Cycle Magazine Taster Dec-Jan 2015

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D E C E M B E R /J A N UA RY 2 014/2 015 £3 O R F R E E TO C TC M E M B E R S This issue W A L N E Y

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AMAZING POLAR CYCLE BALANCE BIKES TEST BIKE-RAIL INTO EUROPE CARGO BIKES COMPARED

WE AR IN WINTER TOURING IN DUBAI CARGO BIK ES TEST AMA ZING POL AR CYCLE THE RE ALIT Y OF EURO BIK E-R AIL BAL ANCE BIK ES D E C E M B E R /J A N U A R Y 2 0 14 / 2 0 15

CTC.ORG.UK

RIDE WINTER JOURNEYS THAT EMBRACE IT & ESCAPE IT

C YC L E D E C E M B E R /J A N U A R Y 2 0 14 / 2 0 15

Founded in 1878

Clockwise from far left: R Bevis, P Gillingham, whiteicecycle.com

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FROM THE EDITOR CYCLING BOOTS with scrunched up newspaper in them. Thick gloves on the radiator. It’s here again: winter. It’s traditional for editors to say something like ‘there’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothes’.

There is such a thing as bad weather. I’m looking at it. Earlier on, I was in it.

Despite feeling a bit sleepy afterwards, as I got home and became suffused with indoor warmth and mugs of tea, I’m glad I went. Even at the bleakest time of year, cycling is better than not cycling. Not cycling ends in irritation and apathy, a sense of unsatisfaction, of a day somehow slightly wasted.

However busy a day is, it can always be improved by cycling.

Parents who put a bicycle by the Christmas tree for a child will find that’s true even of an especially busy day. Those breath-pluming minutes out in the winter air, as the shiny new bike (or balance bike – see p71) is put through its paces… they could shape the mood of the whole day, for the whole family.

I’m sure that’s true for us adults too. Not the bicycle by the Christmas tree; I’ve got quite a few bikes and don’t urgently need another – or anything else.

I’d be happy with a gift that involves wrapping up rather than unwrapping; not a bike but a bike ride. Maybe I’ll get that for myself. Who’s for a quick spin before the mince pies?

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MEMBERSHIP

EVERY ISSUE

THIS ISSUE

07 F R O M T H E C H I E F E X E C Paul Tuohy talks about cycling for all

04 B I G P I C T U R E This issue: Play on Pedals, Glasgow

08 N E W S CTC's analysis of cycling news & events 16 S H O P W I N D O W Cycling ideas for Christmas 20 G E A R U P Components, kit and accessories on test 27 L E T T E R S Your feedback on Cycle and cycling

Get five years’ CTC membership for the price of four. Phone 01483 238301

18 E U R O B I K E 2 0 1 4 New products from the world’s biggest bike show 36 W A L N E Y T O W E A R I N WINTER Riding coast to coast in December

30 C T C & M E CTC’s Inclusive Cycling ambassador Mark Colbourne MBE

43 R O A D S W E R E N O T B U I L T FOR CARS How cyclists not drivers fought for better roads first

33 M Y B I K E Maria Leijerstam’s record-breaking Polar Cycle

46 R I D I N G T H E R A I L S The reality of European bike-rail touring

40 C T C C Y C L I N G H O L I D A Y S Let us take you there

52 A R A B I A N D E L I G H T S Winter sun on the Arabian Peninsula

58 Q & A Your technical, health and legal questions answered 76 C T C M E M B E R B E N E F I T S Special offers for CTC members 78 C T C C O N T A C T S National and local CTC contacts 81 T R A V E L L E R S ' T A L E S CTC members' ride reports

RIDE WINTER

62 C A R G O B I K E S 8Freight and Bullitt head to head

JOURNEYS THAT EMBRACE IT & ESCAPE IT

On the cover

68 4 - S E A S O N R O A D B I K E TEST Pinnacle’s practical Dolomite 3

Winter cyclists in Austria.

