Cycle Magazine Taster April / May 2016

A P R I L / M AY 2 016 £3 O R F R E E TO CYC L I N G U K M E M B E R S

This issue CTC IS CYCLING UK BRITISH STEEL ROAD BIK ES CANADIAN TOUR SADDLEBAGS TEST T YRE PRESSURE

CYCLING UK

A NEW CHAPTER IN CTC’S RICH HISTORY

TECH THE PEDDARS WAY CTC PAST & PRESENT AGM AGENDA

PLUS

A P R I L / M AY 2 016

PREMIUM STEEL ROAD BIKES A RIDE IN THE ROCKIES PRESSURE DROP: LOWER PSI TYRES OFF-ROAD IN EAST ANGLIA

OFF THE FRONT | PAUL TUOHY FROM CYCING UK’S CHIEF EXEC

CHANGING GEAR, NOT DIRECTION FOR OVER a century, CTC and CTC members have done all we can to promote and protect the gift of cycling. In the 21st century, that gift is at risk due to a chronic lack of investment in cycling infrastructure.

While sports cycling has received millions, cycling for pleasure and transport has been largely ignored. CTC needs a new way of thinking to promote and protect cycling effectively today, one that capitalises on our amazing work, knowledge and heritage.

That’s why CTC now has a new identity: Cycling UK. Change is contentious. There is a ‘cycle’ of opinion that I am familiar with from my work with other charities whenever a big change takes place. It goes something like this… At the beginning, things are positive; there’s agreement on the need to do things more effectively. Then there’s a dip, as scepticism overrides the initial excitement.

Finally, after the change takes place, the mood picks up again. ‘Why didn’t we do this sooner?’ people ask.

This process is no different with CTC, except that this time I have a personal stake in it because I adore cycling. It’s always been part of my life. Getting things absolutely right is personal for me, just as it is for CTC Life Members. I love CTC’s heritage and history – and they’re not for sale. In fact, they will help us ‘sell’ cycling to people as we shape the future of cycling in the UK, not just for ourselves but for our children and for our society.

CYCLING UK: THE CYCLISTS’ CHAMPION Everyday cycling was ignored in the 1970s, and cycling and CTC’s membership dwindled. It was overlooked in the 1990s, even though investment in sports cycling took off. Now it’s time for us to change that.

I’m fed up of being asked where my helmet is when I go for a ride. My response is simple: ‘I’m not racing, I’m riding!’

CTC is cycling’s best-kept secret. We might be the greatest cycling movement in the world, but we’re unknown to the millions of potential cyclists I want to join us as members and supporters. To change this,

Photo by Joolze Dymond

CTC has a new name but the agenda remains the same. Chief Executive Paul Tuohy explains

Paul Tuohy, Winged Wheel badge firmly affixed, makes the case for change

we have to embrace change ourselves.

What about the Winged Wheel and touring? I’m wearing my Winged Wheel badge now as I write, and I wore it as I shook the Transport Minister’s hand this morning. Touring is very much part of our plans. Thousands experience the pleasure of touring the countryside with their Member Groups every week, come rain or shine. Touring is a hidden treasure that needs to be promoted as a key part of our offering to members of Cycling UK. Whatever way you want to ride your bike, be proud that CTC is the guiding influence

behind the new Cycling UK. CTC’s heritage and history are parts of our offering to members, along with campaigning, inclusive cycling projects, lobbying, advice, forums, cycling holidays, and more. As Cycling UK, we have a huge amount to offer future members and supporters.

Remember too that every pound you give as a member helps us raise so much more.

So as well as providing CTC’s traditional benefits to you, we can champion cycling for society as a whole. That is what makes us a very special club. Here’s to the next 138 years!

