Cycle magazine December 2019/January 2020

cycle THE MAGAZINE OF CYCLING UK

WINTER WA R M E R S

SOLSTICE CYCLING. INSPIRING STORIES

On test

CARGO TRAILERS GARMIN EDGE 530 ON-ONE GEOFF BAR SKS ’GUARDS & MORE

DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020 £3 OR FREE TO MEMBERS

NEW-SCHOOL TI

All-round endurance bikes

Pages 16, 52, 55 & more

2020 VISION

Next year’s shiny stuff

SO FAR. SO GOOD

Riding Paris-Brest-Paris

P lu s MILLION-MILES MAN RUSS MANTLE KIDS’ BIKE BUYING ADVICE W2E UK TOUR AND MUCH MORE

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CONTENTS 58

44 So far. So good Paris-Brest-Paris: 1,200km through France in under 90 hours

When it comes to bulky or heavy cargo, trailers are loads better than bikes with standard luggage racks. I wouldn’t be without one. Looking at my overloaded Brompton, I was starting to wish I hadn’t left mine at home…

“Where’s your car parked?” the man in the tile shop had asked. “I’ll help you carry them over.”

“It isn’t. I’m on my bike.”

“Are you sure about this?” he had added, sceptically.

I had been. I’ve carried bigger loads than floor tiles by bike: a sideboard; a filing cabinet; a huge armchair; an 11-foot Christmas tree; two adult passengers. How hard could it be to haul 1.5m2 of tiles?

Turns out tiles are heavier than you think – or than I thought. Volumewise, they fitted perfectly into the Basil bicycle crate on my Brompton’s front carrier. The weight was a surprise: 36kg, more than half my bodyweight. I considered calling a taxi to take me, bike, and tiles home.

“What would Dave Holladay do?” I thought. Cycling UK’s Brompton riding transport consultant has, I’m sure, carried a bus bike rack or something equally inconceivable on the front of his. Admittedly, he gets through more spokes – and, indeed, Bromptons – than I do.

Carefully avoiding even the slightest bump, I took the cycle track home. No problems. No breakages.

But next time, I’m definitely taking the trailer. See p75 for more.

55 The million-mile man Meet indefatigable Cycling UK member Russ Mantle

58 After a disaster Visiting Sulawesi, Indonesia, in the wake of an earthquake

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Next year’s products now

22 Gear up Components, accessories, stocking fillers, and books

68 New school Ti Titanium mile-eaters from Kinesis and Van Nicholas

44

75 Cargo trailers Four options for hauling loads

Regulars 04 Freewheeling A short tour around the wonderful world of cycling

07 This is Cycling UK Paul Tuohy on why it’s time to vote bike; off-road access; cyclist café winners; and more

16 You are Cycling UK Peter Berry and Andew Combes

33 Letters

On the cover

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Stronachlachar, Loch Katrine, in the Scottish Highlands. © Andy McCandlish

Your feedback on Cycle and cycling

52 Weekender A winter solstice audax in Cheshire

63 Cyclopedia Questions answered, topics explained

81 Travellers’ Tales Cycling UK members’ ride reports

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Reviews & previews 20 2020 vision

Local riding

Cycle Editor

36 West to east Riding the W2E: Ardnamurchan to Lowestoft

Welcome

DAN JOYCE

Features

this is

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Time to get active Help us find out which prospective MPs will stand up for active travel, says Paul Tuohy. Then we can start getting the UK cycling and walking in the new year

B

rexit or Bike-it? A general Paul at No. 10 to election is looming, and press the case for investment whatever your position in cycling on the former, it’s the latter that Cycling UK is lobbying for. Cycling needs more investment because it can help tackle two other issues high on the political agenda: climate change and pollution; and the importance of the NHS and of protecting the health of the nation.

Current investment in cycling and walking in the UK is pitiful. In England it represents about 2% of the entire transport budget.

Unless this is increased to 5% immediately, and then at least doubled over the coming five years, there is no chance that the Government in Whitehall will achieve its own modest targets to double levels of cycling by 2025. But it isn’t happening! We have to make those in government understand the folly of current spending policies on active travel: the policies themselves are practically inactive!

Show us the money In London, we’ve seen how cycling infrastructure has been greatly improved. There was an increase in targeted funding, and many more people began to use the bike to get about. It’s more complicated to do that nationally than just in London; there are towns and cities across the UK that simply have no investment and no guarantees that their local neighbourhoods will become more attractive to cycling.

