cycle THE MAGAZINE OF CYCLING UK
SHINING EXAMPLES
CYCLING UK PROJECTS THAT GET PEOPLE PEDALLING Page 47
On test
ISLABIKES LUATH 24 KINDERNAY HUB GEAR REAR PANNIERS AEROPRESS GO & MORE DECEMBER 2021/JANUARY 2022
ABROAD AFTER BREXIT
What’s changed for European tours
EXPEDITION READY Go-anywhere touring bikes
FAR NORTH
Matlock to Cape Wrath on the Great North Trail
P lu s CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS WALES: TALES OF THE TRAILS WHAT RIGID MTB FOR £1,000? AND MUCH MORE
CONTENTS Features 32 Far north Ten days and 732 miles on the Great North Trail
Welcome
38 Abroad after Brexit What’s changed for cyclists when touring in Europe
47 Cycling for all Getting a million more people on bikes
50 Highlands of Iceland Rough-stuff touring across the Sprengisandur
38
Products 18 Shop Window Christmas gift ideas
20 Gear up Components, accessories, and books
60 Expedition tourers Thorn Nomad Mk3 and Spa Cycles Wayfarer on test
44
Cycle Editor
A lightweight drop bar bike for children
69 Rear panniers Big bags for touring gear or groceries
Regulars 04 Freewheeling Bits and pieces from the bike world
07 This is Cycling UK
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Coronavirus
DAN JOYCE
66 Islabikes Luath 24
For updated advice regarding the Covid-19 outbreak, visit: cyclinguk.org/ coronavirus
cycle THE MAGAZINE OF CYCLING UK
SHINING EXAMPLES
CYCLING UK PROJECTS THAT GET PEOPLE PEDALLING Page 47
On test
ISLABIKES LUATH 24 KINDERNAY HUB GEAR REAR PANNIERS AEROPRESS GO & MORE DECEMBER 2021/JANUARY 2022
ABROAD AFTER BREXIT
What’s changed for European tours
EXPEDITION READY
Spreading the cycling message at COP26, putting lost ways back on the map, Scotland’s new cycle repair scheme, and more
16 You are Cycling UK Round-the-world cyclist Vedangi Kulkarni
Go-anywhere touring bikes
FAR NORTH
Matlock to Cape Wrath on the Great North Trail
29 Letters Plus CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS WALES: TALES OF THE TRAILS WHAT RIGID MTB FOR £1,000? AND MUCH MORE
On the cover
McLennan Arch, Glasgow Green, lit up for COP26. Photo by Ryan Buchanan
Your feedback on Cycle and cycling
44 Weekender Tales from the Trails in south Wales
55 Cyclopedia Questions answered, topics explained
73 Travellers’ Tales Cycling UK members’ ride reports
CYCLING UK: Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford, GU2 9JX E: cycling@cyclinguk.org W: cyclinguk.org T: 01483 238300. Cycle promotes the work of Cycling UK. Cycle’s circulation is approx. 51,000. Cycling UK is one of the UK’s largest cycling membership organisations, with approx. 70,500 members and affiliates Patron: Her Majesty the Queen President: Jon Snow Chief Executive: Sarah Mitchell. Cyclists’ Touring Club, 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. CYCLE MAGAZINE: Editor: Dan Joyce E: editor@cyclinguk.org Head of Design: Simon Goddard Advertising: Phillip Johnson T: 0203 859 7094 E: phillip@jamespembrokemedia.co.uk Publisher: James Houston. Cycle is published six times per year on behalf of Cycling UK by James Pembroke Media, 90 Walcot Street, Bath, BA1 5BG. T: 01225 337777. Cycle is copyright Cycling UK, James Pembroke Media, and individual contributors. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission from Cycling UK and James Pembroke Media 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 Cycling UK. Advertising bookings are subject to availability, the terms and conditions of James Pembroke Media, and final approval by Cycling UK. Printed by: William Gibbons & Sons Ltd, 26 Planetary Road, Willenhall, West Midlands, WV13 3XB T: 01902 730011 F: 01902 865835 Founded in 1878
Top to bottom: Getty Images, Simon Ayre, Mike Lee, Jordan Matthews
Cycling abroad: remember that? It’s been largely off the agenda since March 2020 and the first lockdown. Even when it’s been possible there have, understandably, been hoops to jump through for coronavirus compliance. And any trip abroad faced the risk of lastminute cancellation. Now foreign travel looks more feasible. Which throws up another issue that’s largely been brushed under the Covid carpet until now: Brexit. Whatever you think about it, and whichever way you voted, our relationship with Europe has changed. The repercussions will play out for years to come. Holiday travel, battered though it has been by the pandemic, has been less affected by Brexit than many other sectors. Yet there are changes – with passports, travel insurance, health care, mobile phone roaming charges, and driving documents if you’re taking or hiring a car… Some things are just not as simple as they were. It’s still not difficult to cycle in Europe, however, as our feature starting on page 38 makes clear. With our cycling horizons opening up thanks to vaccination programmes, it’s possible to indulge in that typical December pastime: planning next year’s trip. While it still feels like early days to fill the pages of Cycle with prospective foreign tours – although Iceland looks unlikely to go on a red list any time soon – we have reviewed some of the things you might need for your next big trip: rear panniers and expedition touring bikes. Fingers crossed for a happier cycling New Year.
cycle O RLD O F CYCLIN G W L FU ER ND O W E TH D A SH O RT TO UR ARO UN
Shop Window
MORE PREVIEWS ON PAGE 18
Bike tech s Tilting e-cargo trike
Jessie’s journey from Devon to Glasgow was 570 miles
You ride
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Jessie Stevens Teenage climate activist
Classic tech
he made it! After ten days, 570 long miles, nine punctures and two amber weather warnings, Devon-based Cycling UK member Jessie Stevens arrived in Glasgow on 1 November, tired but relieved. “As we rolled into Glasgow, the feeling of pure elation came across the group,” she said. “Despite being wet, cold and tired, the last few miles were those of singing, giggles and relief that the end was in sight.” Jessie’s journey began at home in Newton Abbot, when she decided to cycle to the COP26 climate summit to show world leaders that cycling is the original sustainable transport solution. With the support of The Adventure Syndicate, a group of adventurous female endurance cyclists, Jessie invited people to join her cargo bike ‘relay’ as she passed through their towns – and hundreds of people obliged. Among the Cycling UK employees who showed up to support Jessie was Stewart Walsh, who joined the Northwich to Lancaster stretch along with Shropshire Cycle Hub, Aigburth CCC, and St Helens Pedal Power. He said: “It was fantastic to be a part of Jessie’s journey and great to see her have the support of community cycle clubs along the way.”
Rebranded with the Bluemels name, like SKS’s Chromoplastics, the Longboard offers extensive splash protection: properly dry feet; no spray in the face for following riders. The 3mm stays are robust and the front set has safety releases. Available for 700C wheels in 35 and 45mm widths. £42.99, sks-germany.com
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SKS Bluemels Longboard
SPREAD THE MESSAGE COP26 ended on 12 November but the hard work on climate change is just beginning. Read about how effective cycling is at cutting emissions (and share the link with others): cyclinguk.org/cop26
Right: Markus Stitz
Event DUNOON DASH
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It’s not too early to be looking ahead to next year’s trips. The Dunoon Dash next October is a self-supported overnight bikepacking adventure on Cowal Peninsula near Glasgow, run by Cycling UK affiliate group Dirt Dash. It promises roughstuff riding, camping, camaraderie, and castles. Bookings are open now and Cycling UK members get £5 off. entrycentral.com/dunoondirtdash cycle
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Really?
Tuck Bike How do you make a bike with full-size wheels fold smaller? Here it’s by folding the wheels into thirds and ‘tucking’ them inside the frame. Those tyre segments are solid foam rather than pneumatic. For that reason, I’m out. But the Tuck Bike had good support on Kickstarter as Cycle went to press. $1,795, tuckbike.com
Photo: Matt Alexander/PA Wire
On my bike
Joss Lowden
Photo: Robert Spanning
Picture this
GO WINTER BIKEPACKING TO WIN
Women’s world hour record holder & Cycling UK member
Are you brave enough to face a nippy night beneath the stars? Cycling UK is running a photo competition that gives intrepid explorers a great reason to ride all year round! Follow us @wearecyclinguk on Instagram and
Why do you cycle? Time outside, activity, time to hang out with my friends and family, opportunities to explore, the stimulus of racing and competition…
share photos of your overnight cycle adventures using the hashtag #12NightsOutIn1Year for the chance to win awesome bikepacking prizes from Ordnance Survey, including an OS Trail 2 GPS, worth £344.99. T&Cs: cyclinguk.org/12-nights-out-1-year
How far do you ride each week? If I am training in the winter out in Spain, about 500-600km in a week. If I’m doing turbo sessions, it could be very little. Which of your bikes is your favourite? I get the most pleasure riding outside on my road bike. What do you always take with you? Snacks. Something like banana bread or a hot cross bun, which makes you look forward to munching.
Bike hacks
PERFECT CABLE TIES Cable ties are commonly used for fastening hydraulic brake hoses, brake and gear cables, and sometimes mudguards to a bike frame. When you cut them to size with scissors or a penknife, you’re often left with a few millimetres of pointy plastic sticking out past the head. This can scratch limbs – or hands when you pick up the bike – or poke holes in frame bags. The solution? Nail clippers. Welcome to tidy cable ties that won’t hurt you or your luggage.
Try This
NOMINATE A VOLUNTEER Nominate someone who has Gone the Extra Mile for cycling and they could be presented with a special certificate and a Going the Extra Mile badge. There are bronze, silver and gold awards for lifetime achievement, as well as a Certificate of Appreciation for exceptional service. You can also download a Cycling UK thank you card and certificate to send to exceptional volunteers yourself. All those receiving an award will be given a place on our roll of honour. For more, see: cyclinguk. org/article/going-extra-mile-how-recognise-and-thank-outstandingvolunteers and cyclinguk.org/cycling-uk-roll-honour.
Who mends your punctures? Tempting fate but I very rarely puncture. Although I did in the last 15km of the road race at the world championships. Lycra or normal clothes? It depends. Cycling kit isn’t appropriate for a nice meal out in the same way a leather skirt is inadvisable when riding a TT bike. If you had £100 to spend on cycling, what would you get? A really comfortable, well-fitting pair of shorts. It is so important to be able to sit happily on the saddle. What’s your favourite cycle journey? From my old flat in south London down to Sussex to see my family. It went through the Kent hills and across the Ashdown Forest, which is stunning. What single thing would most improve matters for UK cyclists? Drivers actually understanding the rules around cyclists and how they ride on the road, and then for drivers to have more patience.
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Stay in touch CYCLECLIPS: free weekly email newsletter. Sign up at cyclinguk.org/subscribe CAMPAIGN NEWS: monthly campaigns bulletin. Sign up at cyclinguk.org/subscribe-tocycle-campaign-news
Reflections & projections As COP26 has shown, it’s never been more important to make everyday cycling mainstream. Sarah Mitchell discusses how Cycling UK is doing that
Main photo: Ryan Buchanan
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s 2021 draws to a close A message that’s I’ve been reflecting on too big to ignore my first year at Cycling UK. It’s been a strange year to start and, in many ways, I still feel very new. But in recent months I’ve been able to attend my first events and get a much better sense of the range of work we do as an organisation. And what a broad range of work that is! In this magazine you can read about the many powerful projects we are running that help people start cycling or get back into cycling as an adult. This work is so important to us because it enables us to inspire many more people to discover the love of cycling that we all enjoy as Cycling UK members. This can transform their lives. Our results speak for themselves: I am incredibly proud of the data we now produce, which helps us to show the impact we are having in getting more people cycling, as well as enabling us to learn from and continuously improve our projects. This level of data and evidence is very rare and really sets us apart. It helps us to develop ever more effective projects all across the UK. Underpinning all our work are our volunteer supporters. In addition to our member group volunteers, who put on thousands of rides all through the year, we welcome volunteers who support our day-to-day work, our community cycle clubs, and our campaigns. In October we held our annual volunteer celebration, which many of you may have virtually attended or watched. This important event was a chance to look back over the year, to remind ourselves of the powerful contribution that our volunteers have made across all our work, and to say a huge ‘thank you!’. This autumn the volunteers in our new Cycle Advocacy Network (CAN) really came into their own. CAN welcomes
Stay connected
facebook.com/CyclingUK
KG
1.1kg CO2
Emissions saved
cycle campaigners per day by cycling a from across the 2.5-mile commute UK and supports and back instead of them to campaign driving. cyclinguk. locally and nationally. Against the backdrop org/cop26 of COP26, CAN has been raising the profile of cycling with local rides and activity to remind governments about the centrality of cycling to reaching our goals to achieve net zero and combat the climate crisis. We projected that message onto Glasgow landmarks to make sure it couldn’t be overlooked. The CAN network is still keen to welcome new members so don’t be shy – whatever your interest in cycle campaigning and however active you want to be, there is a home for you in CAN. You can find out more here: cyclinguk.org/CAN. Along with many of our members, CAN has been instrumental in galvanising support for our current legal challenge. As you may know, Cycling UK, through the Cyclists’ Defence Fund, is taking action against West Sussex Council because it removed a popular temporary cycle lane without considering the government’s statutory guidance on the reallocation of road space for cycling. This was in contrast to the conduct of many other councils, which installed temporary or permanent new cycle lanes during the Covid pandemic. We decided to take legal action because we saw it as an important test case that could then act as a precedent to deter councils from removing high-quality cycle lanes across the country. Despite much to-ing and fro-ing in the courts, we now have the green light to pursue this judicial review in January. You can support this action and future actions in this vein by donating to our Christmas appeal (p14). We couldn’t take these important legal cases without your vital support.
Twitter @wearecyclinguk
Cycling is central to combatting the climate crisis. We projected that message onto Glasgow landmarks so it couldn’t be overlooked
www.cyclinguk.org
cycling@cyclinguk.org
01483 238301
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Right: Ryan Buchanan. Far right: Alamy
UK greenhouse gas emissions accounted for by domestic transport
The message for COP26 was projected on Glasgow landmarks
Environment
PEDAL FOR THE PLANET
Transport
ENGLAND SPURNS ACTIVE TRAVEL Ringfenced funding for cycling and walking in England (outside London) is a third of current levels in Scotland and Wales, and less than a sixth of that committed to in Scotland. The Treasury had a chance in October’s spending review to pump up active travel investment in England. Alas: no more cash was allocated. The Government’s Gear Change plan therefore remains stuck in first gear…
Cyclists demonstrated at COP26 to send a message to politicians about an overlooked transport solution: the bicycle. Keir Gallagher was there
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OP26 was a hugely significant event for the future of the earth. At the time of writing, the conference’s outcome is still unknown. But while I wait to see the promises from diplomats and delegates, I don’t need to wait any longer to know just how inspiring it’s been to see cyclists raising up their voices together and sending out a unified message: cycling fights climate change. Before the conference began, we knew this was a vital yet simple message that we had to share with the world. That’s why we put it somewhere it couldn’t be ignored: projected on a huge scale across Glasgow. The response, especially on social media, was incredible. The message spread across the world from Canada to Australia, India to Chile, Uganda to Germany, and of course, throughout the UK.