“I love CTC’s heritage and history – and they’re not for sale. In fact, they will help us ‘sell’ cycling to people” CYCL I N G U K . O R G CYC L E 7

1 PRODUCT NEWS

SHOP WINDOW Editor Dan Joyce summarises a selection of new products and developments that are in the shops, online, or coming soon 2

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1. GIANT TOUGHROAD SLR 1 £899

General purpose bike? Off-road tourer? Trekking bike? It comes with 20-speed Sram X7/GX gearing (42-28 & 11-36), 700fi50 tyres, and racks. Just add mudguards. giant-bicycles.com

2. GEBLA ROHBOX SHIFT BOX £179.99

Like Rohloff’s Speedhub but not its twistgrip shifter? This box enables you to use dropbar ‘brifters’ (e.g. STI) or flat-bar trigger shifters instead. ison-distribtion.com & rohbox.com

3. GREEN OIL ON TOUR £2.39 You can use any tiny bottle to transport oil on tour, but this re-fillable 20ml one won’t leak, has a nozzle, and the oil is environmentally friendly. green-oil.net

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4. CARRYFREEDOM THE LEAF TRAILER £TBA 6

Folding flat for storage, the Leaf is meant for urban use. It attaches at the seatpost, has 16in wheels, carries 45kg, and stands upright. carryfreedom.com

5. GARMIN VARIA REARVIEW BIKE RADAR £159.99+ This rear light transmits a warning to your Garmin Edge (or the £80 Garmin Head Unit shown) to tell you when a car is apporaching behind. The light brightens to alert the driver. garmin.com

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6. LINDARETS X WOLF TOOTH TANPAN $39.95 It adjusts gear cable pull so you can combine a 10- or 11-speed Shimano MTB derailleur (and a bigger cassette) with an equivalent-speed STI drop-bar lever. Neat. lindarets.com

7. CIRCE TRIPLET £2449 The middle section of this 20in-wheel family triplet can be removed to create a tandem. If you have a Circe Helios tandem, the middle bit can be retro-fitted (from £750). circecycles.com

SHOW TIME. Some of us from Cycling UK will be at the Cycle Touring Festival from 27-30 May. See cycletouringfestival.co.uk 30 CYC LE AP R IL/MAY 2 016

(In the photo) CTC members in the late 19th century. The penny-farthing was falling into disuse

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S I N C E 1878 | F E AT U R E

SINCE 18 7 8 AS CTC BECOMES CYCLING UK, TONY UPFOLD COMPARES THE CLUB’S HISTORICAL AIMS AND ACTIVITIES WITH TODAY’S

C

TC HAS BEEN promoting cycling and protecting cyclists since 5 August 1878. On that Bank Holiday Monday, thanks to the vision and vigour of Edinburgh medical student Stanley Cotterell, the Bicycle Touring Club was formed in Harrogate. Five years later, it was renamed the Cyclists’ Touring Club.

The oil-powered lamps have given way to LED lights, the CTC uniform of dark green serge jacket, knickerbockers and peaked helmet has morphed into figure-hugging lycra (some would say for the worse), while cloth-backed maps and sepia-tint photographs have developed into GPS and GoPro videos.

Just as technology has advanced, so CTC has adapted to the times.

It’s been a process of evolution over 138 years – and yet nothing much has changed, really. The club’s principal stated objective from day one was: ‘To promote, assist and protect the use of bicycles, tricycles and other similar vehicles on the public roads.’

That aspiration is as true and relevant today as it was then. CTC has always been the voice of the everyday cyclist, and many of the projects, campaigns and issues it tackles in 2016 are remarkably similar to those it dealt with in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

BIKE WEEK THEN: CTC was the driving force behind the first National Bicycle Week in 1923. The club helped organise a nationwide programme of rallies, fancy-dress parades, public meetings, massed club runs, race meetings, school lectures and BBC talks.

The great ‘Ride A Bicycle’ campaign included an 888-mile relay round England, with cyclists carrying a message on vellum from the Lord Mayor of London, which was signed by 30 civic dignitaries en route. The last day of the relay, 3 June, coincided with King George V’s 58th birthday. The day before, a CTC procession rode to Buckingham Palace conveying a message of congratulations to the club’s patron.

