Austral is one of the world’s classic bike touring routes. This dusty washboard road through the Chilean Andes was created in the 1980s under the Pinochet regime in an attempt to link the country’s most isolated residents to the rest of the country. Pinochet was overthrown before he had the road tarmacked, so the route is under used because of its poor condition. Offshoot routes take you to amazing glaciers, mountain hamlets, and stunning national parks.

I was fortunate enough to fly out to Puerto Montt in January and head south as a solo rider. The Carretera Austral ends after 1,240km at Villa O’Higgins. From there, I decided to continue another 1,500km south to

Ushuaia in Argentina, which is the most southern city on the planet.

I rode a Thorn Nomad with a Rohloff Speedhub and invested also in a Hilleberg Nallo 2 GT tent. Both were essential items to survive the truly awful ripio road surface and the horrendous Patagonian winds.

High points of the trip? The friendships I made with other travellers; wild camping in the shadows of Fitz Roy mountain and Torres del Paine; experiencing the Moreno glacier and the thunderous noise as massive chunks of ice fell off; and arriving in Ushuaia in a blizzard on my last day.

Low points? Five days of solid rain; battling headwinds and getting blown off the road three times, tumbling into roadside ditches; and bedbugs in a hostel in Puerto Natales!

It was an amazing adventure. At times it was truly tough and challenging, as the dusty track wound up thousands of metres into the snow-capped Andes. Wild camping was often the only option, and managing my supply of food and water was vital. Riding through true wilderness has its obvious challenges but for me holds the real reward of such a trip.

Monte Fitz Roy, on the

there were four of us: experienced cyclists Margaret and Alexander, and apprehensive novices James and me. We need not have worried. For two days, we were in the safe hands of local guide Arthur Lamy, who took us on routes he had devised for us, taught us about Jersey, introduced us to points of interest, and carried out running repairs to our hire bikes.

Jersey’s varied terrain offers something for everyone: flat, coastal routes (good for beginners of any age), as well as challenging inland climbs, and everything in between. The island is crisscrossed by well-signed cycleways and miles of ‘green lanes’ (speed limit 15mph) where cyclists have priority over cars.

We plunged down country lanes bounded by high, lush hedgerows. We rested in the cool, calm tranquility of St Matthew’s Church in St Lawrence, with its Lalique windows made from white, moulded glass. We watched as farmers harvested the famous Royal Jersey potatoes, and then sampled some for supper. We went bird-watching at St Ouen’s Pond. We battled the wind as we cycled from St Helier along the seafront cycle route that bounds the beautiful St Aubin’s Bay, and were rewarded with a following wind on the return run.

Charming cafés and plentiful cycle racks dotted our way, and Jersey’s drivers must be the most considerate in the world. We are already planning a return trip to the island, which now ranks as joint favourite with our own beautiful Isle of Wight.

Chile-Argentina border CTC. O R G . U K cyc l e 81

t r av e l l e r s ’ ta l e s

Delightful Denmark Charles and Diana Hutchinson crossed the North Sea for a 14-day tour

The ride set off at 10:30pm and went through the night

The Danes are justly proud of their country. Flags abound

The Dartmoor Ghost Graham Brodie describes Devon CTC’s spookthemed nighttime audax event

O

n a spectacular June evening, a group of Devon cyclists had a strange encounter with a ghostly figure, who appeared out of the shadows and into the moonlight… Was it real or just a figment of their fevered imaginations, brought on by the spooky surroundings of the misty moor, the well-known setting for Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles? It was ‘Oliver Cromwell’, come back in bodily form, just to see them off from Bovey Tracey. This set the tone for the Dartmoor Ghost, a 145km night ride across Dartmoor, visiting some of the area’s best spook-spotting sites.

The moon was rising as they set off across Dartmoor, leaving shimmering reflections on the distant coast. Riders passed by the famous Jay’s Grave near Houndtor, and then crept past Okehampton Castle, which was bathed in moonlight at the dead of night.

By the time most riders arrived at Yelverton control for hot chowder and coffee, it was getting light, and they were then fortified ready for the climb back over Dartmoor. The dawn ride to Princetown, home of the forbidding Dartmoor Prison, was rewarded by

sheep dodging and sweeping descents into Moretonhampstead, The final climb went over Docombe to the finishing leg in the Teign Valley and back to Bovey Tracey, where the decidedly real Presland family were busy serving a hearty breakfast to all those who made it safely back to base.

Riders might have been little unnerved by their other-worldly expedition but were otherwise thrilled by the exciting experience of being a-wheel while those of a more nervous disposition slumbered soundly in their beds…

Will you be brave enough to join them next year? You can find more details at ctcdevon.co.uk

2,300m of climbing didn’t deter the riders

Denmark is a cyclist’s dream, the perfect country for a first international tour. To avoid flying, we took the ferry from Harwich, waking up in Esbjerg next morning. From there, Cycle Route 6 took us 200 miles to Copenhagen, with a train over the sea-bridge at Nyborg. We needed no navigation; we just followed the signs.

On the excellent advice of Lonely Planet, we made a detour on our very first day to the medieval town of Ribe.

There were further treats when we re-joined Route 6, bowling through gently undulating farmland, past wind turbines and wheat fields.

We cycled to Odense, the charming birthplace of Hans Christian Anderson, and on to Sorø, a town built along a string of lakes. Of particular interest was Roskilde, with its cathedral, a great blues bar, and its Viking ship museum. There you can join a team of tourists to row a replica longboat out to sea.

All these towns had campsites. We even found a peaceful campsite at Copenhagen. Wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen! Cycle into town at rush hour and experience cycling heaven.

This maritime city is airy and elegant, and the Danes all seem to ride bikes.

We had allowed a fortnight for our holiday. After a few days in Copenhagen, we took a train back to Esbjerg, giving us a couple of days on the island of Fanø, relaxing on gorgeous North Sea beaches. Bliss.

share your story: Cycle wants your Travellers’ Tales. Write or email the editor – details on page 3 – to find out what’s required.

8 2 cyc le august /se pt emb er 2 014