Investment in cycling is part of the solution to climate change 8
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Still waiting for proper funding
Then, on 6 November, thousands of cyclists took to the saddle to join the Global Day of Action and demand investment in cycling as part of the solution to climate change. If there’s one thing most environmental marches have in common, it’s samba bands, megaphones, and booming sound systems. But for me, it was a new sound that resonated in Glasgow: the sound of a thousand bike bells ringing at once. The tinkling tones reminded me of waves breaking gently on a beach: wave after wave, subtly powerful. I left the demo feeling optimistic that the tide of cycling is rising. However COP26 plays out, one thing’s for sure: if we maintain this momentum, we can secure the change we need to make cycling part of the solution to so many problems, including the climate change crisis. With local elections on the horizon in much of the country you can be part of that, by adding your voice – and your bell – to thousands of others. Whether you want to join a local campaign group or become a cycle champion, check out our Cycle Advocacy Network and find out how you can help maintain this amazing momentum in your community. cyclinguk.org/can
Governance
ELECTIONS & AGM Cycling UK is pleased to announce the results of the 2021 Trustee Elections. Details of the successful candidates will be published online shortly at: cyclinguk.org/about/ cycling-uk-board/how-tobecome-a-trustee. We would like to thank all those involved in the election process. Thanks also to those who took part in the 2021 Cycling UK AGM. For results, a full meeting report, and a recording of the event, visit: cyclinguk.org/agm-2021.
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The scheme covers free repairs worth up to £50 per person
years
ROAD JUSTICE It’s seven years since Chris Grayling, then Secretary of State for Justice, promised a full review of road traffic offences. It still hasn’t happened. We’ve kept up the pressure, however – as has former Cycling UK vicepresident Lord Berkeley. He’s tabled amendments to the Police, Crime and Sentencing Bill in the House of Lords to improve road traffic laws, as suggested within our report: bit.ly/ cyclinguk-fiveflaws.
The legal system often fails cyclists
Groups
OXFORD UNITY Cycling UK Oxfordshire and CTC Midweek Oxfordshire are considering a merger. Special General Meetings will be held via Zoom on 12 and 13 January respectively. Full details are online at: cyclingukoxfordshire.org/ merger-of-oxfordshireand-midweek-groups/. Cycling UK Oxfordshire is one of over a hundred member groups. As a part of your Cycling UK membership, you can ride with any of them. Find your local group at: cyclinguk. org/groups-listing. 10
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Left: Peter Devlin. Below: Robert Spanring
Campaigns
How long it’d take to reduce UK transport emissions to zero, at the current rate of reduction
Scotland
BIKE REPAIR BOOST
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housands of people across Scotland are set to get pedalling following the relaunch of a scheme offering free bike repairs. The Scotland Cycle Repair Scheme will encourage people to get old bikes out of storage and back in use, as well as keeping well-used bikes pedalling smoothly and safely. The free repairs of up to £50 per person will be of particular help to people who would not otherwise be able to afford to get their bikes fixed up. Cycling UK is working with bike shops across Scotland to provide 20,000 free repairs and maintenance, funded by the Scottish Government. Almost 200 bike shops are already signed up to the scheme. The first phase of the scheme ran between August 2020 to May 2021, when 31,562 repairs were carried out by 332 cycle repair providers across Scotland. More than three quarters
of participants used their repaired cycles for journeys previously done by car, showing that with support more people would use a bike for short everyday trips. Suzanne Forup, Cycling UK’s head of development for Scotland, said: “This scheme will once more fix the nation’s flat tyres and loose brakes to get people pedalling again. Finances are tight for many people at the moment, so the scheme is targeted at those who can’t easily afford to get their bikes repaired.” “Whether it’s popping to the shops or commuting to work, cycling boosts people’s physical health and wellbeing and saves them cash. It’s also a low-carbon form of transport, tackling climate change and helping Scotland meet our net-zero ambitions.” cyclinguk.org/ScotCycleRepair
Volunteering
ENCOURAGING CYCLING This year’s volunteer celebration took place in October with the theme of ‘Enabling the Movement’. We debuted our new video showing what it’s like on a ride with Cycling UK community cycle club the Cobblestone Café Easy Riders in the West Midlands, as part of a session on how to welcome new riders to cycling groups. We also met a range of awesome Cycling
The Cobblestone Café Easy Riders
UK volunteers in various roles, and found out about Cycling UK’s Cycle Advocacy Network. Recordings of all the sessions, including the video, are at: cyclinguk.org/volunteercelebration-2021.
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CHRISTMAS SHOPPING Looking for a gift for a fellow cyclist (or yourself)? Don’t forget to visit cyclinguk.org/memberbenefits to view our latest discounts. Recent offers added include 20% off Strider Bikes – lightweight balance bikes for kids, and even babies! Our new range of cycling kit and accessories in collaboration with Stolen Goat is now in stock and ready to order. cycling.uk/shop The 14x Sport can have pedals fitted
Cornwall’s Tinners Way should be shown as a bridleway or restricted byway
Off-road access
LOCATING LOST WAYS
L Raffle
PRIZE WINNERS Congratulations to the Cycling UK raffle winners: 1st prize, Islabikes eJanis – Mrs E White; 2nd, £1,000 cash – Mrs M Cassidy; 3rd, Restrap bar and frame bags – Mrs S Burton; 4th, Cycling UK merino jersey and Orca jersey – Mr K Evans, Mr J Loosley, Mr D Burton, Mr R Scott, Mr G Geeson; 5th, £100 Pannier Tours Expeditions voucher – Mr FJ Goater; 6th, Lezyne Femto drive lights – Mrs S Price, Mr J Paterson, Mr M Packer, Mr B Hawkins, Mrs N Hayward.
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ost ways, as readers of Cycling UK’s West Kernow Way guidebook will be aware, are rights of way in England and Wales that have been obscured or omitted by modern maps. If you’ve ever ridden along a bridleway that suddenly stops or, as it crosses an invisible boundary, becomes a footpath for a stretch before reverting to a bridleway, then it’s likely you’ve stumbled onto a lost way. These changes are nothing to do with suitability of use; you’d be hard pressed to tell in a photo line-up the difference between a bridleway and a footpath. Those long and short dashes we see on our OS maps are the results of councils recording rights of way in the 1950s, when they were tasked to compile their official maps. Mistakes happen. Some bridleways ended up recorded as footpaths while
Some bridleways ended up recorded as footpaths in the 1950s
some rights of way that exist on the ground ceased to exist on the map. These are the lost ways, but they don’t have to stay lost forever. Where there is evidence of historic use, there’s an opportunity to reclaim them through Definitive Map Modification Orders. This is what Cycling UK has done with the West Kernow Way. The process to correct these errors is complex and time-consuming, not just from the user perspective but also due to the huge backlog councils have. Yet their recovery is an important part of Cycling UK’s off-road campaigning, as we seek to make our fragmented rights of way network more accessible for everyone. Close to 80% of the rights of way network in England and Wales is denied to cyclists. These lost ways could form the crucial links to open up the countryside. While our right to ride on these lost ways still currently exists – a mis-recording does not erase that right – time is running out to reclaim our lost ways: no new applications will be accepted after 2026. Watch our video and find out what you can do: cyclinguk.org/lost-ways.
Left: Jordan Gibbons/Pannier.cc
of people support measures in their local area to encourage cycling and walking
Member benefits
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Trips on the Shoreham cycle lane in just five weeks. Then it was axed
Sadly Flo (age 10) can no longer enjoy using this popular cycle lane
Christmas appeal
HELP US FIGHT FOR JUSTICE Support us to overturn irrational and unlawful decisions to remove cycling infrastructure. Please donate now at cyclinguk.org/cdf, asks Duncan Dollimore
Cycle lane photos: Shoreham-By-Cycle
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magine you’re ten years old and one of your pleasures in life is cycling to and from school on a separated cycle lane where, in Flo’s words, you “can just cycle to school without having to worry about the traffic”. Following its introduction in September last year, the new cycle lane along Upper Shoreham Road in Shoreham quickly proved popular for both parents and children attending three nurseries, three primary and two secondary schools close by the lane. Yet despite more than 30,000 cycle trips along the lane within five weeks, West Sussex County Council made the decision to remove the lane less than two months after installation started. I’ll admit the lane wasn’t perfect. It was put in quickly with temporary bollards, and in places could have been wider, but it enabled residents to travel safely and confidently by bike. Like Flo, Karen Murphy and her two children, Silas (11) and
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Audrey (eight), depended on it. “We used to frequently ride along the cycle lane,” said Karen, “often joining another safe route travelling from Shoreham to Steyning. We haven’t [gone that way] since it was removed. I’m nervous about travelling along the Upper Shoreham Road without it. I’m not the only one. I don’t understand why the council removed what had swiftly become a valuable community asset, and hope they rethink their position.”
A precedent-setting case They didn’t rethink, so back in February Cycling UK applied to the High Court for a judicial review of the council’s decision. We don’t issue court proceedings lightly or often, but we’ve always been prepared to do so when needed, standing up for those who cycle and those who might, particularly when the case involves a point of principle or may set a precedent.
That was why, back in 1899, the Cyclists’ Touring Club (CTC) went to court after the landlady of the Hautboy Hotel in Ockham refused to serve Lady Harberton, who had arrived by bicycle in what was then described as a ‘rational cycling costume’. That essentially meant more practical clothing for cycling, but which often left the wearer enduring ridicule from the public. I should add that CTC lost that case, but while laws and court procedures have changed in the last 120 years, the outcome of litigation was uncertain then and remains uncertain today. Victory or defeat isn’t always an indication of whether you were right to bring the case to court. Precedent-setting cases are worth fighting. We can only bring those cases to court, then and now, thanks to the support of you, our generous members.
Trial date set for January Back to the present and Shoreham: our legal action is being funded through Cycling UK’s Cyclists’ Defence Fund (CDF), which was initially established after nine-year-old cyclist Darren Coombes suffered a brain injury in a
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(Clockwise) The (expensive!) judicial review is set for 25-26 January. Lady Harberton, whose case CTC fought in 1899. The protected cycle lane in Shoreham served five schools.
collision with a motorist. The driver’s insurers admitted liability but sought to reduce Darren’s compensation because he wasn’t wearing a helmet at the time. The claim was defeated and CDF was established in the aftermath to defend and stand up for cyclists, or those who might cycle, in similar precedent-setting cases. Speaking out and taking action when other’s don’t can be a costly business. As well as the unpredictability involved, another thing that hasn’t changed with litigation is that it isn’t cheap! That’s why your donations are so vital to CDF. Without them, we simply couldn’t continue to challenge decisions like the one in Shoreham, or take action when the police and crown prosecution service fail to do so after a cyclist’s death, as we did in the Michael Mason case four years ago. Judicial review cases are particularly expensive. Yet we now have a trial date listed for 25-26 January next year. It’s been a long process to get there as the High Court initially refused Cycling UK permission to bring the case. We successfully appealed that decision to the Court of Appeal – but appeals and delays cost money. To make sure we’re able to carry on with this case – and to ensure we always have CDF funds in place so we can fight for justice again in the future – we need your kind donations to CDF this Christmas. Please donate what you can now or consider supporting with a recurring monthly gift, the best way to ensure we are ready for the fights to come. All of our work through CDF
is funded by donations. To donate and find out more, go to cyclinguk.org/cdf.
Please donate this Christmas I’ve mentioned Flo, so I’ll leave the last word to Cycling UK’s CEO, Sarah Mitchel. “I used to cycle to school myself,” she said, “and so I was particularly disappointed to hear that children like Flo, who used to be able to cycle to school on a safe cycle lane, now can’t because that lane’s been removed. I’m proud to be leading an organisation that’s prepared to challenge decisions which make it harder to get more people cycling and has been championing the cause of cycling for over 140 years. But we can’t do this without your support, so please donate to Cycling UK’s Cyclists’ Defence Fund this Christmas to ensure we can carry on standing up for cycling.” We’ve gone to court about a council’s decision to remove a particular cycle lane in England, but CDF was set up to fund work and action wherever it’s needed across the UK. We’re hugely grateful for the amazing donations and support received since we started this case. If you’re outraged that a council anywhere can prioritise residents’ on-street parking over the safety of kids cycling to school, please consider donating to CDF. This is about more than just this one cycle lane. We’re fighting this case to set a precedent. We want to stop this from happening in the future so that we can bring about lasting change and realise our vision of a country where there is safe, separated space for everyone to cycle.
PLEASE DONATE • ONLINE: at cyclinguk.org/cdf • PHONE: by calling 01483 238 300 • POST: send a cheque made payable to ‘Cycling UK’ to: Cycling UK, Parklands, Railton Road, Gulidford, Surrey, GU2 9JX, not forgetting to let us know it’s for the Cyclists’ Defence Fund.
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VEDANGI KULKARNI
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t the age of 23, Vedangi Kulkarni has already achieved enough to fill what would surely be the first of many books. Circumnavigating the world is a phenomenal achievement at any age, but Vedangi became the youngest woman when, aged 19, she finished in 160 days – just 36 days slower than current female record holder and Cycling UK member, Jenny Graham. Her round-the-world ride came only a year after she caught the cycling bug, following a trip to the Indian Himalayas where she did “a little cycling”. Throughout our conversation, Vedangi peppers her conversation with modest descriptions like this, as if there were anything “little” about cycling in the Himalayas! Growing up in Pune, 100 miles east of Mumbai, India, Vedangi describes her first long distance trip at 17: “It was about 100 miles, taking in two passes barely 1,500m high, from my home to a hill station in Mahabaleshwar, where I planned to celebrate with some strawberry ice-cream.” Barely 1,500m? “Well… they’re pretty small compared to Alpine or Himalayan passes,” she says. Her century ride took nine hours. Feeling confident, she later returned to the Himalayas for a 767km trip. This entailed two-anda-half weeks of rough-stuff touring on her £100 Merida hybrid. She was followed loosely along the way by her parents, as she was too young to join an official tour. I ask what would she have done if she’d got into trouble. Matter-offactly, she says: “Oh my parents told me just to wave down an army truck and ask them to relay the message.” Helicopter parenting it certainly wasn’t, but it’s clear Vedangi’s independence and self-belief is down to the valuable role her parents played in her upbringing. “I was never told something wasn’t possible – they [my parents] never showed any doubt in me, and that gave me the confidence in my own abilities. I had a very open-
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Top: Vedangi rode the West Kernow Way this summer. The e-bike was a loan, not her own Below: On her world tour
#12nightsout in1year As someone obsessed with “going places and camping” and who enjoys “how my legs can take and show me new places, giving me time to think and feel a sense of stillness”, Vedangi was a natural choice as ambassador for Cycling UK’s yearlong bikepacking challenge. Supported by OS Maps, the challenge is simple: every month, head out on your bike and spend a night beneath the stars. Share your adventures on Instagram to be in with a chance of winning monthly bikepacking prizes and OS Maps goodies.
minded father, who was probably influenced by his work overseas. It meant I wasn’t cosseted with a typical Indian upbringing – I was actively encouraged to think about and engage with the world, and just as importantly take responsibility for my own actions.” Inspired as a teenager by a UK round-the-world cyclist called Tom Davies, whom one of her family met as he rode through India, Vedangi told her parents she wanted to move to the UK when she was 18 and “do something amazing like travelling the world.” And that’s exactly what she did. Having completed her second year at Bournemouth University studying Sport Sciences, she took a sabbatical and set off with the aim to break the solo circumnavigation record. During her attempt she was chased by a bear in Canada, concussed in Spain, and ended up riding through Scandinavia straight into a Russian winter. A common theme in her story is being beset by visa issues; she’s an Indian national. She believes these issues could have been resolved with better planning, but they’ve continued to plague her throughout the pandemic from her home in Christchurch, Dorset. When she’s not helping others learn from her mistakes through her business, the Adventure Shed, which helps people plot adventures great and small, Vedangi looks to the future. “There’s a bit of unfinished business in roundthe-world records,” she says.
