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.
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.
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 337 777
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.
From the editor
As the seasons turn, some cyclists will be switching to their winter bikes – older or cheaper bikes dedicated to the wet, cold, muddy and road-gritted conditions of the bleaker months. It makes sense. Your best bike won’t have its shiny drivetrain, brakes and bearings ground down because it will sit out the bad weather indoors.
I’ve never had a winter bike.
This has puzzled new riders turning up for local club rides: “Is that your winter road bike?”
“Er, no. It’s my everything road bike.”
Maybe it’s the fact that it looks fairly inexpensive. More likely it’s the mudguards, which seldom come off. Any bike with guards is, potentially, a winter-ready bike. That’s why mudguards feature heavily in this issue’s feature on autumn and winter cycling. They’re the first thing you need.
Adapting your best or only bike for the off season makes economic sense. Higher-end component wear might be more costly and you will need extra, but not necessarily expensive, equipment. But you’re saving on the price of another bike. Mudguards, tyres and a new chain cost less than a new winter road bike. A set of pivot bearings for a full-suspension mountain bike costs less than a new hardtail.
44 Shop window
Quick releases
04 Freewheeling
Bits and pieces from the bike world
07 Quick releases
Cycling UK’s Adventure Series for bikepackers; new free wills service; why access to green spaces is so important; October’s glow rides; and more
Tour & explore
16 Across countries
From Mid Wales to London on lanes, cycle routes and towpaths
22 Weekender
Previews of new products
46 Books
Cycling inspiration when you’re stuck inside
48 High-grade steel
Two all-rounder road bikes: Condor’s Fratello Disc and Mason’s Resolution
55 Stooge Dirt Tracker
A bikepacking-ready, retro-style rigid mountain bike
58 Commuter lights
Six sets of batterypowered be-seen lights for urban cyclists
It also makes sense in terms of enjoyment. Why have a bike you really love riding and use it for only half the year? Wear and tear is what happens to a bike you love to ride. Embrace what Grant Petersen, in his book Just Ride, calls ‘beausage’ – the idea that beauty comes from usage not unblemished perfection. Winter bikes are useful. A bike you’re happy to use all year round is better still.
DAN JOYCE Editor
The South Somerset Cycleway, an 80−mile tour of the West Country
24 Fiets first
Touring the cycle network of the Netherlands on a recumbent e-trike
Feature
30 Autumn gold
Seasonal essentials on a tight budget for you and your bike
Reviews
39 Gear
Components and accessories tested
Over to you
63 Letters
Your feedback on Cycle and cycling
66 Profile
Keeping up with Grandma
68 Q&A
Your technical, health and legal questions answered
70 Bike finder
An audax-style light
tourer for rough roads and easy tracks
73 Travellers’ tales
Cycling UK members’ ride reports
Founded in 1878
Cover photo: Teenage boy mountain biking in the Quantock Hills AONB by Jon Hicks/Getty Images
Watch this
Shimano’s new cleat
Thirty years after releasing the SM-SH51 two-bolt cleat for its SPD pedal system, Shimano has launched its first major revision. The snappily named CL-MT001 is designed for easier pedal entry, which should benefit newcomers to clip-in pedals as well as cyclocross riders. Shimano says: “Where the original SH51 cleat requires a toe-first, singleentry approach, the CL-MT001 allows riders to engage the pedal in multiple ways.” The new cleat is backwards compatible with all twobolt Shimano SPD pedals. shimano.com
E-bike manufacturer FLIT has released a video of its 16in-wheel electric-assist folder being ridden up and down Snowdon (Eryri). Called ‘the scenic commute’ it was shot “to challenge the stereotype that small wheels and single gears on bikes are not practical” – and to promote the bike! We’ve got a FLIT M2 on test for the Dec/Jan issue. bit.ly/flit-snowdon
Your local cycling group wants you! Visit cyclinguk.org/ group-listing and join them for a ride this weekend
Freewheeling
A short tour around the wonderful world of cycling
Onmy bike
Fabian
Hamilton MP
Member of Parliament for Leeds North East. Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking
Why do you cycle?