I write this in early November, following recent meetings I and colleagues have had with politicians and advisers across the political spectrum to press Cycling UK’s argument for increased and sustained investment in active travel. We had been expecting a budget, but events overtook this and we’re now in election campaign mode.

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But what is clear is that whichever party or parties are in government by Christmas, there’s an urgent need to convince the Treasury that active travel needs billions not millions. And the Treasury is bombarded by every department in government wanting more money for health, education, law enforcement, environment, social inclusion, and so on. To make ourselves heard, we have to try both top-down and bottom-up approaches.

There’s an urgent need to convince the Treasury that active travel needs billions not millions

Question your candidates If ever the time was right to invest in a clean, affordable means of moving around, which makes you feel good and adds years to life expectancy, now must surely be it. The benefits of having an active lifestyle are unquestionable. This is why we need you to ask your parliamentary candidates, whatever their party, to stand up for cycling and walking (see ‘Election 2019’, p8) and pledge to support an immediate increase to 5% of transport spending on cycling and walking, increasing to at least 10% within five years.

We will let you know the responses so you can then, with a simple click, write again to those who haven’t pledged. Once MPs are elected, we will know who best to lobby to ensure we get what we want. So while the election coverage may be driving you nuts by now, put the divisive issue of Brexit to one side for now and focus on an issue we can all get behind: more investment in cycling. Because while the issue of underfunding REMAINs, we will not LEAVE it alone.

Twitter @wearecyclinguk

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P re v i e w s

Stocking fillers SEASONAL GIFT IDEAS FOR THE CYCLISTS IN YOUR LIFE

( ( Gift membership Any cyclist can benefit from Cycling UK Gift Membership – and buying it helps others too. It's a gift that keeps on giving year round. See page 14 for details or visit: cyclinguk.org/xmas19/mag

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The Open Road

€39.90 The first ever cycle touring boardgame. Create routes, ration your money and energy, and deal with setbacks as you explore the USA. Suitable for ages 12+. openroadgames.com and voss-spezialrad.de

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Measuring 35×27×12cm, with two compartments, this cute little backpack reinforces the message that you can take stuff with you by bike. cyclemiles.co.uk

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Too Close for Comfort mug £8

4

Where There’s A Will £14.99

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4

Gisela Graham Embroidered Bicycle Mini Backpack £9.95

£7.95 As well as upcycled bikepacking bags, BeerBabe turns old chain links into jewellery. These enamelled earrings have sterling silver ear hooks. Various colours. beerbabe.co.uk

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Cycle of Good Washbag £16.80

Something to stow those new Christmas smellies inside: a washbag (24×13×11cm) made from recycled innertube by fairly-paid tailors in Malawi. cycleofgood.com

Make a point whenever you make a brew by handing this mug to your friend/ family member/co-worker. shop.cyclinguk.org

The Adventure Syndicate’s Emily Chappell describes her journey – in both senses – on The Transcontinental race. profilebooks.com

Beerbabe Bike Chain Earrings

7

Bike Trumps 1 & 2 £9.99

"Year Produced… no, Price!"

An eclectic collection of bikes, from the von Drais Running Machine to the Moulton Double Pylon, do battle in two 36-card decks. roughrideguide.co.uk

5

7 CTC Heritage Kit

When it's gone, it's gone! Order your limited-edition Cyclists' Touring Club kit from: shop.cyclinguk.org

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DE C E MB E R 20 19/J ANUARY 2020

Details Where: Mainland Britain (mostly) Start/finish: Ardnamurchan to Lowestoft Distance: 1,000km Pictures: Neil Wheadon

W2E

G R E AT R I D E S

NEIL WHEADON Cycling UK member Neil divides his time between veterinary surgery and leading trips for CTC Cycling Holidays

Great Rides

WEST TO EAST Like the E2E and C2C, W2E – West to East – is another great British ride. Neil Wheadon took up the challenge with six companions

T

he email sold me immediately: “Do you fancy joining six others on a cycle ride from the most westerly point of the British mainland to the most easterly?” Ardnamurchan lighthouse in Scotland to Lowestoft in Suffolk is a thousand kilometres, cutting a diagonal across Britain. The route would pass through two National Parks, two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and cross the Pennines.