More info Read about #12nightsoutin1year and bikepacking in general at: c yclinguk.org/12-nightsout-in-1-year
Below: Callum Howard Above: Jordan Gibbons/Pannier.cc
The youngest woman to cycle around the world, Vedangi is also Cycling UK’s #12nightsoutin1year ambassador. Sam Jones spoke to her
Shop Window
CHRISTMAS G IFTS Forget novelty presents. Here are some cycling stocking fillers that are genuinely useful or actually entertaining. Dan Joyce selects
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Cycling UK Gift Membership £48
£7.99 Bikepacking trip? Restrap’s Hypalon straps let you attach all sorts to your bike frame – small bags, innertube, pump, tool roll, and more. Black or orange, in three lengths: 25, 45, and 65cm. restrap.com
As well as third-party liability insurance and Cycle magazine, your lucky recipient will also receive a set of Lezyne lights and an extra gift of your choice from our selection. cyclinguk.org/ xmas-gift-mag
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Cateye BM-45 Bar End Mirror £12.99
Useful on the club run and around town, this minimalist mirror combines a reasonable field of view with a low risk of snapping off. Fits drop bars and flats. cateye.com
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Stolen Goat Mashup 19 Bandido/Neck Warmer £9.99
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Neck warmers, snoods, ‘Buffs’, whatever you call these stretchy fabric tubes they can be a godsend for winter cycling. Stolen Goat offer a range of funky designs. stolengoat.com
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Topeak Power Lever X £13.99
Like Wolftooth’s Pack Pliers, this Topeak tool separates or joins chain quick-links, stores a quick-link, removes presta valve cores, and works as a set of tyre levers. 45g. topeak.com
Restrap Fast Straps
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Further Adventures in Rough Stuff £28
Lonely Mountains: Downhill £17.99
The highest-rated mountain biking game on Steam (steampowered.com), this has charming, low-polygon-count visuals and well-developed gameplay. Available on all platforms. lonelymountains.com
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Another volume of photos and stories showing “more bikes where bikes don’t normally go” from the world’s oldest off-road cycling club. Available as a softcover or limited-edition hardcover (£35). isolapress.com
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Buying online? Why not make free donations to Cycling UK while you shop?
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cyclinguk.org/fundraise-whileyou-shop
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Gear up
( ( Put to the test
Is there a product that you think needs reviewing?
Write to: Cycle, PO Box 313, Scarborough, YO12 6WZ editor@cyclinguk.org
COMPONENTS, KIT, AND MEDIA SELECTED AND REVIEWED BY BIKE JOURNALISTS AND CYCLING UK STAFF Pros & cons
Other options
+ Low maintenance + Swapping between bikes/wheels – Not suitable for drop bars
ROHLOFF SPEEDHUB
FROM £1, 200 14-speed hub with 526% range, for rim and disc brakes, twist or electric shifter. Available in three colours, 32 or 36H, and to fit axles from 135mm to 197mm. rohloff.de
Kindernay
Kindernay VII Wide-range 7-speed hub gear that can be swapped between different wheels £1,030 kindernay.com
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hen I cycled off-road back to the factory on the outskirts of Oslo, I discovered what the company founder Christian Antal and Knut Tore Ljøsne of Norwegian-based Kindernay had experienced many times. The natural trails there feature rocks, wet tree roots, and loose branches – good mountain biking terrain but ideal for ripping off a rear derailleur. Their solution: Kindernay hub gears. I tested their latest release, the Kindernay VII, on a Santa Cruz Chameleon carbon hardtail. For most of my recent bikepacking trips I have used a Kinesis Tripster AT gravel bike. With a
10-42 SRAM 11-speed cassette, that has a gear range of 420%. The Kindernay’s range is about the same: 428%. With seven instead of 11 gears, the 28% gear intervals are much bigger on the Kindernay. It took a while to get used to this. I tested the hub on a weekend bikepacking trip around the Oslofjord in south Norway, and even with a 32/18 drivetrain I was able to ride most uphill sections. Kindernay sell the hub with a 20t or 22t cog, which will improve its climbing ability. They also offer a 14-speed version with 13.9% intervals across a 543% range. While longevity and low maintenance are advantages of
most internal gear hubs, I wasn’t convinced by the weight penalty and twist shifter of the Rohloff Speedhub that I used on my brother’s Tout Terrain Silkroad tourer. While it worked very well, I never warmed to the experience. Lack of interchangeability was another issue The Kindernay hub addresses both concerns. It uses a SWAP hub shell (£130), in which the actual hub sits, so it can be transferred with little effort between wheels. A second thumb shifter (£400) makes it easy to transfer the hub between bikes. The Kindernay VII fits 142×12mm, 148×12mm and 135×10mm axles, and is available with 28, 32, or 36 spoke holes. It’s compatible with 6-bolt discs. The whole package (1,750g, of which the hub is 1,200g) includes hub, SWAP cage, shifter, and cog. It’s available direct from Kindernay and from selected UK retailers. Markus Stitz
Cycle’s test promise At Cycle, we are proudly independent. There’s no pressure to please advertisers as we’re funded by your membership. Our product reviews aren’t press releases; they’re written by experienced cyclists after thorough testing. 20
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SHIMANO ALFINE 11 FROM £500
11-speed hub with 409% gearing range, thumbshifter or Di2. Only available for 135mm OLD frames and CenterLock disc brakes, in 32 or 36H.
bike.shimano.com
Verdict
Sometimes noisy but it offers an excellent riding experience and shifts smoothly even under high load. A great choice for a low-maintenance bikepacking, touring, commuting or cargo bike.
REVIEWS
GEAR UP
Pros & cons
+ Makes excellent coffee – Insecure filter storage – No ‘crema’
AeroPress
Go Coffee Maker
Proper coffee on the go from a coffee maker compact enough for a pannier or frame bag £31.99 aeropress.co.uk
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Other options
or many touring and expedition cyclists, freshlybrewed ground coffee is a sufficiently important part of life in the saddle to warrant carrying the means to make it. Even creditcard cycle tourists may prefer a decent brew-up to a hotel sachet of instant coffee. Either way, the AeroPress Go fits the bill in a neatly engineered and very effective package. Smaller than the original AeroPress, the Go is, at 120mm tall, nevertheless about 50% taller than a regular coffee mug – including the 90mm wide silicone lid and beaker. The kit includes a scoop, hinged stirrer, and clamshell storage carton for the paper filters, which fits under the lid
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and unaccountably does not snap shut, allowing the filters to spill out unless you’re careful. Brewing up involves removing the plunger and perforated filter holder or ‘cap’ from opposite ends of the main barrel or ‘chamber’, which is printed with capacity measures for one, two or three espresso servings. Place a filter in the cap, secure it in place with an eighth-turn, place the chamber on the beaker or other receptacle, and add one scoop of ground coffee per cup of espresso before adding water. Water can be hot – AeroPress recommends 80ºC and a 10-second stir – or cold. A cold brew requires about a minute of stirring and may be just the thing
GSI OUTDOORS COLLAPSIBLE JAVA DRIP £18.50
SUMATRA ONE CUP DRIP FILTER £11.99
Collapsible silicone cone holds a standard #2 or #4 filter and sits on mug or pot. gsioutdoors.com
Pour-over coffee bag. Individually-packaged servings in filters.
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FOR 40
thecoffeepod.co.uk
where hot water is unavailable – I did not investigate. The fun bit starts with using the plunger, which presses trapped air against the brew to force it through the filter, leaving a ‘plug’ of grounds compressed against the filter. It’s a satisfying procedure, as is the subsequent act of ejecting the plug of grounds from the chamber once the filter cap has been removed. The ‘espresso’ now sitting in the beaker or mug is strong but can be diluted to something more like an Americano, while up to three espresso servings can be brewed at once by adding three scoops of coffee and filling to the appropriate chamber measure. The one drawback to the process is the inevitable lack of the ‘crema’, the foam that forms on the top of a perfectly-brewed cup as the coffee passes through the filter. Ejecting the grounds and used filter keeps the AeroPress clean and ready for the next brew, – either hot or cold… Richard Hallett
Verdict
A finely engineered and portable coffee maker with selfcleaning action, which makes excellent coffee. So good it’s capable of serving as a coffee maker in the home.
REVIEWS
GEAR UP
Pros & cons + Sock fit + Dexlok seal – Glove grip on drops
DexShell
Ultra Dri Sports Socks Ultra Weather Winter Gloves
£34
£40
Waterproof membranes inside help keep your hands and feet dry
Other options
upgradebikes.co.uk
N
o cyclist wants soggy hands or feet in winter. Windchill is much worse when you’re wet, making lower temperatures unbearable. Some years ago, Sealskinz cornered the market for waterproof socks. But they’re no longer the only game in town for such socks, and there’s always been a decent choice in waterproof winter gloves. DexShell’s Ultra Dri Sports Socks have a breathable Porelle membrane sandwiched between wool-blend inner and polyamide/ elastane outer. The membrane is waterproof, so you can stand in a deep puddle without your feet getting wet. Water can get in if the membrane is damaged; even a pinhole will mean water wicking through the inner layer and soaking the sock. The other way is through the cuffs. Water runs down your legs and into the top of the socks, or (less often) overtops them when they’re immersed. Some cyclists combat this with a layer of Vaseline above their waterproof
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sock cuffs. I’ve even heard of people cutting the cuffs off washing-up gloves to make sock gaiters. The Ultra Dri socks have a “Dexlok seal”– an inch of rubberyfeeling polyamide – inside the top of the socks. It’s not a perfect seal but it’s much better than nothing. The socks have enough stretch in them to fit your feet well. They’re a bit bulky, like any thermal sock, but don’t have the shapeless bagginess of older waterproof socks I’ve tried. The Ultra Weather Winter gloves also have a Porelle membrane, along with a microfleece inner, Primaloft insulation, and an outer made up of polyester, neoprene, and polyurethane. The palm is reinforced but not padded. Although the tips of forefingers and thumbs are touchscreencompatible, smartphone operation is hit and miss because the gloves are bulky. That does mean they’re warm. I’d use them in temperatures down to zero or slightly below. (Beyond that, I’d
want lobster-claw gloves.) They suffer a problem common to most gloves with partlystitched-in liners: the inner’s fingers can come out of the outer’s when you pull the glove off a sweaty hand, and it can be awkward relocating them. (Tip: try the handle of wooden spoon.) The inner layer can also move a little independently of the outer, giving a slightly loose grip on the shoulders or hoods of drop bars. Down on the drops or on flat bars, they feel firmly fixed in place. Sizes: S-XL for glove and socks. Dan Joyce
ENDURA DELUGE GLOVE £49.99 Touchscreen-compatible winter gloves with Thinsulate insulation and a waterproof membrane. Available in hi-viz yellow as well as black.
endurasport.com
Verdict
The Ultra Dri socks are the nicest waterproof ones I’ve used. They’re warm enough, fit well, and make a fair attempt to keep water out of the tops. The gloves are cosy and waterproof but can suffer inverted inner fingers, and the grip feels a little slithery on drop bars.
SEALSKINZ WATERPROOF ALL WEATHER MID LENGTH SOCK £35 “The waterproof sock that started it all” (say Sealskinz), this has a cosy Merino wool blend inner, a hydrophilic membrane, and nylon/polyester/lycra outer. sealskinz.com
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Books
Print queue
Cycle doesn’t feature all books received. Reviewers pick the ones they think you need to know about from the Editor’s shortlist. Send review copies to: Cycle, PO Box 313, Scarborough, YO12 6WZ
CYCLING INSPIRATION WHEN YOU’RE STUCK INSIDE
West Kernow Way THE WEST KERNOW Way guidebook is designed to be used with the downloadable GPX, which is kept updated. The guide includes suggested itineraries either for the full route or parts of it, but more excitingly introduces you to some of
Details
By: Guy Kesteven Publisher: Cycling UK Price: £14 (£12 to
Cycling UK members) ISBN: 9781399901833
Bikepacking England AS BIKEPACKING HAS grown in popularity (and fashionability), plenty of guidebooks have appeared. While it’s small enough to slip in a frame bag (393 grams, for the weight weenies), this one is not light on information. It looks lovely, with masses of glossy, Instagram-worthy photos on virtually every page. Emma Kingston also provides plenty of useful information for both total novices and cycle tourers wanting to adopt Details a more streamlined approach for off-road By: Emma Kingston adventures. There’s advice on what to take Publisher: Vertebrate and how to pack it while keeping your bike Price: £20 nimble enough to be fun to ride off road, ISBN: 978183981055 plus tips on wild camping, wild swimming, safety, and how to leave no trace. The 20 routes are arranged by region of England (including one on the Isle of Man). Most are 50-70 miles and suitable for a weekend adventure but there are also some longer and wilder trips, up to 125 miles across the North York Moors, that would warrant a proper multi-day trip. Rather than dry ‘turn left here’ instructions, each write-up begins with an evocative scenesetting cameo that drops you into the middle of the journey, before giving an overview of what to expect on the trip. Maps are a little basic but GPX files of all the routes are available to download, and there are sidebars listing water, accommodation and food stops, along with navigation notes.
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guide will help you get the most out of it. It also references Cycling UK’s important work on lost ways. Certainly a book to inspire exploration of West Cornwall.
Eat Bike Cook A VALUABLE COLLECTION of female cyclists’ recipes and food advice, this book celebrates the joyous connection between cycling and eating. Particularly useful are the recipes for food to be
Details
By: Kitty Pemberton-
consumed during rides, which give considerable thought to suitability for
jersey pocket transportation. Eat Bike Platt and Fi Buchanan Publisher: Kitchen Press Cook offers intriguing insights into the eating habits of a range of different Price: £10 ISBN: 9781916316546 cyclists, and makes a worthwhile addition to the library of riders whose food interest goes beyond nutrition. Lauren Baker
Curbing Traffic IF YOU’VE PUBLISHED a book on urban vitality and cycling, you’d think moving home from car-heavy Vancouver to carlight Delft wouldn’t tell you much you didn’t know. But the Netherlands has energised the Bruntletts. Probing Delft’s magic as
Details You can read excerpts from some of the books that Cycle has reviewed at cyclinguk.org/cyclebook-excerpts
are plenty. It’s a route full of interest and the
Hannah Collingridge
Rob Kingston (no relation)
Excerpts
the sights and sites along the way – there
By: Melissa and Chris
Bruntlett
parents, commuters, neighbours, and advocates of streets for people, they weave together personal stories, planning manual,
Publisher: Island
academic research and psychological
Press
insight. It’s everything you need to
Price: £22.99 ISBN: 9781642831658
campaign for Delfts all over the UK. Cherry Allan
O p inio n
Letters
Get in touch
THIS MONTH OFF-ROAD ACCESS, CARGO BIKES, THE 300,000 MILES CLUB, TRAFFIC LIGHT TIMING, AND MORE
LETTERS are edited for space, clarity and, if necessary, legality. The Editor reads and acknowledges all members’ letters but publishes only a selection and doesn’t enter into correspondence. Feedback for the next issue must arrive by 23 December. Please include your membership number. WRITE TO: Cycle, PO Box 313, Scarborough, YO12 6WZ or email editor@cyclinguk.org
Left: Jordan Gibbons/Pannier.cc. Right: Pashley Cycles
The West Kernow Way uses some lost ways, such as the Tinners Way
th Letter of the mon
On the right path?
A
s a resident of west Cornwall, I was interested to read the article in Cycle about the launch of the West Kernow Way. Any development of our limited offroad cycling network is a good thing. The article says: “We’ve delved into the archives and identified routes that have strong evidence for being used as a bridleway or byway in the past”, which is great. However, the article goes on to say: “These routes may be currently shown as footpaths but the right to ride on them still exists.” If these route sections are designated as footpaths, are cyclists or horse riders riding on them breaking the law? Does the right to ride on them exist in law? Isn’t there a risk of upsetting other footpath users and perhaps increasing resistance from walking groups to re-designating these sections as bridleways or byways? Judging by the number of unmaintained footpaths, bridleways and byways, it seems unlikely that Cornwall Council will be able to process the existing applications that they have for re-designation. I hope I’m wrong. Andrew Hayle
Win an SKS Compit+ & case worth £89.98 The letter of the month wins an SKS Compit+, courtesy of Zyrofisher. This mounts your phone securely to your handlebar and charges it on the go, wired or wirelessly. When we tested it in the Dec 20/ Jan 21 issue, our reviewer said: “I was impressed… A rock-solid mount that keeps your phone topped up.” The prize includes a Compit phone case. For more details, or to find your local stockist, visit zyrofisher.co.uk
The piece on p12 goes into this in more detail, and there’s more online: cyclinguk.org/lost-ways. Rest assured that you’re not breaking the law as a cyclist by riding on a route that’s incorrectly shown as a footpath on a modern map. (In fact, you’re not breaking the law even if it’s correctly shown as a footpath, since cycling on a footpath is a civil not a criminal issue.)