Because I love cycling and it’s an environmentally friendly way of travelling, as well as being cheap, practical and good for my health. How far do you ride each week? Depending upon the week, between about 30 and 50 miles on average. Which of your bikes is your
favourite? My ‘Ultimate Superbike’, a high-end carbon road bike which I built a few years ago. I also love my electric Estarli folding bike for short commutes. What do you always take with you when cycling? Water and cereal bars. Who mends your punctures? I do. As I build most of my own bikes, I’m used to wrestling with tyres and innertubes.
It’s raining: bike, public transport or car? Light rain –bike; heavy rain – car. Lycra or normal clothes? Normal clothes for commuting (perhaps with a Lycra jacket). Lycra for long road rides. If you had £100 to spend
Fabian Hamilton is an actual cyclist who has championed public and active travel
Right:
Fabian Hamilton MP; cereal bars by Getty Images
Pashley’s ‘grountain’ bike
Looking past that awkward portmanteau of gravel and mountain, Pashley’s new Wildfinder is an interesting addition to the drop-bar ‘mountain touring’ category typified by the Salsa Fargo, Genesis Vagabond and Mason ISO. Manufactured in Stratfordupon-Avon from Reynolds 853 tubing, it has clearance for 29×2.4in tyres and a single chainring up to 42−teeth. It’s suspension corrected for a 100mm-travel fork, is routed for a dropper seatpost and comes with the frame fittings you’d expect. Complete bike prices
start at £2,995. pashley.co.uk
Freewheeling
on cycling, what would you get? Better tyres — they’re the most important part of the bike. What’s your favourite cycle journey?
I live in Leeds so there are a lot to choose from. York to Beverley is my favourite. What single thing would most improve matters for UK cyclists?
Decent, well-designed, properly maintained and policed cycle lanes nationwide, not just in London.
Guy Roebuck
Britain
, a 56−year-old Cycling UK member from Brighton, completed a circumnavigation of Britain on 8 August. Guy has Axial Spondyloarthritis, a progressive rheumatic disease that largely affects the spine. He was raising money for the National Axial Spondyloarthritis justgiving.com/page/guy-roebuck-1).
Guy rode clockwise around the coast, averaging 65 miles a day. He carried all his luggage, including a tent, and took the smallest, most coastal roads he could, completing his 5,300−mile ride in just over three months.
Society ( “I probably could have cut out a few hundred miles and a lot of hills
“I probably could have cut out a few hundred miles and a lot of hills by travelling on main roads,” he said. “But where’s the fun in that? I decided to stick as close to the coast as is humanly possible, which often meant using tiny, steep lanes rather than flatter A- and B-roads.”
Guy is a ride leader for Cycling UK and will be heading up regular weekend rides in and around Brighton and Hove – once he has recovered from his mammoth effort! cyclinguk.org/local-groups/brighton-hove
Guy is a ride leader for Cycling UK and will be heading up regular weekend rides in
Virtual Brompton racing
From 17−23 November, virtual reality training platform Zwift is hosting a week-long Brompton World Championship series set in Zwift’s London. All entrants will be able to unlock special tweed kit, Zwift says,
enthusing that “Tweed is speed!”
There’s no mention of how they’ll handle the Le Mans start or whether you’ll be able to seamlessly take a virtual train home while other virtual cyclists deal with suitcases in virtual bike cupboards. zwift.com/uk
Quick releases Cycling news and views from around the UK
ROUTES
Your next adventure
Adventures by bike are brilliant, whether you’re setting off for your first overnighter under the stars or exploring somewhere new after years of travel. Cycling UK’s Adventure Series is designed for both kinds of rider: novices, who might be wondering how to get started; and experienced bikepackers wondering where to go next. It’s a collection of long-distance routes capturing the essence of exploration, community and personal challenge.