So it was that one September morning some time later, seven of us stood with our bikes at Ardnamurchan Point. Pleasingly, there was a sign announcing its ‘most westerly’ location.

I’d met three of my companions before on CTC Cycling Holidays. On those holidays, I’m used to riding 50 miles a day. This trip would see some days closer to 80. As we pedalled to the ferry that would take us back to Mull, I had doubts as to how I’d fare. But we got off to a fine start, not racing away from the ferry but eating cake next to Tobermory’s picture-perfect harbour.

ISLAND HOPPING Since W2E is a mainland ride, a purist might omit ferries and islands. We were happy to take them where they improved the journey. Much work has been done building and signing cycle routes in Argyll and Bute, and our reward for following Sustrans Route 78 out of Oban was a glorious road past grazing Highland cattle with hardly a car in sight.

Sustrans Route 78 out of Oban was a glorious road past grazing Highland cattle with hardly a car in sight

The hardest part of this trip was to link up accommodation that could house all seven of us but was also cheap enough to please the thriftiest pocket. An independent hostel was our goal for the first day’s riding. The road along the loch approaching it was beautifully surfaced, yet its steep ups and downs will live long in my memory.

The hostel provided us with a lakeside view, which we shared with a group of rugby players being pep-talked for a tournament the next day.

For us, the following day involved another ferry so we were on a tight schedule.

“It’ll be fine,” I told myself as we hared down the A83 towards Tarbert. Fortunately the ride was flat and fast, with only a small climb from Kennacraig over to Claonaig, and we made it in plenty of time for the crossing to Arran. We were joined by lots of racing cyclists on this sunny Sunday; they were doing a circuit of the island.

We visited Brodick Castle on Arran, confirming that it matches its picture on the Scottish £20 note.

Then we caught our final ferry to Ardrossan, north of Ayr. It was another 24 miles to our Travelodge destination… We followed the 1:25k mapping on my Garmin into the city centre, switching from the Sustrans route to something more direct as the sun began to set.

From Ayr, we struck south-east towards Dumfries, passing the old open-cast coalfields around Dalmellington, then enjoying open moorland to Carsphairn.

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Photo: Mary Gersema

Feature

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DE C E M B E R 20 19 / J ANUARY 2020

DAN HOWARD Chair of Cycling UK’s Board of Trustees Dan has ridden PBP on a fixie and a tandem as well as his trike

SO

FAR.

SO

GOOD

PARIS-BREST-PARIS IS DAYS AND NIGHTS OF CYCLING CAMARADERIE, EXHAUSTION, JOY, AND 1,200KM OF FRENCH COUNTRYSIDE. DAN HOWARD TOOK PART

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RUSS MANTLE

F E ATU R E

Clockwise from left: Russ (on the left) has been logging his miles since he was a teenager.

He was 6th in the 1955 National 25-mile TT, with a time of 58:35.

Russ today with his repaired Holdsworth.

Russ made the cover of Cycle (April/May 01) and appeared in the Farnham Road Club Magazine

Feature

The million -mile man Cycling UK member Russ Mantle is the first person in the UK to document riding a million miles by bike. Christina Bengston caught up with the legend

Photographs: Rob Spanring & Russ Mantle

A

million miles: it’s the equivalent of circumnavigating the earth 40 times, or travelling to the moon and back twice. The average car owner will likely drive less than half that distance in their lifetime.

Cycling that far is a staggering feat, but talking to 82-year-old cycling legend Russ Mantle, you’d think it was no more impressive than cycling to the shops. “It’s my only means of transport, so I naturally do a reasonable mileage,” said Russ. “All I’ve done is keep going. There’s too much reliance on the car these days. People say the roads are too busy. Well, they are the culprits.”

I stopped in to see Russ when he had 850 miles to go. (He has since completed the million on 7 November.) He’s the first person in the UK to document cycling such a mileage; only Freddie Hoffman in the USA has previously claimed a million miles. The next highest recorded distance of the 300,000 Mile Club was that of Russ’s good friend, Chris Davies, who previously topped the leader board with 916,761 miles. Chris

CHRISTINA BENGSTON Communications & Media Officer Christina’s cycle commute to work is a round-trip of 14 miles. She’ll have to do it 71,429 times to reach a million!

convinced Russ to join the Club and Russ is now firmly the front runner, nearly 200,000 miles ahead of the next active contender.