Stay connected
facebook.com/CyclingUK
Twitter @wearecyclinguk
Delivering the goods
Cargo bikes are not new, although the electric version might be. In the ’60s I had a Saturday job delivering meat for a local butcher, using a trade bike (as it was known). Health and safety regulations were just about non-existent then. The joints were not individually wrapped, and when I fell off and the contents of the basket rolled down the road, I simply picked them up, put them back, and continued delivering. This happened quite often, especially in the icy winter of 1962/63. And no one seemed bothered at all. Fred Newton
Cycling milestones
Just received my Cycling UK magazine and was saddened to read that Chris Davies has died. My late husband Bernard and I met Chris and Neville several times at our 300,000 Miles Club reunions, and had lots of interesting conversations about their travels. A shock when Nev died, I think; Chris really missed him. Sadly, Chris hadn’t cycled for a while but he recorded a great mileage in his life.
cycling@cyclinguk.org
editor@cyclinguk.org C YCL I NGUK . O RG
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LETTERS
YOUR FEEDBACK
My grand total mileage up to 2020 is 545,548 miles. Years back, Bernard and I submitted our mileage charts to Cycling. I am fortunate that I can cycle out to meet friends in Cheshire. For my 90th birthday, I rode 92km (not miles) so was happy, as I don’t ride very far in a day now. Trust you are well and fit and enjoy your cycling days. Joyce Blow
days). My wife has provided support and has rediscovered with me some of the towns and restaurants along the way in the evening. I’m now halfway round and planning the next half from Salisbury to Farnham via Reading for later this month. It’s been a great way to put the very weird last 18 months behind us. Thanks to the team for developing these adventure cycling routes. John Loosley
th Photo of the mon
Cheltenham & County CC 2021 is a special year for Cycling UK affiliate Cheltenham and County Cycling Club – it’s our centenary! Originally founded as a section of the Cheltenham and County Harriers, 23 October 1921 saw the first club group ride with a run to Broadway. We currently have around 300 members who regularly ride with the club. The website is cheltenhamandcounty.cc. Peter Seaward
Potholes in pictures
The Cyclopedia Knowhow piece about what to do after a crash in the Aug-Sep issue was a good summary. The road defects section was also useful but I am dubious that any cyclist routinely carries a tin of beans just to give scale to potholes! May I suggest a shoe? Dr James Palmer
King Alfred’s Way
Traffic light timing
One aspect not mentioned in the Cyclopedia article about traffic light timing is the role of the highway authority, which is generally the body responsible for the traffic lights. In my experience, it is worth contacting them and asking for the phasing of the lights to be adjusted. This may not work every time, but the authority should be aware that (especially if the problem has been brought to their attention) they might be held at least partially liable if there is an accident arising from badly adjusted traffic lights. Robin Muers
Cateran country
We visited this area last year, Coming out of lockdown, it was time staying at the Lodge at Lochside in for a challenge: King Alfred’s Way Lintrathen. We had an excellent stay seemed like a good bet. I started but didn’t manage to sample the from home, cycling from Walton cakes in the Wee Bear Café, being on Thames along the River Way/ out on the bikes too long. But the Basingstoke Canal to my start point breakfasts were excellent. on the trail at Farnham. Then I rode We hired electric bikes from west. Lintrathen Cycles next door. I There’s been varied terrain, lots to have MS now so am finding hills see along the way (Farnham a bit demanding. The owner Castle, the Atlantic was extremely helpful Wall, Old Sarum), and in recommending Obituaries enjoyable off-road alternative routes to Are published cycling. I’m cycling the the options we had online at cyclinguk. route solo in sections researched. org/obituaries. and taking my time (six Chris Wyatt Contact publicity@ cyclinguk.org 30
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CYCLING UK FORUM
Get immediate feedback from other members at forum.cyclinguk.org. Here’s an abridged extract from a recent thread on there: cyclinguk.org/bic LittleGreyCat: A standard tool for removing and replacing loose ball bearings has always been the Bic biro lid. All my recent biros seem to have integral lids or click to retract. Anyone know of an alternative. Hellhound: Tweezers? Mick F: I have always used a small screwdriver. Magnetic – or if it’s not, drag it across a magnet to magnetise it. Eyebrox: Wouldn’t be without my Bic biro top. Magnetic picker for lifting out the balls or replacing them. Then pen top for fine tuning them into place amidst a fresh layer of grease. Had the same biro top for 20-odd years. rogerzilla: Magnets aren’t ideal unless you are throwing away the balls, as they magnetise the balls, meaning they
attract wear particles instead of sweeping them aside. iandriver: I suggest a bread punch set designed for fishing may be the tool of your dreams. colin54: I reckon a cotton bud cut in half on the slant would make a good substitute for a Bic top if that’s the method employed. Hellhound: After reading all this I’m glad all my bearings are RS cartridge types! Sweep: I use ball-end hex keys which came magnetised. LittleGreyCat: The biro lid is an official engineering tool. As shown on page 216 of The Bike Book by Haynes, 1994 edition. Jupestar: Serviced the hubs today. They did need it, but really I just wanted to try a biro lid. Brilliant.
Details Where: Northern England & Scotland Start/finish: Middleton Top to Cape Wrath Distance: 732 miles Photos: Joolze Dymond & Jordan Matthews
High Cup Nick: an extra loop that Cycling UK is working to make a through-route
G R E AT N O R T H T R A I L
G R E AT R I D E S
JORDAN MATTHEWS Cycling UK cycling development officer Based in Tyneside, Jordan is a keen long-distance cyclist. His blog is justoutpedalling. wordpress.com
Great Rides
FAR NORTH The Great North Trail is one of the UK’s longest off-road routes. Jordan Matthews planned to do it in ten days last summer
T
he pandemic put an abrupt end to my round-the-world cycle tour, so I’ve since been exploring the UK. Last summer it was the Great North Trail, which traverses some of Britain’s best scenery on a mix of singletrack, bridleways, gravel roads, and tarmac ones. I planned to do it in ten days, most of it on my own. But for the first two days I was joined by a friend. Neither of us, it turned out, had a quick-link. We discovered this in the first hour of day one. I snapped my chain on a grass-in-the-middle bridleway in sight of the Dark Peak. As I removed a link and rejoined the chain, hoping it would hold until I could repair it properly, I kept muttering: “Everything in our stride.” Longer trips seldom go exactly to plan so you’ve have to roll with it. Later the same day we found ourselves caught behind a herd of cows, slowly trudging to be milked. Our average speed plummeted, making my daily mileage target look ambitious. Sometimes the animals gave way to us instead. Riding up Cam High Road in the dark, two dots reflected our lights, then two more. They darted off the track as we got closer. Sheep! The off-road descent in the dark to our overnight stop in Hawes was thankfully sheep free. From there on I was riding solo.
STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT Appleby was the next stop of note: more animals, in the shape of a horse and cart parade. I’d arrived while Appleby Fair was on. Never having seen it before, I sat on
Trailblazing
An Turas Mòr Cycling UK is indebted to the Obscura Mondo Cycle Club for developing the An Turas Mòr off-road route between Glasgow and Cape Wrath. It runs for 354 miles from the Central Belt, through the Scottish Highlands, to the country’s north-western tip. It takes in hill tracks, drove roads, forests, and mountain passes – and it’s an integral part of the Great North Trail. It’s a physically demanding route, by itself or as part of the Great North Trail, but it’s not technically demanding. It can be ridden on a gravel bike, not just a mountain bike. For more information, visit anturasmor.co.uk.
a bench in the centre of town to take it all in. I pushed on when the smell of manure became overwhelming. I was soon alone again, pedalling through the North Pennines, then Kielder and the Borders: up sunny inclines, down descents, through bogs, on forest tracks. Pedalling into the sunset, near the top of Minch Moor above Innerleithen, I had an unexpected encounter as I looked for a place to camp. A stumbling man approached me, leaning on poles. “I’m pleased to see someone!” he panted. He was taking part in the Race Across Scotland Ultra Running Race. I wished him good luck, pitched my tent, and settled down for the night. I was woken by lights on the flysheet. Voices, coming closer. What? It was 1:30am. Then the lights and voices faded. It took a while to click: more ultra runners. I checked the GPS tracking site of the event on my phone: at least one runner had just come right past. The fear of the unknown had gone. I nearly unzipped my tent to cheer on any others. But I was tired, so I went back to sleep.
DODGING MOSQUITOES By the time I reached Glasgow I was a day behind my schedule. I’d underestimated quite how ‘offroad’ some of the off-road sections of the Great North Trail are. I reminded myself that it wasn’t a race, and that I’d given myself two days leeway at the end in any case. I’d take my time. Literally as I was thinking this, the sun came out. After Drymen, I left the hiker-populated
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This photo: Kyle of Durness nr Cape Wrath Below: Above Rannoch Station
West Highland Way and cycled into the solitude of the Loch Ard Forest. Gliding over smooth gravel tracks, the sun popping through the gaps in the trees, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of tranquility. I didn’t see a soul until Aberfoyle. In Killin, I bumped into a couple of bikepackers at the place where bikepackers invariably encounter each other: the public toilets. Bikes loaded like mine, they were doing the Great North Trail too. We compared route experiences for a while, then they pedalled off to find a place to camp. I started to ride out of the village too, but then: what was that smell? A fish and chip van! I couldn’t pass up the opportunity, and I’m glad I didn’t. I found a nice place to camp close to Loch Rannoch but had to quickly zip myself in to keep the midges at bay. Cooking would have been miserable.
HIGHLAND SILENCE The remote trails remained quiet. I startled a walker by ringing my bell. He hadn’t seen anyone all morning and had thought he was alone. Later I spied two figures in the distance. Getting closer, they turned out to be very damp-looking cyclists on road bikes, off-road, wearing what I’m sure were Hawaiian shirts. Was I hallucinating? Maybe I had spent too long on my own… Skirting past Loch Ossian, I arrived at the Corrour Station House. Only accessible by train, a 20-mile walk, or by bike, the Station House is the UK’s remotest restaurant with rooms. I spent a happy hour there, refuelling and hiding from the midges. From there, fast, rolling tracks took
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Missing links Riding the Great North Trail is a fantastic adventure but the truth is that the route isn’t perfect. Sometimes, an ideal connecting trail is designated as a footpath rather than a bridleway, so the route has to take the long way round and include a road section to link things together. Some of these examples are absurd – like a four-metre wide gravel track in the North Pennines, used by 4×4s but with no access for cycling. Cycling UK is continuing to campaign to close these gaps and improve the Great North Trail. If you can think of similar off-road missing links in your area, add them to our map and ask your council to prioritise them in their rights of way plans. For more details, visit cyclinguk.org/ missinglinks.
me north towards the Corrieyairack Pass. The enjoyment available is all on the descent. The Northern Highlands beckoned. As I set off up an early morning forest track with an almighty gradient, I found myself yet again grateful for the bike’s bottom gear. It had been overused on this trip. By now I’d ridden 600 miles of the Great North Trail and had around 150 to go to reach Cape Wrath. I had two days to do it in. It looked achievable, so long as there were no mishaps. I was feeling good. After eight days on the bike, I was finding my rhythm. Perhaps I was too overconfident, taking risks on the rougher parts of the descents, riding as if I weren’t fully loaded. That’s all it took. The rear tyre suddenly felt soft. I stopped. Air was escaping from a big hole in the sidewall. My hopes also began to deflate. The hole was too big for tubeless plugs, I discovered after two failed attempts. So I removed the tyre and fitted a tyre boot and a spare tube.
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Top to bottom: Dundreggan Forest climb. Loch Ossian. Kielder Forest
Fact file
Great North Trail Distance: 732 miles in total, averaging 73 each day. Full route mileage is 755 to Cape Wrath and 825 to John o’ Groats. Route: Don’t underestimate the first half of the route and the distances achievable in a day. A lot of it is slow going with gates, steep inclines, and rocky terrain.
Conditions: Mostly dry apart from a couple of days. Be ready to have wet feet even if it isn’t raining from dew on long grass and river crossings. Accommodation: Five nights camping, fives nights in B&Bs. Equipment: Sonder Frontier SX Eagle hardtail 29er with
Riding gingerly, I reached a road after a few miles. Next aim: a new tyre.
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bikepacking bags.
Leaving the Great North Trail, I went to Strathpeffer in search of a bike shop. Strathpeffer hosts an annual 24-hour mountain bike event. Surely I’d be able to source a spare tyre here? No joy. I tried all the bike shops in a ten-mile radius. Still no joy. By then it was early afternoon. I reckoned I had three choices: one, continue along the Great North Trail Route with the hole in my tyre – I might get there or I might end up in a worse situation than before; two, ride back to Inverness on the road and get a train home; or three, continue to Cape Wrath on the road. The late Mike Hall, ultra-endurance legend and founder of the Transcontinental Race, once said something along the lines of “never quit at night”. I decided to get a cheap hotel and sleep on it. Cape Wrath on road it was. I spent the first 20 miles annoyed and frustrated. Then I found myself on a lovely singletrack road alongside Loch Shin. I knew then I’d made the right decision. The plan was to reach Cape Wrath, and I still had time to do that. Adaptation would get me there, even if it wasn’t going to be on the official route. Later in the day, I hid under a tree to escape a downpour. Out on a loch, I saw three men in a boat, fishing in the heavy rain. I’d thought I had it tough, yet it looked like they were having a great time. I got back on the bike. Cape Wrath day! I’d read that the timings for the ferry across the Kyle of Durness were very ad hoc
Wahoo with GPX files. I’d also download the route on Komoot on my phone, and had a PDF of the route guide on my phone. This was handy to see resupply points for the remote sections.
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Maps/guides:
so I left early, catching the first crossing sometime after nine. On the cape I was passed by the two cyclists on e-bikes who had taken the ferry with me, then by a minibus. Then I was alone until I reached the end of my journey: the lighthouse, standing in the mist. There were a few tourists walking about, so I asked one to take a photo for me in front of the lighthouse for the Cape Wrath Fellowship. I stared out to sea, reflecting on the past ten days, then turned, mounted the bike once more and, for the first time in a week and a half, headed south.
More info Buy the guidebook or download a free PDF: cyclinguk.org/great-north-trail
Cycled to Cape Wrath? Join the Fellowship: cyclinguk.org/capewrath
I’m glad I had: Front suspension for the first half of the ride. A tent to make the most of wild camping in Scotland. Next time I would: Take a spare tyre. Take twice as long.
Getting back: The minibus from Durness to Inverness carries four bikes. Visit thedurnessbus.com
Feature
ABROAD AFTER BREXIT THE UK LEFT THE EUROPEAN UNION A YEAR AGO, AND ONE OF THE THINGS AFFECTED IS TRAVEL. LAURA LAKER EXAMINES WHAT’S CHANGED FOR CYCLISTS
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LAURA LAKER Cycling journalist Laura writes about cycling and urban transport for The Guardian. She enjoys touring as well as utility cycling
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ith our exit from the EU, the UK has seen huge upheavals in trade, freedom of movement, and regulations – including those around holiday travel to the Continent. Cycling UK members have been asking our advice on how the changes will impact affect future European tours. Information about Brexit can be partisan or simply vague. The GOV.UK website leads with: “you may need to do extra things before you travel to an EU country, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein”. So we did some digging. This is what’s changed.