By Leo Himsl © INSADCO Photography / Alamy

71 B A L A N C E B I K E S Four pedal-less starter bikes for pre-school kids

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

1 SHOP WINDOW

IDEAS FOR XMAS Here’s a selection of stocking fillers and seasonal gifts for cyclists. Dan Joyce wrote this list and checked it twice 2

3

4

1. SANTA ON A BICYCLE £9.85 At last: a cycling Christmas decoration! There are also reindeer and snowmen. Cyclemiles stocks cycling Christmas cards too. cyclemiles.co.uk

2. PDW THE BIRD CAGE £13 The ideal water-bottle cage for birdwatchers.

The 57g aluminium cage is available in black or silver and comes with bolts. paligap.cc

3. THE ROAD HEADED WEST, BY LEON MCCARRON £9.99 An engaging travelogue in the Mark Beaumont/ Alistair Humphreys mould, describing a 6,000mile USA-crossing journey. summersdale.com

5

4. PRO CYCLING MANAGER 2014

6

£29.99

Rewrite the 2014 Tour de France and other races in your living room, with you as team manager. It’s for PC. There are related games for PS3, PS4 and Xbox 360. cycling-manager.com

5. M:PART TORQUE WRENCH £49.99

What do you get the cyclist who has everything, including a carbon bike? A torque wrench to stop over-tight bolts crushing it! madison.co.uk

6. CATEYE PADRONE £49.99 7

8 T H E

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Cyclists who squint at their cycle computer need the Padrone. Its screen is almost twice as big, with correspondingly larger digits. zyro.co.uk

CHARIT Y

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650B & 29ER HARDTAILS WHERE TO STAY ON TOUR LOCKS GROUPTEST RIDELONDON SURREY 100

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E2E tour Wales at war Cyclis ts biking MTB bivvy test Bar bags

WOME N’S BROMP

L AMPS, LUMENS, L AW AND MORE

ICE FOR S & ADV ENT BIKE S TS & PAR STU DEN CTC.

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7. CAFE DU CYCLISTE LOU LOU NECK WARMER £24 A merino wool blend, this ladies’ neck warmer is warm and fast-drying. It can also be worn as a headscarf. Blue or grey. velovixen.com

LIGHTING-UP TIME

LIN U N I C YC

ROAD BIKES BEACH BIKING ROAD TONS UP JUSTIC E THE ALPS

CTC.ORG.UK

CTC.O

RG.U

K

YO R K S

HIRE’S B ES R I D I N GT RIDE THE TOUR WATC

ROU TE & H THE RACE

8. CTC GIFT MEMBERSHIP £18+ A gift that lasts all year. The recipient will support cycling and get six issues of Cycle, £10million third-party insurance, and more – including a pair of Lezyne KTV Drive lights. ctc.org.uk/gift

YOUR FAVOURITE GIFTS? This list only scratches the surface. Share your ideas on the CTC Forum: forum.ctc.org.uk 16 CYC LE D E CE M BER/JAN U ARY 2 014 /2 015

THE BIG PICTURE

GLASGOW

Photo by Chris Juden

PLAY ON PEDALS Play on Pedals ambassadors and Scottish Cycling athletes Aileen McGlynn OBE and James McCallum visit children from Indigo Nursery in Castlemilk to fi nd out more about the project. Play on Pedals was awarded just over ÂŁ231,000 earlier this year through the 2014 Dream Fund to deliver a project in Glasgow, enabling pre-school children to ride bikes before starting school. The project is a partnership between CTC, the national cycling charity, Cycling Scotland, the Glasgow Bike Station and Play Scotland.