Russ has recorded his cycling journeys meticulously since 1953. He has a remarkable ability to recall his many cycling adventures in every detail. He can reel off the dates and distances of all his tours, the heights of passes, and remembers every race he ever won.

“My record touring day is from Aldershot in Hampshire to Wales and back in a day: 260 miles.

I started off in the dark at something like 3am and got back half an hour before lighting up time at 9.45 pm,” Russ said. “Another long ride was 256 miles from here to Weston-super-Mare and back.”

But you don’t accumulate a million miles by going on a few long rides. Russ’s average mileage per year has been 14,700 miles – year after year after year. The most he’s recorded in one year was 22,550 miles in 2001.

A QUICK START Russ was given his first bike by his father in 1951, at the age of 15. It was a Hercules upright. When he started earning a wage, he wanted a racing bike, so he bought himself

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Biketest

New-school Ti Titanium is enjoying a renaissance as a material for mileeating all-rounders. Richard Hallett tests a Kinesis GTD and a Van Nicholas Yukon

I RICHARD HALLETT Cycle’s Technical Editor

n the shape of the long-distance fast-tourer or gravel bike, titanium seems to have found its niche. For a while in the 1990s, titanium was the preserve of the well-heeled who could afford a Merlin, Litespeed or Ibis. It was considered the ideal material for high-end cycle frame building, but then it gave way to lighter, stiffer carbon fibre for competition use and it lost some of its earlier prestige.

Today, its notable attributes attract those wanting a light, comfortable, and durable machine, while the difficulties inherent in its manufacture mean that the price of a well-engineered titanium frame sits firmly above the budget end of the cycling market.

Frameset Firstly, let’s look at the properties of titanium itself: strong, light and corrosion resistant, it has obvious appeal as a material for lightweight cycle

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construction. It is around half the weight of steel and, depending on the alloy, of comparable strength; in other words, it’s about twice as strong by weight. The 3Al 2.5V alloy used on both bikes on test is pretty much the industry standard, being both strong and relatively easy to work with.

The downside is that titanium is also about half as stiff as steel, making it more readily deflected. Early titanium cycle frames were notoriously flexible and, as with aluminium, the answer is to use oversized tubing to obtain the required stiffness. This isn’t really possible in the limited space available for chainstays, and titanium frames tend to share a common aesthetic of spindly stays paired with fat main triangle tubes.

Its strength, elasticity and tendency to ‘gall’, or catch, on metal tooling make it difficult and expensive to manipulate, adding to the cost of anything but the most basic tube specifications. The main advantage, besides that strength-toweight ratio, is its exceptional resistance to corrosion and cosmetic damage; a bare metal titanium frame can remain looking good after decades of hard usage and even neglect, making it an excellent choice for adventure riding.

Titanium’s flexibility means it is rarely

T I TA N I U M M I L E - E AT E R S

First look

The Kinesis has lighter steering due to less trail, but features a threaded bottom bracket shell and ample frame fittings

BIKE TEST

Strong, light and corrosion resistant, titanium has obvious appeal as a frame material

Tech Spec

KINESIS GTD used to make the frame’s Groupset Both cycles employ the fork. Instead, a carbonhugely popular Shimano fibre or steel fork may Ultegra 8020 Disc groupset. be used depending on It’s an impressive collection the characteristics and of components and, as performance required. might be expected, works The two machines on test pretty much flawlessly, are positioned as fast allalthough the positioning rounders, capable of taking and range of motion of the on anything from audax rear mech’s jockey wheel riding to long-distance cage can make wheel touring. They are arguably removal awkward. The a bit on the heavy side for front mech is an intricate the keener sportive rider, piece of kit that requires but have the clearance Top: Neatly CNC-machined careful installation, not (without mudguards) for rear dropouts with rack and mudguard mounts least to avoid breaking one tyres just about wide Bottom: Cables and rear brake particular small part of the enough for gravel riding. hose run through the frame via reinforced entry ports either operating linkage. Yet when Both framesets feature side of the down tube set up properly it provides internal cable routing, thruthe crisp, rub-free shifting axle hubs, disc brakes and that might bring even the a sturdy carbon fibre fork, most hardened 1× enthusiast back to the and they're intended to be built up to the double chainring fold. customer’s specification (using the online There’s no detectable lack of stiffness bike-builder in the case of Van Nicholas). in the crankset, the STI levers are nicelyGiven the profusion of attachment bosses shaped to provide an ergonomically for racks and bottle cages, either frame effective hold, and the whole thing is can be kitted out for anything from finished off to a suitably high standard. a fast day ride to an intercontinental Where the two machines differ is in bikepacking adventure, making these their choice of gearing. The 50-34 true multi-facet machines, albeit with a chainset on the Yukon is matched with nod to the sportier side of cycling.