Mountains above Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands
First up, passports. It is recommended you have at least six months left on your passport from the day you travel, allowing for up to three months’ European travel, or in case you extend a shorter trip – for planned or unplanned reasons. Now that the UK is outside of the EU border, British passport holders can stay for a maximum of 90 days per 180-day period. You will need extra documents to stay longer; which ones depend on the purpose of your trip. UK nationals may need to show an onward or return ticket on arrival, prove they have enough money to stay, and use a different border queue to EU citizens. Pam Pilbeam, who runs Cycling With Us cycle holidays, says crossing the border is still a fairly simple process. “They will look at your passport; you may find they want a piece of paper filed in before you go. They are almost certain to check luggage. The more complicated bit is Covid [precautions].” A quick note about Covid. Pam says some of the worst problems facing British travellers comes not from Brexit but from our high Covid rates, which puts us on some countries’ ‘orange’ or even ‘red’ lists. Check on GOV. UK and with the relevant country before departing. Many countries, including Germany, the Netherlands and France, now permit fully vaccinated travellers from Britain if they can prove they are double-jabbed. “Travel with a paper [vaccination] certificate because a lot of countries aren’t au fait with the app,” Pam advises. “All our vaccines are acceptable; it’s only if you’re unvaccinated or have only had one vaccination they will require the PCR test and quarantine [before entry].
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Photography: Getty Images & Alamy
CHECK YOUR PASSPORT
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Stays in the EU are now limited to 90 days in a 180-day period
“When you are entering certain countries, they require you to fill in a form to say you haven’t got Covid and you haven’t been exposed to Covid in the last 14 days,” she adds. Unfortunately, some travellers are reporting issues with even the paper vaccination certificates, so be prepared for some wrangling. GOV.UK has all the information required. Type in ‘travel to France’, for example, and it will give you all the information you need and direct you to the country’s relevant web page. While Brits won’t need a visa to travel to Europe, from the end of 2022 we will need a £6 ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) visa waiver to enter the 26 nations of the Schengen zone, which is most of Europe, plus Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, but not Ireland, Romania,
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Bulgaria, Cyprus or Croatia. For details, see etiasvisa.com. Any pet passports issued in Great Britain are now invalid for travel to the EU or Northern Ireland. To go to Europe with you, pets will need to be microchipped, with a valid rabies vaccination and an animal health certificate. Contact your vet at least a month before travel to arrange these.
GET TRAVEL INSURANCE Specifically travel insurance that covers your healthcare. Emily Conrad-Pickles, from Yellow Jersey Insurance (cyclinguk.org/memberbenefit/yellow-jersey-travel), says: “Travel insurance is perhaps now more important than it was before due to the phasing out of the EHIC card. UK residents now need to apply for a GHIC to ensure cover in state hospitals in Europe.” We’ll come back to EHIC and GHIC cards in a moment. Even with these, however, you’ll want travel insurance, Emily says. “Travel insurance is always advisable to ensure that appropriate
cover is available, especially if people are taking a holiday where the hospitals are more likely to be private, such as mountain resorts. Our bicycle insurance products (Performance and Ultimate tiers) remain unchanged in the cover that they offer to cyclists travelling abroad on a cycling holiday.” Insurance has been complicated by Covid. Pam Pilbeam says: “Travel insurance is a nightmare at the moment. Most travel insurance companies now will only cover for Covid [both medical care abroad and cancellations] if you’re double vaccinated and can prove it, so you need to read the small print. “There’s not many insurers out there that are coming back into the market with Covid cover, particularly for people with underlying health issues,” she adds. This could cause problems for readers with pre-existing medical conditions. International health insurance cards will cover state-provided healthcare if you contract Coronavirus in the EU, although it won’t cover accommodation costs if you test positive and need to self isolate. There are currently two international health insurance cards (details at gov.uk/ visit-eu-switzerland-norway-iceland-
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Driving abroad? You’ll need a green card from your insurer
liechtenstein): the old European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), and the Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), both of which are available from the NHS website free of charge. You will need both travel insurance and a GHIC or EHIC as some insurers won’t cover all medical costs without one, and the cards themselves don’t cover all eventualities. Make sure you’re on the NHS website before applying and don’t hand over any money, as the service should be free. Pam says: “Don’t go to anybody else’s website because they will charge. If anybody says there’s a charge, they will take your money and information and just go to the NHS website themselves.” You can reduce the risk of straying onto a fee-charging site by navigating to the application form from the NHS.UK website. Existing EHICs remain valid until their expiry date. This covers necessary healthcare during a temporary stay in a European country, covering the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland (the European Economic Area, or EEA). Under the withdrawal agreement, the EHIC still applies to EU nationals living in the UK, and British State Pensioners, their families, and students,
who left for the EU or EEA before 1 January 2021. For UK nationals, or those without dual EU citizenship, who lived in the UK prior to 31 December 2020, the new Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), covers necessary healthcare during a temporary stay in the EU – not the EEA – but further participating countries could be added later. I applied via a quick web form and was required to email two proofs of identity and UK residency, such as utility or council tax bills. Find out which card you’re entitled to, and apply, here: services.nhsbsa.nhs. uk/cra/start. For either of these, you’ll need a National Insurance number before applying, and there are reported delays at time of writing, due to a backlog of applications. If you do end up needing medical attention abroad, present your GHIC or EHIC before you have treatment.
TAKE DRIVING DOCUMENTS British drivers need to carry their UK driving licence, along with their
EXISTING EUROPEAN HEALTH INSURANCE CARDS (EHICS) REMAIN VALID UNTIL THEIR EXPIRY DATE vehicle log book (V5C) if they have one, and a VE103 to show they’re allowed to use a hired or leased vehicle abroad. You’ll also need a green card from your insurer – not to be confused with the American version. As Pam describes it: “Before we were in the EU, you had to apply to your insurer and say ‘I’m going to France’, for example, and pay them a sum of money for a green card. You now need to do that again. That covers you for insurance abroad.” UK licence-holders don’t need an International Driving Permit (IDP) to visit the EU or EEA, unless they only have a paper licence, or one issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man. Check if you need an IDP, before travelling: gov.uk/drivingabroad/international-driving-permit.
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MOBILE PHONE OPERATORS HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO REINTRODUCE ROAMING CHARGES BANK AND CREDIT CARD CHARGES
Mallorca’s Sa Colabra: check roaming charges if Instagramming etc
“Banks have always charged Brits to take money out in European currency, and that hasn’t changed,” Pam says. “I use the credit card to purchase things, and I shop around for Euros to take with me”. It may cost you more money than before to take cash out of an ATM in Europe, so a credit card you can use abroad with low or no fees, a pre-pay card, or a specialist travel credit card are preferable. As with all travel money, it pays to shop around for the best deals.
SUMMARY: DIFFERENT BUT DOABLE An IDP costs £5.50 for residents of GB or Northern Ireland, aged over 18 and with a full UK driving licence. If you’re a UK licence-holder living in an EU or EEA country, you’ll need to exchange your driving licence for a local one. If your car will be towing a trailer you may have to register it. For details and registration, see gov.uk/guidance/ trailer-registration. From 28 September 2021, your car may need a UK sticker clearly displayed on its rear, instead of the old GB one. Exceptions apply if your number plate includes a UK identifier with the Union Flag (though this exemption doesn’t apply in Spain, Cyprus or Malta), or you are only driving in Ireland. It’s probably safest to get the sticker, or at least check the GOV.UK website, before travelling: gov.uk/guidance/drivingin-the-eu. All UK vehicle insurance provides the minimum third-party cover to drive in the EU (including Ireland), according to GOV.UK. If you are unlucky enough to be involved in a collision while in Europe, contact your insurance company first. Any legal proceedings will need to be brought in the EU
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or EEA country where the collision happened, and you may have to make your claim in the local language. You will also not get compensation in some countries if the collision is caused by an uninsured driver, or the driver cannot be traced.
MOBILE PHONE ROAMING CHARGES Since 1 January 2021 mobile phone operators have been allowed to reintroduce roaming charges – and the likes of Three, EE and Vodafone have announced they will do so from 2022. Those with older tariffs may dodge roaming while they stick with that tariff, otherwise expect charges of between £2 and £5 per day, with some temporary tariffs from Vodafone, for example, charging £1 a day for 8-15 days from 2022. O2 allows users 25Gb of roaming data, with anything above that charged at £3.50 per gigabyte. No phone networks are charging for roaming in the Republic of Ireland, according to the BBC.
While things have undoubtedly changed, those who have travelled to Europe with bikes since we left the EU have reported few hiccups on the ground, and recommend others not be put off by the new procedures. Ed Lancaster, of the European Cyclists’ Federation, makes the case for taking that European holiday anyway. He says: “Once you familiarise yourself with the new arrangements they are relatively straightforward, and there has never been a better time to take a cycling holiday in Europe. Over the past two years, significant investments have been made in cycling across the Continent and so there are now thousands of kilometres of newly realised cycle routes ready to be explored. The outlook is looking promising for the future too, as the importance of cycling tourism is increasingly being recognised by destinations and further investments are planned.” Pam says: “If people want to go on holiday to Europe with two or three bikes, they will be fine. They just need to have their travel insurance sorted, their passports sorted, and be double jabbed. Once you get over there you wouldn’t know Brexit had happened.”
Top to bottom: Lady Windsor cycle path. View from the picnic spot, where the routes start. Pistyll-Goleu waterfall. Llanwonno Forest
Weekender
Tales of the Trails ‘Llanwonno Loops’ is a journey through the history of a South Wales community, not just its woods. Gwenda Owen is your guide
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GWENDA OWEN Cycling UK engagement officer – Wales Gwenda has a mostly traffic-free ride to get to Llanwonno from Cardiff, or can hop on a train to Ponytpridd
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ales’s valleys and the mining communities that sprung up in them have a proud history that’s well worth exploring. A bike is the ideal way to do so because the valleys are great cycling country. Tales of the Trails were created by Cycling UK in partnership with the people of Ynysybwl and Clydach Vale, with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The project celebrates the heritage of two South Taff Trail Wales valleys and inspires residents and visitors An article on the to discover more by bike. Taff Trail appeared The route described here is based around last issue. To read it, the hamlet of Llanwonno in St Gwynno Forest, visit cyclinguk.org/ just a few miles from Ynysybwl, a village that publications and grew as a result of the Lady Windsor Colliery. log in. Although the colliery closed in 1986, the sense of community remains strong. The residents are keen that many more people get to enjoy the stunning environment. They’ve even set up a small visitor centre to provide information and snacks. We asked Cycling UK member Nic, who spends many a day exploring the forests, to devise routes that capture the best parts of them. This is the longer of his two Ynysybwl routes.
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SOUTH WALES
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TALES OF THE TR AILS Name: Llanwonno Loops. Start/finish: Picnic area NE of St Gwynno Church. Map & guide: cyclinguk.org/ talesofthetrails. Ride length: short route 11km (8.8 miles), long 21.5km (13.4 miles). Bike type: hardtail MTB or gravel bike. Ride level: regular. GPX file: cyclinguk.org/route/tales-trails-llanwonno-forest-long-route
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YNYSYBWL If you want to add a few more miles to your ride, start from Ynysybwl and ride to the forest past the ‘corpse road’, the route used to carry coffins up to St Gwynno’s Church. The Lady Windsor Cyclepath, named after the colliery, links Ynysybwl with the well known Taff Trail so it’s easily reached from Pontypridd and beyond.
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Picnic spot Long and short routes start here. Dewi Pritchard, a former pit blacksmith from Ynysybwl, spends much of his spare time mountain biking in the forest and encouraging others to join him. He says: “It’s a beautiful place and ought to be explored more.”
Daerwynno Outdoor Centre This is a community-led enterprise. If it’s quiet, it’s worth chatting to staff about the how the centre started. You’ll also find Caban Guto here, a visitor centre with information about the area’s heritage and culture.
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The waterfall Pistyll-Goleu waterfall is one of many great places to stop on the route. The Sych Nant stream flows over a sheet of rock here, to merge with the Nant Clydach. A short distance from the waterfall you can find the Victorian Cwm Clydach reservoir.
St Gwynno’s Church The church at Llanwynno is a medieval building. The oldest grave dates back to 1167 but the most famous is that of Guto Nyth Brân (1700-1737), one of the greatest runners of his time. Legend has it that he caught a hare chasing sheep and outran a bird in flight.
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BRYNFFYNON HOTEL To the side of the hotel you’ll find an interesting piece of sculpture commissioned to celebrate the life of legendary athlete Guto Nyth Brân. On New Years Eve, the bar empties as people attend the church, where a wreath is laid on Guto’s grave by the mystery runner who starts the Nos Galan race that’s held in Guto’s honour.
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Map © Crown copyright 2021 Ordnance Survey. Media 025/21. Photos by Simon Ayre
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There are two more Tales of the Trails routes nearby, celebrating the heritage of the mining community of Tonypandy. The long route is 13 miles, the short one just 2.8 miles. cyclinguk.org/talesofthetrails
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B EH AV I O U R CH A N G E Would-be cyclists need the capability, opportunity, and motivation to start cycling
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Left: Moston community cycle club
CYCLING FOR ALL
Cycling UK’s behaviour change projects are playing a key role in getting a million more people on bikes, as Christina Bengston explains
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ycling UK has been supporting cycling since 1878. We’ve advocated for the rights of people who cycle, campaigned for better infrastructure, and worked to improve cycling access for all. But many people need more than this to be persuaded to ride a bike – and Cycling UK has programmes to help them. “Cycling UK works to break down the barriers that stop people from cycling,” said James Scott, Cycling UK’s director of behaviour change. “It’s not the physical barriers such as cycle infrastructure, although they’re incredibly important. We look at the psychological barriers that prevent people from cycling, and then put in behaviour change techniques through our programmes to allow people to overcome those barriers at a personal level and get cycling more.” If you’ve ever tried to cut down on the cake or stop looking at screens before bed, you’ll know how difficult it can be to change behaviour, even if we know it’s going to be beneficial to our health. Cycling UK’s development team has years of experience in engaging communities, however. The model they use is called COM-B, which
CHRISTINA BENGSTON Cycling UK internal communications and media officer
proposes that there are three components to behaviour (the B in the acronym): Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation. Capability, when it comes to cycling, could be a matter of addressing physical riding skills or of dealing with attitudes that might prevent someone getting on a bike. Opportunity could be providing someone with a bike or helping them fix one that they’ve got. Motivation could be working with someone to set goals and plans, and to develop habits. But one size doesn’t fit all. There are at least ten behaviour change programmes running from year to year. From our successful Big Bike Revival and network of Community Cycle Clubs to In Tandem, where we work with people with sight loss, and our new project in Scotland, Shift. “People are different and locations are different,” said James. “We design interventions that are specific to a particular context in a particular environment. A project designed to get people cycling in London wouldn’t work in Manchester, for example. Although they are both big cities, the context and the environments are completely different.” Cycling changes lives for the better, as three of the recipients of Cycling UK projects told us.
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A million cyclists
Right: Steve Potter
me more courage and confidence. “It feels really great. I feel like I’m independent – I don’t need to wait for the bus and I don’t need to do anything. Whenever I want to set off, I can go.”
Since 2018 Cycling UK has engaged 544,436 people through its broad range of behaviour change programmes. We’re on track to help a million by 2023.