Polly Jarman For more information about Play on Pedals, visit

playonpedals.wordpress.org

4 CYC LE D E CE M BER/JAN U ARY 2 014 /2 015

THE BIG PICTURE

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

KIT REVIEWS

SUBMIT A REVIEW

GEAR UP

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

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

This issue: cycling jeans, a multitool, and more

RE VIEW OF THE MONTH

Swrve

Cordura Regular Fit jeans £80

swrve.com + Comfortable,

$178 PLUS P&P

+ Neat details CONS - Good value but

LANE JEANS olsoh.com

I FOUND these US-designed jeans on Kickstarter after looking for some trousers that I could cycle in but also wear to work. I invested, as did enough other backers for them to go into production. Six months later, my Lane Jeans arrived, packaged beautifully like the precious cargo they were. They’ve hardly been off me since! I use them commuting around London on my Brompton. After four months of heavy usage, they still look good as new. On a recent trip to Berlin, which included a cycle tour on city bikes, my European colleagues all wanted to know where they could get their pair!

The detail is what makes them special.

The quilted, chamois-reinforced crotch is superb: very comfy and durable. The pockets are deep and double lined, so as not to wear through. Like a lot of men, I keep my wallet in the right rear pocket.

Normal trousers mean this can be uncomfortable when cycling, but on the Lanes the wallet is nestled in a deeper

20 CYC LE DE CE M BER/JAN U ARY 2 014 /2 015

WHILE I DO most of my miles in bike gear, I do most of my journeys in jeans.

Given a suitable saddle, this doesn’t cause discomfort – although it does wear holes in the denim eventually. That should take longer with these Swrve jeans, as the cotton (55%) is blended with Cordura.

The jeans are cut well for cycling, with an extra panel in the (unpadded) gusset so you don’t sit on a seam, and knees that are stitched to articulate. There’s some stretch in the fabric too. The legs are cut close at the ankle. I use a cycle-clip because I ride fixed; I’m too old to roll the right leg part way up my calf, which reveals a reflective stripe. Two of the belt loops are reflective too. I like these jeans a lot: they’re tough, comfortable, and the price is fair. Sizes: 28-36in waist.

Reviewed by Dan Joyce

PROS

durable seat

not cheap

pocket and you don’t end up sitting on it when riding. There’s also a side pocket for your phone and deep front pockets for coins or keys. Other features I like are the panel reinforcement on the right inner leg near the chain, plus an ankle snap so I don’t need to tuck the jeans into my socks. The stitching is the best I have seen on any trousers.

At around £112 plus shipping, these jeans are not cheap, but pound for pound they are great value for money because they should last for years. CTC members can get a 15% discount on a single pair of jeans by using the code ‘CTC15’. That code also grants a 14-day return-orexchange service using a UK address.

Reviewed by Paul Tuohy

PROS + Abrasion & shower resistant

+ Comfortable cycling cut

CONS - Roll up my

trouser leg? Really?

Left: photo by Hanna Habazin

Osloh

CTC & M E

Today, Mark is an inspirational public speaker

Mark Colbourne MBE Mark Colbourne is a Paralympian and the ambassador for the CTC Inclusive Cycling Network project, funded by Big Lottery. He spoke to Dan Joyce Pedal Power, a disabled cycling charity in Cardiff. ‘When you see a disabled person – child or adult, it doesn’t matter – when you see them riding a tricycle or a recumbent, the feeling they get of normality takes them out of that dark place and it puts them into Narnia, almost: it’s the stuff of dreams. And it’s not only affecting the person who is pedalling the bike: it affects their friends,

“When you see a disabled person, child or adult, riding a tricycle or a recumbent… It’s the stuff of dreams” At the London 2012 Paralympics, Mark won gold in the C1 3km individual pursuit and silvers in the C1-3 1km time trial and C1 road time trial

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 de ce m BER /j an u ary 2 014 /2 015

Photos: Mark Colbourne

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ark Colbourne is helping CTC raise the profile of our network of Inclusive Cycling Centres across the UK. It’s a subject close to his own heart. You wouldn’t think it to look at him on a conventional upright bike, but he won a gold and two silvers at the London 2012 Paralympics – in the C1 category, ‘locomotor disability: neurological or amputation’ – having broken his back three years earlier in a paragliding accident.