NOW: Ninety-three years later, Cycling UK’s Bike Week 2016 will again be spreading the cycling word from 11-19 June, with the emphasis on getting people to ride to work. Last year, half a million people took part in more than 1,000 events to make the biggest nationwide cycling event in the UK another resounding success. Bike Week demonstrates the social, health and environmental benefits of cycling, whether it’s for

CYCL I N G UK . O R G CYC L E 15

WHERE: Alberta & British Columbia, Canada START/FINISH: Calgary DISTANCE: 70-100km per day PICTURES: Lewis Smith

CA N A DA | G R E AT R I D ES

GRE AT R IDE S

A RIDE IN THE ROCKIES The scenery of the Canadian Rockies was everything Cycling UK member Lewis Smith hoped for. The summer weather wasn't…

I

t's the first of July in Alberta: Canada Day. Wearily cresting the Sunwapta Pass in the Rockies, I am greeted by a freezing headwind straight off the nearby icefields. The valley is filled at intervals by swirling clouds of hail and sleet. Last night's forecast for Lake Louise was -2˚C – out of the wind, no doubt.

Light snow in the mountains has refreshed the winter residues and given a Christmassy dusting to the pine trees. Summer here is short – and unpredictable even then.

We all have a mental picture of the Rocky Mountains. Who does not have a lingering desire to see them for real? An invitation from an old friend in Calgary was the catalyst for me. He dissuaded me from going sooner because of the cold, so I arrived at the start of the tourist season at the end of June.

All photos: © Lewis Smith

An icefield itinerary Roads, especially metalled ones, are thin on the ground in this part of Canada; a 1:500,000 map was fine. The main itinerary for tourists is from Canmore to Banff and Lake Louise, then on north-west along the Icefields Parkway towards Jasper. Canmore is the largest of these towns, Banff and Jasper major tourist resorts, Lake Louise a humming tourist village furnishing all essentials. Most touring cyclists in the Rockies are in transit as part of long-haul trips like Alaska to Mexico, or across Canada.

I concocted a realistic itinerary – too limited it transpired: Calgary up to the main icefields and back, with most possible side excursions.

My friend marked the map with a long list of ‘must-sees', a sort of tour homework I felt duty bound to accomplish. I didn't get to ride the final leg down to Jasper, the Golden Triangle,

or the Nordegg branch. I regret missing the last two.

It is a full day's ride from Calgary to the Rockies. The normal way for cyclists is the 1A road via Cochrane, but it is a big dual-carriageway up to there; I was given a Cadillac-assisted start that far. If the wind is favourable, the TransCanada Highway, effectively a motorway on which one can cycle the hard shoulder, is viable as far as Morley. It traverses exposed, rolling grassland with long hills.

Parks and riding Beyond Cochrane, you pass the historic, isolated McDougall Church and traverse first prairie and then the stunted woodland of the unsigned Stoney Tribe Indian Reserve. You need to be aware of this, because the law is different. The village of Exshaw, where the mountains start, is the last outpost of the real world, so take advantage of the café.

It is hereabouts that you come across the famous Canadian-Pacific railway, which follows closely the magnificent Bow River.

The long trains give long sonorous hoots. The mountains get bigger westwards.

You can avoid the TransCanada within the mountains to Lake Louise by using a mixture of: the parallel 1A road where it exists, east of Canmore and west of Banff; the local Harvie Heights road from Canmore to the National Park entrance; and a discrete cycle path (which was unsigned at the time) following the main road from there to beyond Banff. Only discovering the cycle path late in the day, I used the TransCanada outwards, the cycle path back.

At the National Park entrance beyond

DO IT YOURSELF The Candian Affair (canadianaffair. com) has flights to Calgary from Gatwick, Glasgow, Manchester.

Bicycles: Air Transat charge £20 (CAD $30), each way on all destinations, for each transported bicycle. An oversized plastic bag is included in the fee, and is available at the Air Transat check-in counter.

Be ready to pay in cash. Greyhound coaches run a few times a day between Calgary and the Rockies, and will take bagged bikes.