Jack Brookes
BECOMING A BIKE MECHANIC Twenty-three-year-old Jack Brookes had been living on the streets when he got involved with New Roots, a Birmingham-based charity that has worked for over 20 years to give homeless adults a roof over their head, a stable home, and support to help them rebuild their lives. Struggling with anxiety and depression, Jack trained and volunteered as a bike mechanic at the New Roots bike fixing project. It has improved his confidence and given him purpose. “We really love doing it,” he said, “and it’s rewarding, fixing up and giving bikes out to people on low incomes. It’s lovely to see the smile on the kids’ faces and hear them saying ‘thank you’. It’s also good to see we can help people out.”
Alana Sawan
LEARNING TO RIDE After moving to the UK from Saudi Arabia, 25-yearold Alana Sawan decided to learn to ride a bike for the first time in her life, having never learned as a child. “I was passionate about learning because I think riding a bike is a basic skill for life,” she said. “In my old culture it was very different – there are no specific roads for bikes. In Saudi, we depend on cars for transport because the weather is very hot.” After unsuccessfully trying to teach herself, Alana found The Bike Hive. They work with Cycling UK to teach adults to ride through social cycling sessions and group rides. After just six sessions, Alana had mastered riding a bike. “At the beginning I was scared. But for me, my passion to learn took me forward. And also the support that I got from The Bike Hive made me feel I wasn’t going to be hurt because someone was walking by my side and would catch me. That gave
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Ruth Quigley
GAINING CONFIDENCE ON ROADS Twenty-five-year-old Ruth Quigley hadn’t been on a bike since primary school and was scared of the roads. Thanks to confidence-building cycling classes from the Inverclyde Bothy, she’s now loving the freedom of travelling on two wheels. After Ruth’s workplace signed up to the Inverclyde Bothy’s Cyclist Friendly Café scheme in 2019, she got chatting to a Cycling UK development officer and found out how she could get a refurbished bicycle and take confidence-building cycling classes. “I was a bit nervous at first,” she said. “I was always on pavements before the course. I’d never tried to cycle on roads.” Ruth completed a series of one-to-one classes with Bothy cycling instructor, Keith Fergus. The sessions were tailored to her needs, so Ruth’s first class was entirely on traffic-free cycle paths. “He took me along cycle paths first, to get used to signalling and things like that,” she said. From being terrified of riding on roads just a year ago, Ruth now gets a thrill from cycling at speed: “The speed you’re going, especially when you’re going as fast as you can, it’s really nice. I enjoy it! Sometimes the bike just feels a part of you, flying along.”
HOW YOUR MEMBERSHIP HELPS Cycling UK’s members play a pivotal role in helping us to bring cycling to more people in more areas. Not only do many of our projects and groups rely on amazing volunteers, but together we are able to speak up for cycling with a louder voice. By campaigning to improve infrastructure, access, and road safety, we increase awareness around cycling and the amazing things we can achieve with adequate funding. Without you we wouldn’t be able to support people like Ruth, Alana and Jack and the many thousands of others who have benefitted from one of our behaviour change projects.
NORTHERN IRELAND AND WALES Cycling UK projects are primarily funded by through transport budgets – the Department for Transport in England and Transport Scotland in Scotland. Some projects also receive funds from Sport England or local authorities. Unfortunately, we are not funded in Wales and Northern Ireland at the moment. Cycling UK has development officers based in both countries. They work with and support existing and new groups and clubs, other organisations and stakeholders, and deal with matters relating to cycling. Always looking out for the next opportunity, we hope to be running behaviour change programmes across all corners of the UK very soon.
LOCAL HEROES
Right: Joolze Dymond
Left: Paul Campbell
Cycling UK development officers are working on projects across England and Scotland to help more people enjoy the benefits cycling brings
Cycling development officers/projects NB. Map is incomplete and only shows British islands with a development officer/project
Top right: Rural Connections project in the Scottish Highlands Below right: In Tandem runs rides for blind and visually impaired people Top left: The Big Bike Revival at Platt Fields, Manchester Below left: Birmingham community cycle club ride
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Details Where: Iceland Start/finish: Hella to Akureyri Distance: 335km (208 miles) Photos: Getty Images, Richard Ingham, Mike Lee
Top: Outskirts of Hella, at the start. It got wilder and more remote… Bottom: Hofsjökull
ICELAND
G R E AT R I D E S
RICHARD INGHAM Bicycle Mayor Richard is the Bicycle Mayor of Cumbria, as well as a keen touring cyclist
Great Rides
HIGHLANDS OF ICELAND
Cycling across the Sprengisandur, Iceland’s vast plateau, means gravel roads and river crossings. Richard Ingham leapt at the chance in 2019
D
o you fancy crossing Iceland by bike? The question from my cycling friend Mike came out of the blue. He didn’t know that I’d had an obsession with Iceland since my schooldays. Two months later we were in the village of Hella, east of Reykjavík. Our plan was to ride from the south coast to the north using the infamous F roads through the Highlands, a 335km, five-day journey. We knew that the trip was at the mercy of the Icelandic weather. I’d read about travellers being stopped in their tracks by driving wind and rain. So it was with some relief that we set off in shorts and T-shirts.
INTO THE VASTNESS On the second day, heading north on the F26 under blue skies and with a warm tailwind, we finally left civilisation behind. Passing traffic was less than one vehicle per hour. The vistas were vast. The huge lake of Þórisvatn was on our right. Two specks of colour in the distance turned out to be two walkers with heavy packs. They were also from the UK, and conversation flowed freely. It was with weary legs that we rolled up to the Versalir hut in the late afternoon. The door was locked; this was a private cabin, not one of the Icelandic Touring Association huts. But to our surprise there were stables (for pony trekking tours). The door was open and, despite a strong smell of straw bedding, Mike opted to sleep in them. I stuck with our tent. We were just settling into our respective
Do it yourself
Iceland by bike The first crossing of the Sprengisandur by bike was completed in 1933 by amateur astronomer and CTC member Horace Dall. He rode alone, although a local farmer rowed him across a river. There’s a great video online: vimeo.com/98904694. The first unassisted crossing was by legendary Rough-Stuff Fellowship cyclist Dick Phillips and two companions in 1958. Dick became the UK’s Iceland adventure expert well before the country was on the tourist trail. Sadly, he died in 2019.
abodes when two figures loomed out of the dusk. They had been walking all day, navigating by GPS, off trail, and were jolly glad to see us and to have use of the stables. Small mercies!
RIVER CROSSINGS By the third day we were feeling sufficiently confident in this empty landscape that we opted for a longer, even more remote route as we headed for Nýidalur, a hut in the centre of the interior. We left the relative safety of the F26 and rode north on an unmaintained track. The massive icefield of Hofsjökull started to reveal itself to the west – as did its icy blasts of katabatic winds, mixing strangely with our warm tailwind. It was mid-morning before we saw any vehicles: a convoy of Land Rovers equipped with snorkels. “Any deep fords?” I asked the lead driver. “No problems for you today,” he said. “The rivers are low.” I relaxed and started to take in the detail of the landscape. At first, it seemed devoid of vegetation. But if you looked carefully there were splashes of colour – vivid green moss, yellow algae, and bright flowers squeezing through the stony ground. We waded across a crystal clear river in canoe shoes, then had our second and last human contact of the day: a Vatnajökull National Park Ranger in a large 4×4. She was on a mission to remove wild lupins – the flowers we’d noticed. They weren’t native to Iceland, she said. Seeds were accidentally brought on American
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G R E AT R I D E S
ICELAND
Fact file
Highlands of Iceland Distance: 335km over five days. Route: Hella to Akureyri via Hrauneyjar (F268, F26), Versalir hut (F26), Nýidalur hut (unmaintained tracks), Laugafell hut (F26, F752), and Akureyri (F821). Conditions: Tracks vary from maintained gravel to loose stone, ‘washboard’ tracks, and short stretches of sand. Many river crossings. Weather: Warm and sunny. We were lucky! Best time to go: JulySeptember. The F roads aren’t cleared of snow until late June: road.is/ travel-info/conditionand-opening-ofmountain-roads
contractors’ vehicles when building a dam. The track became quite sketchy as we pressed on into the evening, our eyes scanning the vastness for evidence of Nýidalur hut, our night’s resting place. It marked the entry to Sprengisandur, a wild and bleak place even by the standards of Iceland’s Highlands. But what a sunset we were treated to!
Accommodation:
Icelandic Touring Association cabins (fi. is/en) and Touring Club of Akureyri (ffa.is/en) Advanced booking is recommended.
Maps & guides:
HOT SPRINGS The following day we penetrated further into Sprengisandur. I’d read that some travellers find the landscape monotonous but that was never the case for me. Cycling provided just the right amount of progress, and the stony surface required attention, keeping any risk of boredom at bay. Sometimes Mike and I rode side by side, chatting without any concern for traffic. At other times we might be a mile apart, lost in our own thoughts. We were on the F752 heading for Laugafell (879m) and its hut, which is next to a natural thermal pool. I dropped my bike and jumped straight in. It was like the hottest bath you can bear but surrounded by a dramatic landscape and pure mountain air. The following day was our final and longest day on the bikes. Our objective was Akureyri, Iceland’s second largest ‘city’ (population 18,000), some 85km distant. Navigation was straightforward: junctions and turns come up at the rate of only two or three per day in the Icelandic Highlands. But you need to be absolutely sure you take the right route.
DOWN FROM THE PLATEAU As we came off the plateau, we could see the huge, glaciated trench of Eyjafjardalur stretching out in front of us. We descended on the roughest surface
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Top to bottom: Nýidalur sunset. Pasture, Akureyri. Eyjafjörður descent
we had encountered, our rigid gravel bikes and panniers taking a pounding. Vivid greens of moss appeared where streams cascaded down the valley sides. Then we came across a farmer on a quad bike bringing hay to his sheep, then farmsteads with ponies. It could have been the Lake District! But we still had a long way to go and we hadn’t reached tarmac yet. We took it in turns to take the lead into a strong headwind. Gravel became tarmac. Then the sign for Akureyri appeared. We had returned to civilisation. It was, Mike and I agreed, our biggest adventure to date.
More info Read about more Icelandic adventures by Cycling UK members online: cyclinguk.org/iceland
Íslandskort General Maps 1:300,000 scale – South West Iceland, South East Iceland, North East Iceland. Rough Guide to Iceland, Lonely Planet Iceland Supplies: Five days supply of food, plus stove. Water: use only from clear streams, avoid glacial melt water (milky colour).
I’m glad I had… Researched route options, booked all our accommodation, and had Mike as a companion!
Advice
CYCLOPEDIA Right: Alamy
Right: Joolze Dymond
Questions answered, subjects explained – Cyclopedia is your bimonthly cycling reference guide Ride behind a trusted friend to help with road positioning
Witnesses and video evidence are invaluable
Legal
Knocked off bike
Q & A
Q
Health
Partial vision
Your Experts
Q
I suffered a detached retina in my right eye five years ago and now rely on my left. That's corrected to driving standard with glasses, but I have some issues with balance, my road position, and judging distances. Do you have any advice? Ruth Cooper
A
Retinal detachment is not common but is an emergency that presents with flashing lights, floaters, a dark shape, or blurring of vision. Immediate treatment within 24 hours can reduce the long-term damage. You are now essentially cycling blind on your right side. You will need to compensate by turning your head to the right to check the field of vision that side. It may be more stressful riding at the front of a group, so maybe you could tuck in behind a trusted friend to help with road positioning? You have also lost the ability to judge distance that binocular visions gives us. There are some downhill mountain bikers who have sight in only one eye. They advise a relaxed but balanced stance with Coronavirus a good centre of gravity to absorb For up-to-date unexpected bumps and bends. The cyclists’ advice brain can adapt amazingly well regarding Covid-19, after changes in health. visit: cyclinguk.org/ Dr Kate Brodie coronavirus
DR KATE BRODIE Retired GP {Health}
Cycling home one afternoon I was wiped out by a car, which pulled straight across me into a junction. I was cycling downhill at 20-25mph in free moving but not particularly busy traffic. I was knocked out and woke up in the road being helped by people. I went by ambulance to hospital, and I have four broken ribs, a small lung puncture, plus a shoulder dislocation that will probably need an operation. The incident is on dashcam, and the police say it was shocking driving. First time this has happened to me so I was just after some advice really. Gehrman, from the Cycling UK Forum
A
RICHARD HALLETT Cycle’s Technical Editor {Technical}
RICHARD GAFFNEY Principal Lawyer, Slater + Gordon Lawyers {Legal}
From your description, it sounds as though you would have a valid legal claim. The general position is that if you are injured as a result of a third party’s negligence, then you have the basis of an actionable claim. However, the full circumstances of the incident would need to be considered before coming to such a conclusion. The police investigation report (if there is one), witness evidence, and the evidence from the dashcam would be invaluable in determining whether the driver was completely at fault, and whether or not the manner of your cycling had any part to play in the incident. It sounds as if you have sustained some nasty injuries. Many cyclists involved in these types of incident can suffer significant injuries which can
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Q&A
have immediate and ongoing effects on their livelihood, physically and financially. In establishing this, further evidence would need to be obtained, namely: medical evidence setting out the nature and extent of your injuries; whether there is any risk of deterioration over time; and how this would affect the value of your claim. You must also ensure that you issue your claim within the time limit set by law, which is usually three years from the date of the incident. As a member of Cycling UK, you have access to the Cycling UK Incident Line where you are entitled to a free initial assessment and preferential treatment, with no deductions of solicitors’ fees from your compensation; many law firms charge up to 25%. Richard Gaffney
Technical
Cable discs with STI levers
Q
I have a 2012 SRAM Red 10-speed mechanical groupset. I thought I’d run mechanical discs off the shifters. The TRP Spyre (road callipers) I’m using are okay but really just about okay. They’re not in the same league as the SRAM Red rim callipers, and nothing compared to my TRP Hylex RS hydraulics. Is there likely a compatibility issue? Or do I just need to try to improve the setup? Jupestar, via the Cycling UK forum
A
TRP say the Spyre calliper will work with ‘any drop bar levers on the market’, which includes SRAM Red 2012 levers, so compatibility should not be the issue. Cable-operated disc callipers can prove a disappointment to anyone used to full hydraulic operation, but assuming you have given the brakes plenty of time to bed in, you may consider further work on cable choice, cable routing and pad choice. In my experience, TRP’s own
HY/RD hybrid calliper (pictured) offers superior performance if you wish to use cable-operated disc brakes. Failing that, there’s always the option of reverting to the calliper rim brakes. Richard Hallett
Technical
Boxed touring bike
Q
Will a bike with rear and front racks fit in a bike box? I have transported my bike on planes in a cardboard box before but am considering a hard bike box. The images of all the boxes I find online show them with fancy road bikes. Will my Genesis Tour de Fer with a wide flat handlebar and racks fit in a typical bike box without removing them? iorek, from the Cycling UK Forum
A
Since both bike boxes and bikes come in a variety of sizes, it is impossible to give a definitive answer beyond that you are unlikely to fit a bike frame with racks on it inside a bike box. Some bike boxes are indeed made for lightweight road bikes, without racks or mudguards, and you may struggle to fit either of the latter inside, even if removed from the bike. That said, mudguards can be wrapped around wheels and racks interleaved with the frame to take up less space. A flat bar should be no problem as most bike boxes require the handlebar to be removed for packing, and a flat bar takes up less room than a drop bar. Otherwise, Thule’s Round Trip Transition (pictured) should be big enough to take any disassembled bike plus rack and mudguards; the workstand inside this bike box can be left behind if necessary. Richard Hallett
CYCLO PE D IA
Technical
Chain cleaning
Q
This morning was my first outing on a new bike. Unfortunately the roads were damp. I’d be grateful for advice on how to clean the chain. I was thinking of using a stiff brush and also cleaning the cassette and chainrings with a damp cloth. kgw2511, from the Cycling UK Forum
A
My own method, to be used with an oil-based wet lube, is to apply a degreaser such as Morgan Blue Chain Cleaner to the chain by brush, agitating the rollers to work the degreaser into the chain’s rollers. You can also use the degreaser to soften dirt on the rear mech jockey wheels and cassette sprockets. Next, rinse the chain using clean water while rotating the crank. A handpumped pressure washer is ideal for flushing out the degreaser without excessive force. Alternatively, use a sponge filled with hot water: wrap it around the chain, squeezing while running the chain through it. Rinse the dirt off the sprockets and jockey wheels in the same way. Apply a water-dispersant such as WD40 to the chain to drive out the water now inside the chain bushings. Then wipe the chain dry using an old rag, and apply lube before riding. Before getting started on a wellused chain, check for wear. If worn to its limit, the chain may not be worth cleaning and can be thrown in the bin. Richard Hallett
Thule’s capacious Round Trip Transition
Get in touch EMAIL your technical, health, or legal questions to editor@cyclinguk.org or write to Cyclopedia, Cycle, PO Box 313, Scarborough, YO12 6WZ. We regret that Cycle magazine cannot answer unpublished queries. But don’t forget that Cycling UK operates a free-to-members advice line for personal injury claims, TEL: 0330 107 1789.