‘I spent three months completely paralysed,’ he says of his accident. ‘A month later, one of the hospital physiotherapists sat me on a static exercise bike. She had to bandage my feet to the pedals because my feet don’t work due to the nerve damage in my spinal cord. I knew immediately, realising that my quads and my hip flexors weren’t damaged, that I could push the pedals – even with no hamstrings or glutes firing. It was hard work. But to sit on that bike and feel normal… It was a great feeling, a door that opened for me.’

After he left hospital, Mark started cycling with Disability Sport Wales in the Newport Velodrome. Initially, he rode a track bike with stabilisers. ‘Finding that I could not only now cycle, but cycle effectively using these stabilisers that the disability coach, Neil Smith, gave me… It was life changing. I was obviously in a very dark place at that point.

And it just changed everything for me. It wasn’t just that it gave me the opportunity to do something physical. My emotional state of mind became better, which made my family happy. It was hugely empowering.’

He says he sees the same effect when other disabled people are given the opportunity to cycle; he is also a patron of

their family, their work colleagues. It’s a cascade of happiness and positivity.’

Not enough disabled people have access to adapted bikes, Mark says. Many don’t even know about them, or might not imagine they could ride one. ‘It’s all about awareness,’ he says. ‘When you see how many people benefit from inclusive cycling – it’s massive.

I’ve been privileged to have experienced that myself. Yes, I’m still disabled. Yes, I still have a lack of functionality every day in my life.

But the happiness and positivity that cycling gives me outweighs any negativity that I get from my disability.’

This explains his role as an inclusive cycling ambassador. ‘I don’t think there’s enough promotion of the psychological and health benefits around cycling,’ he says simply. ‘I think my focus with CTC for the next five years would be to get the message out there of how beneficial cycling can be: the health benefits, the positive mindset, that all-over feeling of happiness. It’s more than just riding around the park.’

Mark’s website is markcolbourne.com.

For more on inclusive cycling, see ctc.org.uk/inclusive.

where: Northern England, Irish Sea to the North Sea START/finish: Walney Island, Cumbria/Sunderland DISTANCE: 166 miles (official route 151 miles) PICTURES: Alamy and Paul Gillingham

Wa l ne y to W e a r in w in t er | G R E AT R I D E S

Gre at r ide s

Walney to Wear in winter December days are short. This didn’t deter CTC member Paul Gillingham, son Joseph and friend John from attempting a coast to coast tour

Left: © David Norton / Alamy. Others by Paul Gillingham

W

inter tours in the UK carry risks. Days are short, colds and ’flu are rampant, and the weather can be appalling. So, on the face of it, a trip across the North of England from the Irish to the North Seas in the first week in December seemed a daft idea. But winter riding has benefits that summer lacks: tourism is nonexistent, smaller roads are empty, fields are newly ploughed, leafless trees reveal their architectural beauty, winter light can be stunning, and you don’t always ride in wind, hail or heavy rain. In any case, it was a big birthday for me and I wanted to mark it with a big event.

With me on the ride were cycling buddy John and my son, Joseph, who had flown over from Toronto. We had taken the train from Euston to Barrow-in-Furness. As we left the station in the dark and pedalled towards Walney Island, the wind was rising.

Arriving at the slightly seedy Castle House Hotel facing the Irish Sea, the gale unleashed its fury. It was difficult to stand up. My Claud Butler was slammed against a railing. Later, our hostess at the hotel told us the story of an elderly lady getting out of her car in the car park months before: she was bowled over eight times, breaking bones.

we picked out a pebble each to toss into the North Sea, in the hope that we’d get there.

Just beyond Barrow-in-Furness, we paused to admire the sandstone ruins of Furness Abbey, said to be the second richest abbey in England after Fountains.

We had two punctures in the first ten miles, and feeling nervous we bought an extra innertube each at Gills, a bike shop in the pretty village of Ulverston. Round the corner from the shop, we were surprised to pass a sign for the Laurel and Hardy Museum: Ulverston was the birthplace of Stan Laurel.

We were skirting the Lake District. The steep Bigland Hill as we left Penny Bridge was a killer, our first vertical challenge. I usually make it a point of principle never to walk up hills, but John and I succumbed; Joseph, with a young man’s legs, sailed up.