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F E AT U R E | P R ES SU R E D RO P

Photo: courtesy of Robert Thomson

(In the photo) Speeding downhill in Japan on a Genesis Fortitude Adventure with big tyres

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P RE S SURE DROP LIKE MANY RACING BIKE STANDARDS, NARROW, HIGHPRESSURE TYRES DON’T MAKE SENSE FOR THE REST OF US. TECHNICAL EDITOR RICHARD HALLETT EXPLAINS

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ET’S TALK about tyres: fatter tyres, to be precise. They are enjoying a resurgence in popularity right now. There was a time, back in the 1930s, when both leisure and utility cycling were massively popular, when all but racing cyclists rode tyres considerably fatter than the 25mm – or about one inch – width that has recently found itself the new road bike norm. Not so long ago, tyres as narrow as 19mm were fitted as standard to machines sold as suitable for road competition, and while this practice has largely died out, that of riding around on narrow tyres suited to racing is firmly entrenched in road cycling culture.

It dates from the middle of the 20th century, when leisure cycling began losing ground to the motor car. Racing cyclists, who found they could ride narrower, lighter tyres on the newly improved road surfaces of a Europe emerging from war, provided the example for those who stuck with cycling as a pastime – and the fast, wide tyres favoured by touring cyclists before the conflict became largely a memory. The road bike’s narrow tyres are the logical

conclusion of that process and of the desire of enthusiast road riders to emulate racing cyclists.

Pneumatic suspension Most leisure cyclists don’t race. Most don’t ride at anywhere near the speed of a road race, which is about 25mph, and most cyclists, sportive riders included, would be better off on wider tyres. How much wider is hard to say. It helps to look at the fundamentals of pneumatic tyre operation.

Essentially, the tyre provides suspension.

It is very effective; a bicycle with some sort of mechanical suspension riding on solid tyres is no match for a rigid-framed bike on pneumatics – even those that are over-inflated. Any suspension is primarily intended to isolate the vehicle from surface irregularities, otherwise it would move vertically over each bump. The energy required to do this is taken from forward motion and is not fully regained as the vehicle drops back down on the far side of the bump.

A solid rubber tyre may compress enough to soak up small surface imperfections, but

even a thick layer of the material is only compressed locally and can’t get out of the way of a bigger bump. In a pneumatic tyre, the entire volume of the air chamber is reduced by localised compression, resulting in a very small overall increase in internal air pressure and allowing the tyre to absorb much more sizeable obstacles.

The pneumatic tyre-shod vehicle therefore suffers greatly reduced ‘suspension’ losses.

Nevertheless, the harder a pneumatic tyre is inflated, the less effectively it absorbs bumps, bouncing over them instead. So why not ride on very soft tyres? Air is perfectly elastic: when compressed, it springs back without loss of energy. The materials used in tyres – rubber, carcass threads, anti-puncture layers – aren’t: when flexed, they return slowly to the original shape, losing some energy to internal friction, or ‘hysteresis’, which heats the tyre. The softer the tyre, the more extensively its carcass and tread flex when passing over a bump.

The same thing happens when simply rolling along. Under load, a tyre flattens until it presses against the road surface with the force of the weight it supports, so a tyre

CYCL I N G UK . O R G CYC L E 4 9

WHERE: East Anglia START/FINISH: Thetford to Sheringham DISTANCE: 83 miles over two days PICTURES: Dominic Bliss & Alamy

G R E AT R I D ES | S LO P ING O F F IN N O R F O L K Left It's 46 miles along the Peddars Way to the coast, and easily doable in a day, given how flat the trail is Below left It's not technically difficult either, so a mountain bike is optional. A cyclocross bike or a rough-stuff tourer will be at least as practical

Sheringham

Huntstanton

Thetford

Fact File: SLOPING OFF IN NORFOLK DISTANCE: 46 miles along the Peddars Way; 37 miles along the Norfolk Coast Cycleway. Total: 83 miles in two days.

INITIALLY, THE LACK OF INCLINE IS A JOY. BUT AFTER 20 MILES OR SO, IT’S AMAZING HOW YOU START TO CRAVE HILLS – ANY SLOPE, IN FACT on the interior of The Wash, faces west. You get to see the sun setting over the sea.

Along the coast The following day we embark on the second (much easier) section of our ride. This is the Norfolk Coast Cycleway, a traffic-calmed route that follows quiet public roads close to the coast; not to be confused with the pedestrian (and eminently prettier) Norfolk Coast Path.