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CYCLOPEDIA
r e d n i f Bike Which bike should I buy? Ask us at cyclinguk.org/bikefinder
Rigid mountain bike For: Paul Thompson, age 55, from Milton Keynes Bike needs: I’d like something for commuting and fun. Not long rides, but lots of short ones. I love going off-road, but I’m not very rad. So: forest trails, canal-side paths, bridleways, as well as badly-maintained cycle paths. Must have: I’d really like 1×11 or 1×12 gears. Must not have: Suspension. Budget: Ideally £1,000. I guess I could go to £1,200 Paul Thompson
Guy Kesteven
The Sonder Frontier (from £849, alpkit. com) ticks all your boxes. It’s a cross-country aluminium hardtail that you can buy with either a 100mm suspension fork or a rigid aluminium fork. Other options include: 1×12 Deore or 1×12 SRAM SX Eagle (Deore adds £100); and 29er or 27.5+ wheels (no price difference). I tested a rigid SRAM SX model with 27.5+ wheels earlier this year (cyclinguk.org/cycle-magazine/bike-test-sonder-frontierrigid-275). It was £50 cheaper then but it remains good value for money. There are frame fittings for mudguards and luggage cages, so it’ll work for commuting or bikepacking as well as mountain biking. You could fit a rear pannier rack if you added a seatpost clamp with integral eyelets. For the riding you describe, I’d recommend 29er wheels rather than 27.5+. It doesn’t sound like you need the cushioning and rough-surface control that plus-tyres provide, and 29er tyres will be less draggy on tarmac and smoother trails. Wide gravel tyres such as Schwalbe’s G-One Allround in 57-622 (£59.99 each) might work better than mountain bike tyres for the same reason. The combination of a rigid fork and a flat or riser bar can be hard on the hands, even with 29er tyres. If it’s a problem, try comfier grips (e.g. ESI Chunky Grips, £16) in combination with Cane Creek Ergo Control bar ends (£29.99). A back-swept loop handlebar like the On-One Geoff (£29.99) also works well, but you’ll need to fit longer brake hoses and a longer gear cable.
ON ONE BOOTZIPPER 29ER SRAM SX
SONDER FRONTIER SX EAGLE RIGID
£763.99
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Dan Joyce
One thousand pounds is a decent amount of money but not wanting suspension narrows your options considerably. Most mainstream brands assume that everyone wants the extra cost and complexity of a suspension fork. On-One have two options, the best of which will depend on your attitude to weight. The Bootzipper (£763.99 at time of writing, planetx.co.uk) is their all-steel, rigid-fork adventure bike. The slim steel tubes and fork give a smooth, gliding ride, particularly in the 29er wheel format. It comes with all the fixtures you’re likely to need for bottles, cages, mudguards and bikepacking bags, and it has 1×12 speed SRAM SX Eagle gearing. The only downside is that the frame and fork are pretty heavy, so it’s no lighter than a bike with an alloy frame and suspension fork. I’d suggest upgrading the tyres to something faster and lighter than the standard Fire XC Sport tyres. On-One let you tweak the build if you ask nicely, though, and generally have a good stock of Vittoria rubber– in which case the AKA would be a good choice. If you want something faster and feistier, then the On-One Whippet (currently £999.99) has a full carbon frame and fork. It’s a lot lighter and has a sportier ride in general. Broad WTB rims and a wide riser bar still give it a surefooted, power-assisted steering feel if you end up going quicker than you expected in the woods. It too comes with SRAM SX Eagle 12-speed, but there are fewer fixtures for bags, mudguards, etc.
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£849
Biketest
Expedition tourers Load up and hit the road less travelled. Simon Withers tests a Spa Wayfarer and a Thorn Nomad Mk3
T
SIMON WITHERS Journalist Simon has been a cycling journalist for over 20 years. His tours have included a northto-south trip across Australia
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wo of Britain’s most respected purveyors of tourers have supplied this issue’s expedition bikes: Spa Cycles and Thorn. Both bikes are designed to carry you and your kit on extended tours over some of the worst road – and non-road – surfaces you’re likely to encounter. The Spa Wayfarer and Thorn Nomad Mk3 are both made from chrome-moly steel, long the standard material for touring bikes, and have drop bars. While there is a major price difference, much of that is down to the Thorn’s Rohloff hub gear, which bumps the cost significantly. We’d hoped to test a cheaper, derailleur-equipped Nomad but that wasn’t possible due to a shortage of derailleurs when the test was commissioned. One area in which Spa and Thorn have broken with touring convention is braking: both have discs. Their cable-actuated TRPs may not have the all-out stopping power of hydraulic discs but I’d
prefer mechanical discs in the back of beyond for their serviceability and their ability to survive freezing weather. And should your rims get bashed out of true, discs of any kind mean you'll still be able to brake safely. Both bikes are available in a panoply of sizes and with numerous different kit and component options. Thorn’s Mk3 Nomad is also compatible with S&S couplings, a Gates belt drive, and a propstand, which I’ve found handy on loaded tourers.
Frame and Fork It’s steel, of course, for both the Spa and the Thorn. The numbers may be different – Reynolds 725 for the Spa and Thorn’s own 969 for its Nomad – but the steels themselves are much the
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BIKE TEST
First look
Thorn's bombproof load lugger is now available with three wheel sizes and either derailleur or Rohloff gearing
Tech Spec
THORN NOMAD MK3
same. Both are butted, main frame tubes by a few heat-treated chromemillimetres, the seatstays molybdenum steel, and by a whopping 6mm or so. both should last years This oversizing even if looked after, barring extends to the Thorn’s catastrophic crashes. rack mounts. With the Should that happen, steel exception of the lower rear is more readily repairable boss, these are M6, which than aluminium, titanium is too big to fit a standard or carbon fibre. Tubus strut unless you Both bikes are durably painstakingly enlarge the built, however. They’re hole. It does mean you neatly TIG-welded, with can carry heavier loads gussets under their down but I had to break out the tubes where they join P-clips from storage to fit Top: A 180mm front rotor and linear-pull brakes provide more the head tubes. This a rack for the test. Thorn’s stopping power, while a thrustiffens the area and adds own racks are of course axle fork limits steering flex strength. The Nomad has compatible. Bottom: The shifter is neater here than on the end of the Thorn’s new superbly handlebar but there’s less Components industrial-looking Bikespace for lights, gadgets, etc The most obvious Packing Disc fork, which difference between the can accommodate 650B two is the gearing. The Spa has ninetyres up to 60mm wide. As Thorn say: speed Sora with a triple chainset, “carrying an extra pound of steel in the giving 27 theoretical ratios. The Rohloff frame is the most effective insurance hub gear on Thorn’s Nomad only has 14 you can have.” ratios but they’re sequential and there It’s a similar story throughout the are no redundant gears. frames, with the Thorn like a steel bike The Spa’s gear range, with 50mm on steroids, which accounts for its tyres, is 23-124in. You’re rarely going 160kg (over 25 stone) maximum overall to need a 124in top gear on tour, rider-and-luggage weight. In addition and I’d go lower overall for loaded to having a more muscular-looking expeditioning. fork, all of the Thorn’s frame tubes are The Rohloff delivers a more larger in diameter than the Spa’s, the
spokes, Rohloff Speedhub. Transmission: Thorn flat pedals, Thorn 43T chainring, VP BC73 bottom bracket, KMC Rohloff -specific chain, Rohloff Speedhub & twistgrip shifter. 14 ratios, ~20-104in. Brakes: Tektro TRP linear-pull levers, Tektro TRP Spyke mechanical callipers, 180/160mm front/ rear rotors. Steering & seating: cork tape, 420mm Van Nicholas bar, 90mm Van Nicholas stem, FSA Orbit XLII seatpost, Brooks B17 Super Champion leather saddle, Thorn 400×27.2mm seatpost. Equipment: 70mm SKS Chromoplastic mudguards thorncycles.co.uk
Price: £2,791.60 as tested Sizes: 40, 47 stepthrough; 50S, 50L, 52S, 52L, 55S, 55L, 58S, 58L, 61S, 61L (55S tested) Weight: 16kg Frame & fork: Thorn 969 double-butted chrome-moly frame, Thorn eccentric bottom bracket, quick-release rear dropouts, and fittings for rear rack, mudguard, 3 bottles. Reynolds chrome-moly steel fork with straight steerer, 110×15mm thru-axle, and fittings for guards & rack. Wheels: 57-584 Schwalbe G-One Allround tyres, Ryde Rival 26 rims, 32×2/1.8/2mm spokes, Shimano front hub, 32×2/1.8/2mm rear
Dimensions in millimetres and degrees
655 555 73˚
800 59
66
142
450
645 70˚
92
510
702
170 310
584
1085
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BIKE TEST
First look
A more traditional tourer, yet designed to take wide tyres for dirt-road travelling or rough-stuff exploring. Keenly priced
Tech Spec
SPA WAYFARER
expedition-like bottom shifting. Both setups offer gear of just under 20in. consistent, controlled It’s worth emphasising, braking, with the Thorn however, that both Spa having a bit more stopping and Thorn can specify the power. As well as those gears to your particular linear-pull brakes, it has a preferences. larger (180mm) front rotor. Both gearings systems Both bikes have Brooks worked without issue, and saddles – the Thorn a I found I quickly got used leather B17 and the Spa a to the Rohloff’s rotary more modern Cambium shifter. You can change C17 with a nylon chassis. gear while stationary on I feared the worst with the Thorn, as you can with the leather saddle, other hub gear bikes, but having never got on with Top: Sora STI levers give the rotary shifter does eat them before. Yet while I convenient shifting but into your handlebar real preferred the firm-butsomewhat limit lower gears. Smaller chainrings are an estate. If you run lights, comfortable Cambium, option – and Spa stock them GPS and a bell on the the B17 was okay too. Bottom: The short-pull version of TRP’s dual-piston calliper handlebar, you may have The honey colour sets to adapt; I put a bell on off the Thorn’s gunmetal the stem. The Spa’s FSA paintwork nicely too. bar is my favourite shape for endurance Differences in equipment are also riding, having ovalised tops. evident in the bikes’ wheels. Our The brakes look the same at first Thorn test bike has 650B (ISO 584) glance. They’re cable-actuated discs rims – although you can alternatively from TRP with two moving pistons. order the Nomad Mk3 with 26in or The difference is that those on the Spa 700C wheels. The Spa Wayfarer has are the road version, Spyre, since the traditional 700C wheels. Both have Wayfarer has Sora levers. The Thorn gone big when it comes to tyres. The has the off-road version: Spyke. These Spa has 50mm Panaracer GravelKing callipers require linear-pull levers, tyres, the biggest that will (just) which Thorn are free to use as the squeeze under its mudguards. The Nomad doesn’t employ brifters for gear Thorn has 57mm Schwalbe G-Ones, the
chainset with Zicral rings, First F-2001 bottom bracket, KMC X9-93 chain, 9-speed Shimano HG400 1134 cassette. Shimano Sora shifters, Sora front mech, Sora rear mech. 27 ratios, 23-124in. Brakes: Shimano Sora levers, TRP Spyre-C mechanical callipers, 160mm TRP rotors. Steering & seating: Cork tape, 420×31.8mm FSA Wing Compact bar, 100mm FSA Omega 168 stem, FSA Orbit Equipe sealed bearing headset. Brooks Cambium C17 saddle, 350×27.2mm Deda RSX02 seatpost. Equipment: Tubus Cargo rear rack, Tubus Tara low-rider front rack, 50mm Sunny Wheel plastic mudguards. spacycles.co.uk
Price: £1,390 as tested Sizes: 47, 50, 54, 58cm long; 47, 50, 54, 58cm short (54 long tested) Weight: 13.9kg Frame & fork: Reynolds 725 chrome-moly butted frame with threaded BSA bottom bracket, quick-release dropouts, and fittings for rear rack, mudguard, 3 bottles. Chrome-moly fork with straight steerer, quick-release dropouts, fittings for mudguard and front rack. Wheels: 50-622 Panaracer GravelKing tyres, Kinlin XR26 RTS rims, Bitex 106 hubs, 32×3 Sapim Race (Sapim Strong driveside rear) 2/1.8/2mm spokes. Transmission: no pedals, XD-2 Touring Triple 48-38-28
Dimensions in millimetres and degrees
680 573 73˚
840 58
68
135
460
635 70.5˚
85
540
732
170 310
622
1090
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cyclinguk.org/ride/touring-andexpedition
Above: Thorn’s stronglybuilt dual crown fork Near right: 50mm tyres and a mudguard just fit Top right: When it wears, flip it round Bottom right: 48-38-28 triple chainset. Bit big?
widest tyres I’ve ridden. The tyres have similar qualities. They each have small knobbles – the Schwalbe’s are round, the Panaracer’s square – that allow you to ride on tarmac without too much of your energy being wasted, while offering grip when the riding surface starts to break up. Both performed very well on hard-packed grit and gravel, canal towpaths, and unsurfaced Sustrans routes, and they were great over potholed roads and for dropping down kerbs.
The ride There’s no surprise that both Spa and Thorn have delivered very comfortable bikes – steel frames and the sort of superwide rubber that would have been unheard of a few years ago will do that. In spite of their differing wheels sizes, the rides of the two bikes have much in common. Once the tyres are taken into account, the overall wheel diameters aren't radically different. Many of the geometry numbers are within a few millimetres of each other too. The Spa is taller at the front, made even more so by the spacers, but both bikes major on stability and comfort rather than speed. And both carry your kit ungrudgingly, like an Olympic weight lifter. I felt that I had to muscle the Thorn’s front end a bit more into corners, and that
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Other options
GENESIS TOUR DE FER 20 £1,699.99
Flat-bar tourer with disc brakes, dynohub, a Reynolds 725 frame, and triple chainset gearing, this time based on Shimano’s 10-speed Deore.
genesisbikes.co.uk
BOMBTRACK ARISE TOUR £1,950
Bar-end shifters, a 46-30 chainset and a super-wide 11-42 cassette. Comes with Tubus racks and dynohub lighting. Reviewed in the Feb/ Mar 21 issue.
bombtrack.com
even with its massive tyres you could feel the extra stiffness imbued by the Thorn’s oversize tubes and front thru-axle. The payoff for that is that it could carry expedition loads heavier than any I’d be able to haul. Conversely, the weight saving of the Spa over the Thorn will be more relevant the less luggage you're carrying. For unladen (or less laden) rough-stuff riding, for example, that could be an important factor.