Price: £2,100 (frame & fork; ~£4k as tested) Sizes: 48, 51, 54, 55.5, 57 (tested), 60, 63cm Weight: 9.3kg (57cm, with pedals) Frame & fork: Kinesis GTD TIGwelded 3Al 2.5V titanium frameset, 142×12mm thruaxle, internal cable routing for Di2/1×/2×, bottle cage, rack and mudguard mounts, titanium seat clamp.

Kinesis Tracer Disc carbon fibre fork, tapered steerer, 100×12mm thru-axle.

Wheels: Kinesis Racelight 700 Disc, 28×3 bladed spokes, 33-622 Challenge Strada Bianca tubeless tyres.

Transmission: 2×11

Dimensions in millimetres and degrees

710 568 810

73.5˚

56

420

603 73.5˚

39

535

688 45

Shimano Ultegra 8020 hydraulic disc groupset, 52-36T crankset, Shimano SM-BBR60 threaded bottom bracket, Shimano CN 6801 chain, Shimano Ultegra cassette 11-28T. 22 ratios, 34-127in.

Braking: Shimano BR-R8070 hydraulic discs, DT Swiss 140mm rotors.

Steering & seating: Ritchey WCS aluminium alloy bar with 31.8mm clamp, Ritchey WCS alloy stem with -8° rise, GW Tapered headset with ACB bearings. Ritchey WCS 31.6mm seatpost, Kinesis saddle. kinesisbikes.co.uk

172.5 273

130 622

1020

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CYCLOPEDIA

w o h w o n K Making sense of commonly misunderstood cycling subjects

DAN JOYCE Cycle Editor

Lightweight, properly sized kids' bikes make cycling much more fun

Technical

Shopping for children's bikes – where do I start?

B

uy from a good bike shop! The kids’ bikes you see in catalogue shops are heavier and use poorer-quality parts. While children will be thrilled by any new bike, enthusiasm will fade if it’s not fun to ride.

A well-built, lightweight bike will still be in use several Christmases later. It can be handed down to a brother or sister, sold secondhand, or in some cases (notably Islabikes and Frog) part-exchanged. Over its lifetime, a quality bike will actually cost less per year.

height, back to a wall, then subtract sitting height (back and backside to the wall).

Frame dimensions vary between brands, so be guided by how your child looks sitting on and standing over the bike, not just wheel size. Children are seldom comfortable leaning forward much; look for a relatively upright, relaxed sitting position on the bike.

Weight is a huge deal, yet some children’s bikes will be heavier than yours! A 23kg child on a 11.5kg bike is like a 70kg adult on a 35kg bike. Look for aluminium tubing or narrow diameter steel tubes.

Size and weight Don’t buy a bike for your child to grow into.

For safety’s sake, it has to fit. They must be able to get a foot down easily when sitting on the saddle – both feet for learners – and have clearance when standing over the top tube.

Children’s bikes are sized primarily by wheel diameter. Common sizes are 12in, 14in, 16in, 20in, 24in, 26in, and roughly 27in (700C road or wider-tyred 650B). As a rule of thumb, which it's possible to break with careful frame design, your child’s inside leg length should equal or exceed the nominal wheel diameter.

To measure inside leg, first measure standing

Components

Size matters Bike sizing varies between brands, but use these figures as a start Age

Height (from)

Inside leg (from)

Wheels (max)

Cranks*

Gears

2+

90cm

30cm/12in

12in

none (balance bike)

3+

95cm

36cm/14in

14in

~100mm

1

4+

105cm

41cm/16in

16in

~105mm

1

5+

115cm

51cm/20in

20in

~115mm

1-8

7+

130cm

61cm/24in

24in

~130mm

6-8

9+

140cm

66cm/26in

26in

~140mm

6-10

11+

150cm

69cm/27in

27in

~150mm

6-10 * +/– 10mm

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Components need scaling down too. Some aren’t, especially cranks. Another rule of thumb: crank length should only be about 10% of height. Overlong cranks make pedalling awkward and require the bottom bracket to be higher, so it’s harder to put feet down.