Royal Chilterns Way, which launched in August, is the seventh route in the Adventure Series. It’s a 280km journey that takes you through scenic and sometimes challenging countryside but is never too far from a village, café stop, campsite or other
“Royal Chilterns Way, which launched in August, is the seventh route in the Adventure Series”
accommodation option. And if 280km feels a bit daunting, the route is made up of three intersecting loops, so you can tackle one at a time and build up to the full route – or another from the series – taking that new-found experience with you.
The Adventure Series routes share some similarities: they’re all 250350km in length, follow off-road trails and quiet back lanes, and provide a sense of escapism. Yet each is unique, with sights ranging from the coastal coves of West Kernow Way to the majestic mountains of Traws Eryri.
Royal Chilterns Way in the south of England is our most public-transportfriendly route yet, being accessible by 13 different train stations and two Underground lines from London.
If you’ve completed one or more of the Adventure Series routes already, now is the perfect time to start planning your next – because we’ve got the perfect gift to commemorate your ride. In partnership with Ordnance Survey, we’ve created a poster for each route, showing the route trace, elevation and distance, and the places along the route. These will look stunning on any office wall or in any bike cave.
Read more about the Adventure Series at: cyclinguk.org/adventure-series
Buy the book
Each of our routes comes with a GPX file, which you can download for onthe-go navigation, and an accompanying guidebook. These guides provide a wealth of additional information, including potential itineraries, Ordnance Survey map coverage, historical background, places of interest and riding advice. They’re ring bound, water resistant and just small enough to fit in your bikepacking luggage. You can buy them from the Cycling UK shop, and each purchase helps us create further routes in the series. cyclinguk.org/shop
➜ Watch this
On the Royal Chilterns Way web page you can find plenty more information about the route –including the GPX file, an FAQ, a link to the Facebook Group and a short video that gives a feel for what it’s like to ride. cyclinguk. org/royal-chilterns-way
Left:
Robyn Furtado
Quick releases
Let’s glow
Riders in Norwich will light up the streets on 22 October in a vibrant celebration of cycling that will deliver an important message. With bikes decorated with fairy lights, glow sticks and colourful flags, the mass ride will call for more safe cycle routes to enable women to travel with confidence during dark winter evenings. This event is one of over 20 glow rides happening across the UK this October, all of which will be promoting our ‘My ride. Our right’ campaign. Turn to page 14 for more details about the glow rides. To see if there’s one near you, check the map on our website. cyclinguk. org/glow-ride-map
COMMUNITY
Scottish gathering
Cycling UK Scotland is hosting its Annual Gathering in Edinburgh on 1 November. Speakers include Emily Chappell, Aneela McKenna, Cycling UK’s Chief Executive Sarah Mitchell and Suzanne Forup, Head of Behaviour Change and Development Scotland. There’s time to chat over lunch, and you can opt for a preGathering bike ride too. It’s free for members and nonmembers, but please do register – catering numbers are vital when you’re feeding cyclists! cyclinguk.org/ scotland-annual-gathering-2025
Fy nhaith. Ein hawl
Cycling UK Cymru held its first ever event in Welsh at this year’s Eisteddfod in Wrexham, with a presentation of the ‘My ride. Our right’ (‘Fy nhaith. Ein hawl’) campaign. A panel chaired by Transport for Wales’s Lowri Joyce discussed the barriers that women face when contemplating cycling, and explored what they and we can do to enable more women to have real transport choices. Investment in infrastructure and embedding active travel at a young age were key recommendations. cyclinguk.org/ eisteddfod2025
New Forest randonnée
Join CTC Wessex Cycling on 12 October for the 32nd edition of the iconic GridIron 100, named for the many cattle grids it crosses. There’s a choice of routes: 100 kilometres or 100 miles. Both follow minor roads through the New Forest, which will be ablaze in its autumn colours. Places are limited to the first 1,000 to register in advance online (gridironcc. org/entry). Entry is £12.50 for adults, with under-18s free. There are no on-the-day entries. cyclinguk.org/ gridiron100-2025
Right: Robert Tomlin
New free wills service
It’s Free Wills Month in October. To mark this campaign, from September onwards Cycling UK members have been able to access our new free will service through our partnership with Octopus Legacy. The service gives you the chance to write or update a simple will for free – online, by phone, or now faceto-face with a local solicitor.