The first few miles take us down long, deserted country roads, hemmed in by tall hedges. It’s a shame because we know that just out of our view is the Norfolk coastline.

But the main coast road is a bike-unfriendly A149. Better to suffer from a lack of views than to have to contest with Sunday drivers.

After passing through the well-heeled Burnham Market, we take a little detour into the Holkham Hall estate and its accompanying nature reserve, right on the

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coast. Here, an off-road cycle track through forest leads us to Wells-next-the-Sea where we stop to lunch on Norfolk crab, fresh from a seafood shack on the harbour front. This is classic English seaside territory, but with a distinctly upmarket feel.

Suddenly the landscape gets hilly. Well, slightly hilly; this is still Norfolk. But after a day and a half of flat topography, it’s a surprise. At one point – as the road rises into Weybourne – I actually have to drop into lower gears.

The final section of our ride is a fast swoop to the station at Sheringham. This is the northern tip of the Bittern Line that crosses the Norfolk Broads to Norwich. We jump aboard, along with a packed train of seaside day-trippers, and barely manage to squeeze our bikes into the jumble of assorted machines in the cycle rack. Then it’s a slow but pretty Sunday-service ride back to civilisation. And still no hills of any note.

ROUTE: Thetford railway station to Knettishall Heath; along the Peddars Way long-distance bridleway to Hunstanton; back roads from Hunstanton to Sheringham railway station.

CONDITIONS: The Peddars Way is a combination of dirt paths, gravel tracks, forest trails and short tarmac sections. The Norfolk Coast Cycleway is all tarmac but on quiet back roads.

ACCOMMODATION: We stayed at Burleigh Guest House, Hunstanton (theburleigh.com) EQUIPMENT USED: I rode a Giant TCX SLR1 cyclocross bike. Phil rode a Voodoo Hoodoo hardtail mountain bike. We both used rucksacks for luggage.

MAPS/GUIDES: We downloaded Ordnance Survey maps. The Peddars Way, however, is so well way-marked that you can get away with no map at all.

I’M GLAD I HAD: Thin knobbly tyres. The off-road section was so flat and dry that fat off-road tyres weren't required.

FURTHER INFO: www.nationaltrail.co.uk/ peddars-way-and-norfolk-coast-path and bit.ly/cyclinguk-norfolkcoast

MEET THE EXPERTS

EXPERT ADVICE

Q&A Your technical, legal, health and policy questions answered. This issue: 650B wheels, relieving a rash, friction shifting, leaves on the cycle path, and more

QUESTION OF THE MONTH

RICHARD HALLETT Cycle’s Technical Editor

DR MAT T BROOKS Cycling GP

TECHNICAL

650B CONVERSION

PAUL KITSON Partner from Slater + Gordon Lawyers

Q

I’m considering fitting 650B wheels to my disc-brake equipped Planet X Kaffenback, as its 41cm chainstays mean that there isn’t room to fit a mudguard over anything other than a very narrow 700C tyre. All the 650B rims and tyres I have seen seem to be more suitable for trekking or mountain bikes. Are there 650B rims and tyres more appropriate to a road bike, accommodating tyres up to 32mm and withstanding 100psi?

MICHAEL SHERMAN

A

Most (perhaps all) off-the-peg 650B wheelsets currently available in the UK are made for 27.5 mountain bikes. Rim widths vary, but that on Mavic’s XM 419 Disc has an internal width of 19mm, which is about the same as a regular 650B road rim. Fitted with a 650fi32B tyre such as the Grand Bois Cypres, it should fit the frame in question with clearance to spare.

This would lower the bottom bracket by 10-20 mm depending on the original 700C tyre size, which may cause problems with pedal-to-ground clearance.

A better solution would surely be to find the widest 700C tyres that would fit the frameset and forget about trying to shoehorn the mudguard into the same space. Trim the mudguard so it ends just above the chainstays, perhaps leaving a central strip for attachment to the bridge.