Brake levers must be in reach and easy to apply. Try with only your little finger or ring finger. Good-quality V-brakes with smaller, reach-adjustable levers are usually sufficient.

Be sceptical about suspension. Cheap, lookalike suspension adds weight and detracts from performance. Either buy a fully rigid bike or, for the committed mountain biker, a hardtail MTB with a plush, air-sprung fork that can be tuned for a low weight.

With gears too, less is often more. Avoid front derailleurs, which add weight and complexity. Singlespeed is ideal for starter bikes, then 1× gearing thereafter.

Best brands The benchmark children’s bike manufacturer – for everything from balance bikes for tots, to allrounders for younger teens – is Islabikes (islabikes. co.uk). The somewhat premium price is fully justified. We’ve reviewed scores of children’s bikes and Islabikes have always been better designed and specified.

Frog Bikes (frogbikes. co.uk) are also very good, and are stocked in stores around the country.

German manufacturer Puky (puky.de/en), pronounced ‘pooky’, leads the way when it comes to fully equipped utility bikes.

Of the mainstream brands, Pinnacle, Bobbin, Ridgeback, Whyte, and Cube all have nice models.

But don’t discount your local shop’s brands, either.

Starter bikes Two top kids’ bikes are put to the test: cyclinguk.org/article/ bike-test-islabikescnoc-16-vs -frog-48

TRAVELLERS’ TALES

When in ‘Rome’…

The pique-nique was invented in France

France

All fixed for France Lack of gears wasn’t going to keep James Palmer from his French tour

Above: Rocamadour in the Lot department Below: Another benefit of group tours

France

A Dordogne win-win Second prize in Cycling UK’s Grand Draw changed Roger Thomson’s attitude to touring

A

fter a less-than-wonderful organised tour 20 years ago, I wasn’t keen to repeat the experience. Then, out of the blue, I had a phone call to say I’d won a cycling holiday for two in France: second prize in the Cycling UK Grand Draw!

The choices offered by Green Jersey Tours, who provided the prize, were many. I settled on a week in the Dordogne and Lot with my brother.

The daily distance of 50ish miles meant that we occasional cyclists would need to train. So we did – sporadically.

When the date arrived, a handy flight from Exeter to Bergerac led to our collection at the airport and

provision of two bikes. The hotels, cake stops and restaurants were all great, as was the wonderful scenery, and Green Jersey made it all so easy.

I wish I could say the same about the Dordogne hills. Our lack of training rapidly became evident, as we trailed the other dozen riders. By the third day we seemed to get into the rhythm and our legs didn’t feel so bad.

The advantages of going on an organised tour were clear: pre-planned route on quiet roads; pre-arranged hotels and restaurants; and, of course, carriage of all our luggage. In addition, there was a great deal of banter with a range of new people.

The only issue for us was not being sufficiently prepared for the daily distances, but that was our own fault.

And we could have brought our own bikes, or at least our own saddles, to alleviate our aching rears. But overall, our free cycling holiday in one of France’s most picturesque areas was fantastic. We’re preparing for another tour in 2020!

PROBLEM: I’D BEEN INVITED to stay with French friends on the Île de Noirmoutier in late August but had no touring bike. The alternatives were a road bike plus tiny rucksack or a fixie with panniers, lights, and mudguards.

No contest. I had doubts about my fitness but thought brains might triumph over brawn. Using Michelin’s yellow 200-series maps alongside the maps.me application on my aging iPhone, I plotted a course using routes departmentales (‘D’ roads), and voies communales (‘V’ or ‘C’ roads) and avoided crossing river valleys. I was concerned about my 50:17 gearing but decided that if it got too steep, I’d swallow my pride and walk.

Other than a light but persistent headwind, only the 36°C heat cycling to Noirmoutier and the long descents posed problems. The Passage du Gois was bumpy but cut a few kilometres on the second day, and six days spent on the island were delightful, pottering around the salt marshes with my French ‘family’.

Returning home after over 500 miles and 6,000ft of climbing, the striking aspects of UK were the terrible road surfaces and the litter, both absent in France. Did I have to walk any hills? Yes, two – both within ten miles of home!

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