Verdict
Either of these bikes would work well for taking a year off and seeing the world. If I was carrying camping gear and yomping over mountains on very poor roads, I’d probably pick the super tough Nomad, which lives up to its name. I’d go lower still with the gearing, and might pick tubeless tyres for more comfort, but that’s about it. The straightthrough Rohloff gears are simple to use and are as tough-as, and the wider tyres on our test model suit dirt roads well. For less heavy-duty expeditions, when I wasn’t carrying everything I own, I’d consider the Spa Wayfarer. Again, I’d like lower gears – and Spa do offer custom ratios as an option. The Wayfarer is a very comfortable, long-distance tourer that comes with quality handbuilt wheels, mudguards, and Tubus racks at an excellent price. With slimmer tyres and minus the front rack, it could also make a good commuter or audax bike.
BIKE TEST
CHILDREN’S BIKE
Dimensions in millimetres and degrees
508 460 74˚
594 42
380
512 71.5˚
54
102
350
589
140
240
135 507 37
887
Tech Spec
ISLABIKES LUATH 24
Biketest
Islabikes Luath 24 Cycling UK’s Victoria Hazael and her two children, aged eight and ten, test Islabikes’ smallest drop-bar all-rounder
T
Other options
he Luath has been A small drop bar in easy in the Islabikes reach of the saddle gets range for around the riding position right. 15 years. While it’s still Reduced-reach brake levers intended for everything allow safe stopping for riders from junior cyclocross and with smaller hands. And 1×8 road racing to touring or Shimano Claris gearing is cycling to school, much has intuitive for those of primary Above: These auxiliary brake changed. Gone are the steel school age. levers have gone, but the fork and cantilever brakes: Fitted with the optional Luath’s drop-bar levers are the Luath now has a carbon gravel tyres rather than well suited to smaller hands fork and cable disc brakes. standard road ones, our The 24 (there’s also a 26, test model was heavier a 700 Small, and a 700 Large) is designed than listed but was still lightweight and for children aged eight to ten, depending manoeuvrable thanks to its aluminium on their height and leg measurements. frame and carbon fork. Our Luath was Designed is the key word. It’s not just a ridden for cyclocross and performed well, smaller version of an adult bike but one with a bit more grip in muddy and stony whose geometry and components have places than other bikes. On King Alfred’s been refined to suit children. Way it was brilliant on the muddy sections, Short cranks and a narrow – and lower with better clearances than the adults’ – bottom bracket allow more ergonomic off-road bikes. Both children also did lots pedalling and easier stopping and starting. of cycling journeys around town on roads
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WORX JA-24
FROG 67 £560.00
A popular bike on the start line of any children’s road or cyclocross race.
Quality road bike designed specifically for children but it’s out of stock until spring 2022.
worxbikes.com
frogbikes.co.uk
£595.00
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DE C E M B E R 20 2 1/JAN UARY 2022
Price: £799.99 Sizes: one size (other Luath models available) Weight: 9.15kg (20.13lb) as shown Frame & fork: Aluminium frame with fittings for rear rack, mudguard, 1 bottle. Carbon fork with mudguard mounts. Wheels: 37-507 Islabikes gravel tyres, Islabikes Easy-TyreChange aluminium rims, 24 spokes, 9×100mm QR front hub, 10×135mm QR rear hub. Transmission: Islabikes flat pedals, 140mm Islabikes aluminium cranks, 34t SRAM-fit direct
mount narrow-wide chainring, 8-speed Sunrace 11-34t cassette. Shimano Claris shifter, Shimano Claris GS rear derailleur. 8 ratios, 23-72in. Brakes: Shimano Claris levers with reduced reach, Tektro flat-mount cable disc callipers. Steering & seating: Ultra-slim gel bar tape, Islabikes 340mm wide shallow, short reach drops, 60mm Islabikes stem, 1 1/8in external threadless headset. Islabikes saddle, 25.4×250mm aluminium inline seatpost. islabikes.co.uk
and cycle paths. They often argued over whose turn it was to ride it. This was the first drop-handlebar bike my children have ridden. Despite the fact that the Luath no longer has auxiliary bar-top brake levers, both of them quickly adjusted to braking and shifting gear in a different way. The Luath 24 has frame fittings for mudguards and a pannier rack, both of which can be ordered when buying the bike, so it also works well for cycling to school or for touring. Many ‘adult-sized’ bikepacking bags will fit on it too.
Verdict
A fantastic, mulitipurpose children’s bike, which makes it much easier for your child to ride on drops at an earlier age. It’s fairly expensive but fills several roles – and can be sold on for a good price secondhand. Or you can get one on subscription from the Bike Club (cyclinguk.org/member-benefit/bike-club).
GROUPTEST
R E A R PA N N I ER S
Details
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
1
Grouptest
Rear panniers P
LIZ COLEBROOK Framebuilder Liz is a framebuilder and the owner of Beaumont Bicycle. She’s also a qualified occupational therapist
How much a pannier holds, measured in litres. An average single rear pannier holds about 20-25L, a single front pannier half that.
expect our panniers to leak. Construction methods and materials can boast impressive waterproof credentials, but the closure system is also relevant in keeping stuff dry.
2
4
Attachment system
How a pannier hooks onto the luggage rack. This should include a safety system to prevent panniers from jumping off. Look for modular hooks as not all racks have the same size (or shaped) tubing. The hook-to-rack fit should be as snug as possible or it will ‘chatter’ in motion.
Large capacity panniers can accommodate camping loads, long-trip essentials, or simply grocery shopping. Liz Colebrook tests four pairs anniers put big loads on the bike rather than on your back. More capacious than bikepacking bags, they traditionally come in pairs and attach to a luggage rack via a userfriendly hook system, making them secure in transit yet quick to remove and carry about. For longer expeditions, an additional front rack fitted to the fork with smaller panniers can extend capacity while keeping the load balanced. A single rear pannier is popular with commuters and day-trippers; it all depends on how much you need to carry. If you don’t have enough stuff for a single rear then a small front pannier used at the rear works well (and is also a good way to introduce children to cycle touring). But for a weekly shop or a longer excursion, a pair of practical rear panniers is ideal.
Capacity
3
Weather Resistance
Nowadays, we don’t
Functionality
This includes ease of access, heel clearance, ease of carrying when off the bike, optional extras, and visibility.
5
Durability
Panniers need to stand the test of time as we cart our ‘goods and shackles’ about. Being able to order spares or have worn parts repaired is a major plus; some manufacturers offer this service.
4
1
2 3
Cycle’s test promise At Cycle, we are proudly independent. There’s no pressure to please advertisers as we’re funded by your membership. Our product reviews aren’t press releases; they’re written by experienced cyclists after thorough testing.
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GROUPTEST
R E A R PA N N I ER S
1
2
Verdict The weight, capacity, and weather resistance of the £35 Decathlon and £115 Brooks bags are similar, so the £80 price difference is a matter of pocket position, roll and tether preference, and materials. The Brooks wins on style but you won’t beat the Decathlon on value. As panniers sold as pairs, the Ortlieb Back-Roller Plus and Carradice Super C are similarly priced but have different strengths. The Ortlieb customer will likely put worst-case scenario waterproofness first, functionality second, and bolt-on extras third. I think the Carradice customer would put easy access first, with slightly less dramatic waterproofness and huge capacity joint second.
Handlebar bags
Keep your valuables close at hand. See cyclinguk.org/cyclemagazine/choosebest-bar-baggroup-test
More online
3
For more reviews of bikes, kit and components, as well as how-to guides, visit...
4
1BikeDecathlon Elops 25L Bag 900
cyclinguk.org/advice
Brooks 2 Scape Large Pannier
Carradice 3 Super C Rear Panniers
THIS IS A single 25L pannier with adjustable KlickFix hooks (fitting rack tubing 6-16mm) and an anti-sway ‘elbow’. The rainproof polyamide fabric is a welded construction with a rolldown top, making water ingress virtually impossible. Features include a rear light loop and reflective sections on both sides, plus an inside pocket. It’s light at 790g but perhaps at the expense of durability, as there’s no reinforcement at the base.
OFFICIALLY ‘MUD GREEN’, this 22L pannier is made from a 100% waterproof polyester with welded seams and a roll-top closure. Aluminium hooks secure the top either side. The base has reinforcement and there’s a waterproof-zip front pocket. Both sides feature a reflective daisy-chain loop system to attach an optional pack (Scape Saddle Pocket Bag, £42.50). The pannier attaches to 6-16mm rack tubing with KlickFix adjustable fittings. Weight: 760g. Max load: 9kg.
HAND STITCHED IN Lancashire, the waxed cotton duck Super Cs hold 54L per pair and weigh 1,220g each. They’re robust – ideal for a heavy grocery shop. They’re asymmetrically shaped for heel clearance, and stand on a reinforced base. They have side pockets and a lid-anddrawcord top closure, which is quicker to access but not so watertight if they fell into a river. The hook system is strong and adjustable; there’s an accessory (£10) if your rack requires 16mm hooks.
THE BACK ROLLER is Ortlieb’s market leading roll-top pannier, where the strap tethering the roll doubles as a shoulder strap when you’re off the bike. ‘Plus’ denotes the lighter, dearer PS36C waterproof material. Each pannier holds 20L, weighs 840g, and features an inside mesh pocket, reinforced corners, and easily adjustable hooks (8-16mm). Available in green, blue, red or black, these are fully serviceable panniers (repairs via UK distributer). There’s a range of optional attachments.
Quite simply an excellent value for money pannier.
A very classy, stylish pannier, ideal for lighter loads.
Bags of room for a big shop or tour – and handmade to endure.
State of the art waterproof panniers in various colours.
Kompaktrail
£115 EACH brooksengland.com
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DE C E MB E R 20 2 1/JAN UARY 2022
£140/PAIR ortlieb.com
£127/PAIR carradice.co.uk
£34.99 EACH decathlon.co.uk
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4 Ortlieb Back Roller Plus
CYCLE
H O L I DAY S & D I R EC TO RY
Rough stuff Rough Stuff
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TRAVELLERS’ TALES
(
Share your story We’d love to hear your Travellers’ Tales! Email: editor@cyclinguk.org
(
But at least it was a tailwind back…
Laos, just after Kiewkacham
Around the world
Holidays of a lifetime CTC Holidays and Tours leader Neil Wheadon reflects on 17 years of organising cycling trips
P
ompei: what a place! For two 17-year-old cyclists covering Europe in a month, it was looking like a highlight. We camped close, woke early, and cycled to the entrance. ‘Closed’ because, yes, it was Monday, the day that Italy shuts. From that moment forward I turned into a planner. For me, CTC Holidays started in 2004. I’d used Broadway House in Cheddar for a tandem rally but now seven families lined up from all over the UK, waiting to explore the Somerset countryside. The next year they all returned – and a few more besides. Buoyed by this, I took a group to Norway, then Nova Scotia, guiding more folks through fabulous places. One rider, Linda, would come every year from then to now. The families grew and others enquired, so a second May week was born, followed by a château week. Finally, I turned my wheels to roads and tracks, exploring every continent except Australasia and Antarctica, guiding innumerable cyclists. However, it was always more than this – much, much more. Behind every tour lay groups of friends who
would stay in contact with not only CTC Holidays but also each other. In reality, I had turned into a facilitator, bringing together like-minded individuals and families who would not only meet on tour but would remain in touch throughout the year. This year I have toured several times with folks that I have met thanks to CTC Holidays, and I have learned how intertwined our lives have become. It was with sadness that I read about the final CTC Holidays tour in October this year. However, the spirit and friendships live on and will continue long into the future. And for that I have to thank the holiday company, which will remain in many people’s memories.
Châteauneufsur-Charente in southwest France
Scotland
Wind in our wheels Andy Bebington recalls a stormy CTC tour in the Scottish Borders “I CAN’T BE accelerating – I’m freewheeling uphill!” Michelle said. But she was. It was September 2011 and we were on the CTC Holidays and Tours Scottish Borders trip, based at Bonchester Bridge and led by Tony Gore. Hurricane Katia had crossed the Atlantic and was scheduled to hit us midweek with very strong south-westerly winds. Some of the party decided against riding, but I led a group south on the B6357, into the wind and rain, to a lunch stop in Newcastleton. Heading south, the hill protected us from the worst effect of the howling wind; it was only when we crossed the ridge that it hit us in all its fury. One lady was reduced to tears, struggling to pedal at all at 3mph downhill, until one of the gents got in front of her and acted as a windbreak. Nine or ten of us rode that day, and I had to apologise to the ladies running the Newcastleton café as we were cascading water from our clothes, our helmets, and our bags. I mopped the floor for them, by way of reparation. The whole object of the exercise, the reason for plotting that route, was to join the B6399 just after lunch. This led us to ride a four-mile minor road on the way back to the hotel – a SW-NE road throughout its length. It crossed a burn after perhaps 500 metres, so I was able to point out to Michelle that if she looked back, she could see the hill that she was being blown up. A short ride and a vigorous one – but very definitely a memorable one!
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TRAVELLERS’ TALES
Dan (rear) also pushed his tourer down some hills
England & Scotland
Halfway north Mark Green rode the first 400 miles of the Great North Trail
Near Tarbert, North Harris, on the hilly road to Stornoway
Scotland
A Hebridean journey Fifty-five years after his first unsupported tour, John Chaplin explored the Western Isles
H
aving bought a Surly Disc Trucker during lockdown, I visited the Outer Hebrides and the Isle of Skye in August. This was my second unsupported tour, the first being during the World Cup in 1966 at the age of 13. It’s never too late! Loaded with panniers and camping gear, I cycled to London to catch the overnight sleeper from Euston. I caught another train to Oban, then camped overnight nearby and caught the ferry to Castlebay, Barra, at the southern end of the Hebrides. There began my two-week tour, which took in 11 islands and four more ferries. Some of the islands are connected by causeways. There is a Camp site at Borve on the Isle of Barra
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waymarked route called the Hebridean Way (185 miles), which guides you all the way from Vatersay to the Butt of Lewis. I mainly followed this but with additional diversions, not least to the beautiful Uig Sands on Lewis. The islands are all different in their geography so you get a chance for some flat riding as well as some very good climbs. The scenery is breathtaking, with high hills, moorland, white sandy beaches, and many sea and freshwater lochs. The Hebrides are rich in culture too, with prehistory sites like the Callanish Standing Stones and a more recent history of fishing and blackhouses. Crofts are still worked. After enjoying the Hebrides, I caught the ferry from Harris to Uig on Skye and spent three days cycling to Armadale in the south for the ferry to Mallaig. Skye was different again: very green and lush, but with the magnificent Cullins on view. I had my only wet day of the trip on Skye, though I had plenty of headwinds. After 12 days on the islands, it was back to the mainland and a short train journey to Fort William, where I caught the Caledonian Sleeper south.
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HAVING CYCLED KING Alfred’s Way earlier in the year, I asked my pals Dan and Terry if they fancied giving the Great North Trail a go. They did. We settled on Derby to Edinburgh: half the total route, with 400 miles over seven days. We set off in early October, planning to stay in pubs and B&Bs. Our worries about taking ‘too much bike’ were proved false on day one: mine and Terry’s adventure bike rigs, with Jones bars and huge 29er tyres, were perfect. Dan’s decision to take his faithful touring bike with semi-slick tires was a noble mistake – one that would lead to many timid descents and even pushing downhill! The off-road sections were varied and included flat, gravel trails, deep moorland bogs, and steep riverbed sections strewn with loose rock. The technical uphill sections were very slow and, as a result, we finished most days rumbling along hillsides in pitch darkness, thankful of every lumen we had. On the section between Hawes and Alston we needed a plan B, as Great Dun Fell loomed before us in the gloom and we realised that the ascent over Tyne Head Moor would be too difficult in the dark. A campsite in Dufton took us in. It was a hugely demanding but rewarding week. The geology slowly changed as we headed northwards. We felt honoured to ride through moorland valleys entirely empty of roads, buildings, and people. Next up, Edinburgh to Cape Wrath!
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