Be careful not to over-inflate tyres wider than the familiar 700fi23 or 25C. 100psi is too much for a 32mm tyre, whether 650B or 700C. Not only is it too hard for optimal performance (see the tyres article on page

CHERRY ALLAN

Cycling UK Campaigns & Policy Information Coordinator

48), there’s an elevated risk of tyre blowoff. The stress in the walls of a pressurised tube at a given pressure is proportional to its diameter, so the ‘bursting’ load on the sidewalls and bead of a 32mm tyre inflated to 100psi is equivalent to a 23mm tyre at 140psi. For a 32mm tyre, around 75psi works well.

RICHARD HALLETT TECHNICAL

FIVE-SPEED TURBO TRAINING

Q

Can a five-speed hub be mounted in a turbo trainer? The attachment of the gear cable on this bike enters the hub parallel to the chainstay, not axially as in some three-speeds.

Also, I want to repaint the frame of my Nigel Dean as some rust is now appearing after 30 years. Do you know of an affordable way of copying the Nigel Dean decals?

TIM WATERFIELD

description all you will need are nuts that fit the jaws of the turbo trainer. They need some sort of cylindrical face shaped similarly to the head and nut of the quickrelease skewer supplied with the trainer. If those that come with the hub won’t fit, try Tacx Axle Nuts (pictured). They are made with a choice of 10mm or 3/8in thread.

There are several useful sources of old or replica decals, including H Lloyd Cycles of Penrith (hlloydcycles.com), who can supply decals for Reynolds tubesets.

A

In answer to the first question: in principle, yes. You do not state the make of the five-speed hub but from the CYCL I N G UK . O R G CYC L E 5 9

GROUP TEST

YOUR THOUGHTS?

SA DDL EBAGS

Cycle Letters, PO Box 313, Scarborough, YO12 6WZ

W R I T E TO U S :

Technical Editor Richard Hallett reviews four medium-sized bags suitable for day rides, commuting, and credit card touring

EMAIL US:

editor@cyclinguk.org JOIN IN ONLINE:

forum.cyclinguk.org

ONE OF the first rules of cycle touring is to carry even a small amount of luggage

on the machine itself rather than in some sort of rucksack. It’s more comfortable, it lowers the centre of gravity, and it is, arguably, safer in the event of a fall.

For moderate loads, British cyclists have traditionally preferred the saddlebag over a Continental-style handlebar bag, which is size-limited by the width of the handlebar and the tendency for a well-filled bar bag to affect steering and handling.

A heavy saddlebag might overload a lightweight seatpost or its frame’s seatpost clamp, but that’s unlikely to be a problem with the four medium-sized bags on test.

At between 4 and 10 litres capacity, they’re all big enough for a day ride and the larger ones might suit for a short credit card tour if sensibly packed.

W E AT H E R R E S I S TA N C E Any saddlebag should be able to keep its contents dry in wet weather but fabrics vary in their capacity to shrug off water, mud and road grime, which will be an issue if the bag is to be used without mudguards.

AT TA C H M E N T An effective quick-release system can make life easy but adds weight, may limit carrying capacity, and leaves the bag vulnerable to theft unless the bag is removed when the bike is left unattended. Traditional twin straps require strap loops. Some saddles incorporate them and it is also possible to buy bolt-on loops that clamp to the saddle rails.

WEIGHT It quickly adds up when packing and the bag’s net weight is a factor.

Include the weight of any attachment system when assessing.

RIGIDITY A bag that sways around can negatively affect handling, especially when riding out of the saddle.

The more rigid the attachment, the better.

CLOSURE The traditional single large flap offers easy access but can struggle to prevent spillage unless the bag hangs perfectly level. Roll closures are more effective at keeping out the elements but can be fiddly to operate.

POCKETS External side pockets make it easy to stash and access small stuff such as tools and a puncture repair kit. If limited to one large chamber, an internal pouch can prevent stuff rattling around in an under-filled bag. D-rings on top enable a jacket or similar to be strapped on top.