Writing a will is often something people don’t want to think about or leave to one side. But planning your will is one of the most meaningful ways you can help shape the future and provide for your loved ones. It’s also essential to ensuring that your wishes are made clear.
Throughout October dozens of charities will be taking part in Free Wills Month, which happens twice a year (March and October). It traditionally
provides people aged 55 and over with the opportunity to get their will written or updated for free with help from a specialist expert. This year, to celebrate our new and expanded free will service, we are offering a free will to everyone, no matter your age.
Writing your will is an important way to protect what matters most to you and give you peace of mind for the future. Many members also choose to include a gift to Cycling UK in their will, helping ensure we can continue to stand up for cyclists for generations to come –although there’s absolutely no obligation. Whether you want to provide for loved ones, support the causes you care about or simply have peace of mind, this service helps you do it with confidence – at no cost to you.
cyclinguk.org/free-wills
Good Evans! 10% off bikes and kit
With the weather on the turn and autumn and winter just around the corner, now could be the ideal time to invest in some new cycling gear – or even treat yourself to a new bike. You deserve cheering up on those cold, dark mornings, after all.
Evans Cycles has updated its offer to Cycling UK members, and you can now claim a 10% discount on all accessories and full-priced bikes – both online and in store. cyclinguk.org/evans10-percent
Jump for joy with Frog’s discount
With the kids all now back at school, they might be hoping to join a bike bus to cycle to school – or you might be thinking of setting one up yourself (cyclinguk.org/ organise-bike-bus).
And that means they’ll need a cool new bike.
We’ve teamed up with Frog Bikes to bring our members a 10% discount on the company’s premium, lightweight bikes, designed specifically for kids. With something for all ages, abilities and disciplines, you’re sure to find the right bike for your youngsters. cyclinguk.org/frogbikes
Quick releases
Want to know more?
Read about how we stand up for cycling: cyclinguk. org/campaigns
The natural health service
Anyone reading this will appreciate that cycling is great for their health, and will understand that getting out into green space is their miracle wellbeing pill, writes Duncan Dollimore
Politicians might say they agree, then speak warmly about encouraging more people to cycle and getting more people active outdoors… before mentioning cost, priorities and economic choices. While we have to consider the cost of interventions and new policies, I wish the conversation were framed more around value. That’s why we’ll shortly be launching a new campaign on this theme.
I’ve heard it said that we don’t really have a National Health Service but rather a national illness service, where the spending priority is curing people when they’re ill rather than keeping them healthy and preventing inactivity-related sickness. But imagine if we thought about activity and access to green space differently – as the natural health
Vote now for your trustees
service. That was what the post-war Labour government intended when, a year after establishing the NHS, the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act was passed. That legislation led to the creation of National Parks and National Trails, with politicians talking about this being the natural health service to support the NHS. But cyclists can still only use around 20% of our rights of way in England and Wales, and for many people accessing green space by bike from their home is difficult or feels unsafe. Fortunately, the UK government has committed to review access laws, and with elections in Wales next year, it’s time to ask what’s happening with the Welsh government’s long-promised access reforms.
Cycling UK is going to be campaigning to make it easier for people to access green space safely by cycling, focusing on health and wellbeing benefits – the value, rather than just the cost.
DIARY DATES
Bespoked
Bespoked, the handmade bike show, will return to London in 2026 after two years in Manchester. It will run from 25-27 April at Unit 8, Copeland Park, Peckham. From 10-12 October 2025, meanwhile, Bespoked Germany takes place in Dresden. bespoked.cc
Dartmoor Devil
The 32nd edition of the Dartmoor Devil, a hilly 100km audax from Bovey Tracey that crisscrosses Dartmoor, takes place on Sunday 26 October. Entry is £11 via the Audax UK website (audax.uk). For more details, visit southdevonctc.org/ club-events.
Your Cycling UK trustee elections voting form is enclosed with this issue of Cycle. Details of the candidates and instructions on how to vote are included on the form. All candidate statements can be found on the website at: cyclinguk.org/become-trustee. The deadline to vote is 9am on Tuesday 28 October.