At Cartmel, a picturesque Cumbrian village, we were tempted to stop for lunch but knew we had to press on to Grange-over-Sands.

Much chastened by the climb up Bigland, we decided to leave the official route for a few miles. Entering the village of Allithwaite, we passed the village postmistress delivering letters and asked her if there was a route that avoided hills. ‘Don’t come to Cumbria if you don’t want hills,’ she said.

After the storm

Four o’clock darkness

We dreaded the next morning, but, amazingly, the storm had dissipated and the thousand windmills out at sea were fairly becalmed and bathed in sunlight. The tide was way out, so rather than following the ritual of dipping our back wheels in the sea

In fact, the hills were more down than up. We passed the elegant semis of the Edwardian resort of Grange-over-Sands and headed straight for an atmospheric tea shop for lunch. It was getting on for two o’clock and we knew we had to be in Kendal

DO IT YOURSELF We took a morning train from Guildford to Waterloo, cycled to Euston, then took the train to Barrow-in-Furness, followed by a short ride to Walney Island, arriving after dark. From Sunderland, the train took us to King’s Cross via Newcastle. We rode to Waterloo, then boarded the train for Guildford, avoiding rush-hour. Bike reservations were needed for the main lines.

CTC. O R G . U K cyc l e 3 7

R IDIN G T HE R A IL S

IN MAINL AND EUROPE, LONG-DISTANCE TRAIN TRAVEL WITH A BIKE ISN'T JUST POSSIBLE, IT'S PRACTICAL, AS CTC MEMBER ROBIN BEVIS AND FRIEND JOHN SHOWED THIS SUMMER

46 CYC LE DE CE M BER/JAN U ARY 2 014 /2 015

r i d i n g t h e r a i l s | f e at u r e

(In the photo) Flying isn't the only option: you can get to practically anywhere in Europe by train

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

Photos by Patrick Field

REVIEWS | BIKE TEST

8FREIGHT bike test

Cargo bikes For shorter journeys, they’re a practical alternative to a car for kids or cargo.

Cycle trainer Patrick Field tests an 8Freight and a Bullitt Bicycles are ideal for personal transport

but have limited carrying capacity. If you need to move bulky household supplies, building materials, or gardening tools, or want to transport children, there’s a point at which a bicycle becomes impractical.

Adding a trailer works and is relatively cheap. But for regular load-carrying, you can’t beat a cargo cycle.

These two cargo bikes are light and nimble enough to provide enjoyable, local transport, with the option of spontaneously transporting heavy, awkward loads. Drop off the kids on your way to work, pick-up a weekly shop on the way home, and still enjoy your commute. Both bikes have aluminium frames whose carrying capacity isn’t bolted on; it’s part of their structures.

They’re not retro but modern: urban utility bikes, if you like, or ‘sports cargo’ bikes.

Lo a d i n g The first choice to make with a freight bike, and the most obvious difference between the 8Freight and the Bullitt, is the location of the load. The 8Freight, designed by Mike

62 cyc le DE CE M BER/JAN U ARY 2 014 /2 015

Burrows, has been around for ten years, manufactured initially in small batches by the man himself. The current version, assessed here, is basically the same machine but mass-produced in Taiwan.

Mike has lots of experience of long drivechains from building recumbents.

He opts for a standard handlebar-andfork steering arrangement, puts the load behind the rider, and solves the problem of transmitting power to back wheel with a nylon pulley. This diverts the triple-length chain’s pulling run down under the load tray and stops the returning run from flapping.

The Bullitt, also manufactured in Taiwan, for Copenhagen-based Larry vs Harry, dates from 2008. It follows a classic ‘Long John’ pattern: the cargo deck sits ahead of the rider and a rod beneath links a steerer-tube turned by the handlebar to the fork.

The rider of an 8Freight has a conventional view forwards over the handlebar, which is directly connected by a steep head-tube to a BMX-size front wheel.