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REVIEWS | BIKE TEST

MASON RESOLUTION BIKE TEST

BRITISH STEEL Cycling journalist David Arthur tests the Mason Resolution and Shand Skinnymalinky, steel road bikes designed in and for the UK DESPITE THE increasing affordability of

carbon fibre and titanium, steel remains an excellent material for a road bike. It's seldom the lightest option and it's not necessarily the cheapest. But if you want a durable, comfortable, year-round bike for club rides, audaxes, sportives, training, commuting, general road riding, and even light touring, a steel road bike can be ideal.

The new Resolution from Brightonbased Mason Cycles is a fine example of a contemporary steel road bike, using the latest steel tubing and bristling with modern details, including disc brakes and internal cable routing. From Scotland’s Shand is the Skinnymalinky, a more traditional take on the genre. Both bikes share the same ability to accommodate 28mm tyres with mudguards and both focus on year-round comfort and versatility.

FRAME AND FORK Shand’s Skinnymalinky uses a mix of Reynolds 853 and Columbus tubing, with small diameter round tubes and a

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non-tapered 1 1/8in head tube. It’s very traditional in its appearance, but the quality and detail is first class. The headset and bottom bracket use external bearings and the gear cables are routed externally, though the rear brake cable is routed inside the top tube. There are neat Breezer-style hooded stainless dropouts and eyelets for a mudguard and a rack. The test bike was fitted with a US-sourced, mudguardcompatible WoundUp carbon fibre fork. Its slender blades are very much in keeping with the appearance of the Shand frame. A steel fork is an option.

The Mason’s frame could scarcely look more different. A mix of Columbus Spirit and Life tubing has been extensively profiled into oversized proportions. An oval-shaped top tube and D-shaped down tube combine with a tapered head tube and beefy carbon fork to maximise lateral frame stiffness. Mason has routed all cables and brake hoses inside the frame, with interchangeable ports that can be swapped to adapt the frame to any number of groupset configurations, including

(Above) The mudguard mounts on the Mason Resolution's carbon fork are well away from the disc calliper, so you don't need to bend the left-hand stay to fit (Below) Cables are routed internally, with different plug-in ports available for different setups, such as Di2

BIKE TEST | REVIEWS

SHAND SKINNYMALINKY

Di2. Unlike the Shand, the Resolution is a disc-specific bike, Mason reckoning that discs are a requirement for yearround cycling. Like the Shand, the Mason Resolution features a 27.2mm seatpost, a 68mm threaded bottom bracket, and mudguard and rack eyelets. It even has a chain pip on the driveside seatstay.

(Above) Campagnolo Athena has a maximum sprocket size of 29T. You can specify Shimano Ultegra or Ultegra Di2 if you prefer; either will cope with up to 32T (Below) Only the rear brake cable runs through the Shand's frame. Note the rear rack mounts on the stays

Aside from the visual differences, there are some key differences in the sizing. The Skinnymalinky is available in five standard production sizes or you can get a made-tomeasure frame for no extra cost. The bike pictured is a 56cm and the geometry is quite traditional, with a short 140mm head tube producing a low front-end position and conventional 73.5/74 head/seat angles and a slightly sloping top tube.

The Resolution is available in six sizes, but the Mason geometry differs. It’s intended to offer a more relaxed fit, with the 54cm bike I tested featuring a taller (155mm) head tube and a reach that, with a change to a 120mm stem, is comparable to the larger size Shand. Both bikes offered me a good fit and a comfortable position for long rides.

COMPONENTS The Mason is equipped with a Shimano Ultegra 11-speed mechanical groupset with matching hydraulic disc brakes. It’s a good package, one I’ve ridden before and gotten on well with. For the wheels, Mason has collaborated with another young Brightonbased company, Hunt Wheels, to develop an aluminium clincher wheelset. It has a 23mm wide (external) tubeless-ready rim, with 24 triple-butted spokes and Shimano’s Centrelock disc rotor mounting system. A Fabric saddle with carbon fibre rails adds bling and is mounted to a Mason-branded carbon seatpost, with a Deda RHM02

aluminium handlebar and Zero2 stem.

The Shand has a Campagnolo Athena 11-speed groupset and, like the Mason, a compact 50-34 chainset with a middlingsized cassette – 12-27 on the Shand, 11-28 on the Mason. Shand offers some customisation, such as the colour-matched stem atop the Chris King headset. I liked the reach of the Ritchey Comp Streem aluminium handlebar but I’m no fan of the wing-shaped tops. Wheels are a combination of Hope RS Mono hubs, with their distinctive clicky freehub, and black Mavic Open Pro rims, and proved reliable and durable.

Both bikes use Continental tyres: 28mm Grand Sport Extra on the Mason and 25mm Grand Prix 4Season for the Shand. The Skinnymalinky will take 28mm tyres with SKS mudguards, but the PDW mudguards fitted to this bike limit tyre width to 25mm.

Both companies include mudguards for a small cost. Shand goes the extra mile and will paint them to match the frame.

The most obvious feature that sets the bikes apart is their choice of braking systems. On the Mason, braking is done courtesy of Shimano’s RS685 hydraulic brakes with 140mm disc rotors. The brakes have a firm lever feel but I did detect a bit of squealing in the wet test conditions. The Shand is fitted with TRP RG957 long-reach callipers, with a predictable performance and impressive braking on some of the steeper hills I tested the bike on.

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T R AV E L L E R S ’ TA L E S

THE NATIONAL 400K AUDAX Mike Wigley of Audax UK describes what it’s like to ride 400km in 24 hours

Loch and awe

Tim Rumley and his companion cycled from Ardrossan to Oban in early spring

I

s April is too early to cycle tour in Scotland?

It may be cold but at least it is midge free.

And despite the single digit temperatures, the sun shone for most of our trip.

We took the CalMac ferry from Ardrossan harbour to Arran. A short hilly ride ended in a wild camp outside Lochranza. We had decided to reverse the Sustrans Oban to Campbeltown route (NCN 78) to take advantage of prevailing south-westerlies. Frustratingly, we had north-easterlies.

A second morning ferry took us to Claonaig on the Mull of Kintyre, where we set off for Campbeltown. There were some stiff climbs but splendid views across to Arran. We camped in the Machrihanish beach dunes.

We deviated from the Sustrans route and took the quiet A83 road up the western coast of the Mull of Kintyre, but the headwinds continued to blow. We formed a two-cyclist peloton and made good progress to Kennacraig. Camping north of Kilberry, the sunset between the Paps of Jura was a delight.

Our route then took us to Moine Mhor and the Dunadd hillfort, the birthplace of the Scottish nation, then onto the stone circles and cairns of Kilmartin. From here, we had a gravel detour to Carnasserie Castle. We found a spectacular wild campsite on the side of the aptly-named Loch Awe. The morning sun melted the frost on the tents but our water bottles were frozen. Oban wasn’t far, which was just as well as the weather worsened.

Horizontal snow, hail, and rain hindered our progress for the last 12 miles, as did a herd of long-horned Highland cattle ambling on the road. Our warm beds in Oban were well deserved.

THE NATIONAL 400k is a special event: 240 miles in 24 hours. I last did it in 2014. What a ride! We set off for Cumberland in warm sunshine and wove along the valleys of the Tees and Swale, before turning north at Ripon, along the Ure and into Wensleydale.

The sun blazed as we rode through towns still decked with Tour de France bunting. We ticked off Masham, Leeming, Aysgarth, and Hawes.

From Sedbergh, we took an ancient drove road to Shap, then to Penrith. As dusk fell I got soaked in a downpour.

But I’d come prepared with spare clothes and was able to change before a sumptuous meal at a village hall near Wigton, which marked the turn.

I’d ridden mostly solo thus far but joined groups for the night section. We made good speed to Brampton, then hauled ourselves up to Slaggyford, where there was more hot food and a chance to sleep for those who wanted it and a starry sky for those who didn’t.

On we climbed through remote and cobbled Alston, past the snow poles of the Yad Moss, and across the roof of County Durham. Next came a glorious swoop to Middleton in Teesdale. Leaving the romantic ruin of Barnard Castle, we crossed the Tees at the lovely bridge at Whorlton, just as harvesters began whirling chaff into the pearly dawn light.

For details on the 2016 event, see aukweb.net.

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