It’s deftly manoeuvrable. The handlebar is the widest point, which helps when judging

(Above) The 8Freight's hubs are supported on one side only. Puncture repairs are easy, upgrades less so (Below) The rear rack makes it easier to secure oversize loads that overhang the main luggage platform

BIKE TEST | REVIEWS

P61

BULLITT (ALFINE 8)

spaces. You just have to remember to line the bike up when turning into a narrow gap or the back wheel will cut the corner.

In contrast, the Bullitt’s pilot looks at the road ahead over a luggage deck. The less conventional relationship with the front wheel may take a little longer to get used to but

(Above) The Bullitt's front load platform is easy to keep an eye on. Steering is via a rod to the fork (Below) The Bullitt's ‘easy up’ stem gives 100mm of instant handlebar-height adjustment

is a strictly short-term problem. (As with any new two-wheeler, it's best to get a feel for how it behaves when riding along normally before trying slow speed manoeuvres.)

Having the load in sight makes it a bit more secure. It’s easy to monitor how cargo is behaving over bumps and round corners.

Carrying passengers is more sociable.

It’s harder to keep an eye on an 8Freight’s load but this potential problem is balanced by a more flexible capacity. A large integral carrier extends from the top of the load cage over the back wheel, enabling oversize items to be tied on, resting above and behind the luggage tray. On the Bullitt, it’s less convenient to hang stuff over the front wheel, while anything really big can obstruct the rider’s view of the road ahead.

The standard 8Freight has a fabric lining hanging inside the luggage cage. A wicker basket, strong box or courier box are optional extras. The Bullitt’s basic setting is a flat-bed deck. There's an extensive range of in-house options, such as folding seats, plastic canopies, and lockable boxes.

Also available

1) THE LUGGER £835+ Unpretentious steel ‘Long John’ style cargo bike, with front loading. Made in UK. Maximum load 60kg. Pictured with optional electric assistance.

cargobike.co.uk

2) BAKFIETS CARGO £1700+ Classic Dutch cargo bike available in short and long versions, with a variety of boxes and child-carrying options.

bakfiets.nl

COMPONENTS The wheels of the 8Freight are mounted on one side only: the front on a stub axle, the rear on an axle that rotates like a bottombracket inside the frame. The hub and wheel are on the left end of this axle, while the freehub and cassette are on the right end, on the opposite side of the frame. Nonrotating elements of the front and rear drum-

CTC. O R G . U K CYC L E 6 3

group test

Bal ance bikes A pedal-less bike is an ideal introduction to cycling – and a great Christmas present. CTC’s Victoria Hazael and son Noah (3) test four

your thoughts?

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

W r i t e to u s :

Email us:

cycleletters@ctc.org.uk Join in online:

forum.ctc.org.ok

Balance bikes are small starter bicycles for pre-school children. Like the

original bicycle, the ‘running machine’ of Baron Karl von Drais, they lack pedals: the rider scoots along the ground, pushing off with alternate feet, and can lift both to coast.

Using a balance bike teaches a child the skills that make bicycling possible: balancing and steering. Many also come with a brake. Pedalling might seem a fundamental skill but is easily incorporated later. A child who starts on a bike with stabilisers will need to learn the more difficult skill of balancing later, and older children may get scared when the stabilisers are taken away. If you’d like more information about teaching a child to ride a bike, watch CTC’s short video: ctc.org.uk/guide/teach-child-ride-bike.

Finally, a warning: like any bike, a balance bike needs to be checked by a competent cycle mechanic before use.

Two here had significant assembly faults.

Weight The lighter the better. For a three year old child weighing 16kg, the 1.6kg difference between the lightest and heaviest bike here is 10% of their bodyweight. Imagine if your bike were 6-8kg heavier! Also, you will end up carrying a balance bike a lot, possibly all the way home from the park…

S e at i n g Look for a comfortable and slightly concave saddle to prevent your child from slipping forward. Adjust the saddle height so that your child can put both feet flat on the floor, raising it as he or she grows.

A flootplate or rest is useful to stop legs flailing during extended coasting.

Steering A headset with ball bearings will enable the handlebar to turn easily and freely, unlike a plain bearing. Some balance bikes have a steering damper or stop to prevent jack-knifing. Handgrips must be secure. Bulb-ended grips can stop hands slipping off and prevent injury in a fall.

Brake Shoe soles will stop a balance bike at moderate speeds, but a hand-brake is a useful extra, especially for children who like to whizz around. It also teaches a skill that will be needed later. Make sure your child can actually pull the brake lever: too stiff or too big will only teach them that brakes are useless!

Wheels Pneumatic tyres are lighter, more comfortable and roll better, especially over bumps. All the bikes tested have 12-inch (ISO 203) wheels. The wheels themselves should spin easily and freely, which they’ll do best with (correctly adjusted!) ball bearings.

CTC. O R G . U K cyc l e 71

T R AV E L L E R S ’ TA L E S

ESCAPING WINTER Graham Hurrell and partner Chris swapped UK gloom for the sun of SE Spain

Murcia has quiet roads, hills, valleys… and sunshine!

At the start in Pau. What could go wrong?

Pyrenees on a Chopper David Sims entered this year’s Étape du Tour on a 38lb bike with twitchy steering

I

f someone had told me a year ago I would be racing through the Pyrenees on a Raleigh Chopper, I’d have said they were mad. But this July, I found myself lining up with 12,000 other cyclists in the French city of Pau to take part in the Étape du Tour.

The other 11,999 riders were looking at my bike: a Mk3 Chopper fitted with an 8-speed hub and a proper saddle.

I tried to ignore everyone’s bigger wheels and shiny carbon frames. Did doubt enter my mind? A little. This wasn’t helped by the various ASO officials who said ‘Tourmalet?’, pointing at my bike and raising their eyebrows.

It rained on the Tourmalet. A lot.

The 12-mile ascent at 8% gradient was made less arduous by the great support from other riders, particularly the British and Americans, many of whom I have kept in contact with since.

The main effect of the rain was on the braking ability of my 16-inch chrome front rim. My top speed of 46mph was made more exciting by knowing that my stopping distance was similar to an oil tanker’s. The handing of the chopper on switchbacks, in pouring rain, was also a challenge. Twitchiness and light handling would be a gross understatement! I discovered that the

best way to corner was to turn my head to the exit line: the bike would follow.

My 8-speed Sturmey-Archer hub gave me just enough gears to tackle the steepest 12% ramps on Hautacam, the final mountain. The huge crowds on the lower slopes and the shouting of ‘Chopper guy!’ will live with me for a lifetime. The total day’s riding was 95 miles and just over 4,000m of climbing.

In doing so, I raised over £1,500 for the MeCycle workshop and café, an Autism Initiatives UK enterprise.

Heavy rain on the Tourmalet made conditions dicey

BRIGHT SPANISH SUNLIGHT twinkled off broken glass and tin cans littering the roadside, as the wind, howling through power lines, forced us to pedal hard downhill. Glancing at Chris, I realised that she too was enjoying this! We had decided to escape the darkest part of the year and had taken our campervan to Los Baños, Murcia. It was southerly enough to be warm without being on the busy built-up coast.

Initially, Murcia looked a barren moonscape. Cycling revealed that this apparently featureless desert had myriad hills and valleys. Over 500 miles, we climbed 35,000 feet. Murcia is an undiscovered, almost trafficfree, cycling paradise, with miles of quiet roads. What traffic there is is considerate. Lorries waited patiently as we climbed hills. We were chased down the road just once – by a piglet.

Murcia looks like great off-road territory too; we saw several seriouslooking groups of mountain bikers.

The province is peppered with orange and lemon orchards, vineyards, olive groves and almond plantations. The landscape of small mountains, deeply eroded valleys and little canyons, has a secret ‘otherworldly’ feel. Apart from the local Sunday morning club cyclists, you will have it to yourselves.

Tiny Los Baños, dominated by picturesque thermal spa hotels, has two campsites, with chalets to rent if you don’t have a campervan.

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