Thank you to all those who attended and voted in the 2025 Cycling UK AGM in September. Outcomes of the meeting, along with the details presented, can be found online: cyclinguk.org/agm-2025
Left: Robyn Furtado. Below right: Adam Gasson
Shining examples
On the evening of 22 October, towns and cities across the UK will come alight. From Cornwall to Edinburgh, communities will come together for vibrant mass glow rides in support of Cycling UK’s ‘My ride. Our right’ campaign. Together, we’ll light up the night and call for safer streets and better cycle routes, especially for women riding after dark.
Glow rides: light-bulb moments
We believe women should have the right to move around the streets with confidence. Sadly, when the evenings get darker, many women put their bikes away. Others feel forced to choose between cycling on a busy main road or a dark, isolated cycle path. A friend told me that when she started commuting in winter, she would wear baggy
clothes and tuck her long hair into her jacket to look less obviously female. And she’s not alone.
Having the option to cycle can be liberating: only half as many women feel nervous about cycling at night compared to walking. But that still leaves one in five women who feel constrained by concerns about cycling in the dark. We need routes that feel safe, visible and welcoming.
Mass glow rides are a powerful way to demonstrate that there are lots of us who want to cycle all year round. We come in all different shapes, sizes and ages, but we’re united by our desire to be able to travel freely.
Guiding lights
Cycling UK Stevenage was one of the first groups to jump at the chance to organise a
Top and above: Happy glow riders in Norwich making a serious point
Above right: Glow rides in Southampton
KNOG plays a blinder
The glow rides are kindly supported by KNOG. Check out their products to help light up your ride. freewheel.co.uk/ brands/knog
Can’t ride? You can still support
Shine a light on the issue
You might be wondering if mass rides can really change anything to help create better cycle routes. It’s a valid question. For these glow rides to have the maximum impact, we need to make sure our politicians understand why they are happening, so they can press for changes at a national and local level.
glow ride. Jill Borcherds from the group says: “The best cycle network is only as good as its weakest links. Our Stevenage Glow Ride will highlight some examples of where things are not so great on our streets and cycleways, including dark and secluded routes with only busy road alternatives. We want cycling to be a practical choice for everyday journeys in Stevenage – as well as leisure rides – for women and everyone else.”
As the glow rides are hosted by individual community groups, each event will feel unique. KRIMMZ Girls Youth Club in Bolton has put its own spin on its Noor Glow Ride, saying: “Women from across the community will come together to light up the night with decorated bikes and glowing accessories, spreading the message that cycling is for everyone. Noor means light, and this ride symbolises visibility, strength and the positive impact women bring to their communities.”
In Edinburgh, following several mass glow rides by InfraSisters, decision-makers are starting to see that this isn’t just a ‘cycling issue’ – but rather it’s about women feeling confident to move around the city in the evening.
You can help create the same revelations where you live. Will you take a moment and send a message to your MP, Senedd Members, MSPs or MLAs to tell them why safer cycling for women matters to people in your community? We’ve created a simple online tool to make it quick and easy. Visit the ‘My ride. Our right’ website: cyclinguk.org/my-ride-our-right
Be a torchbearer
While these rides are led by women, they are open to anyone who wants to take part and support the cause of enabling more women to cycle. By joining in, you’ll be part of a powerful nationwide movement showing that cycling should be safe, accessible and visible for everyone.
Light up your bike, and let’s light up the streets. Find your nearest ride on our website: cyclinguk.org/glow-rides
Not able to join a glow ride? You can still get involved and help Cycling UK make cycling better for everyone. Your donation supports our work, now and beyond the glow rides.
This autumn, we’ve helped community groups across the UK light up rides with free flags, banners, insurance and advice. But there’s still more to do.
By donating, you’re backing our mission to make cycling safer, more accessible and inclusive – and helping us continue pushing for change long after the lights of October’s glow rides have faded away. Join in. Switch on. Donate today. cyclinguk. org/donate-glow
Near left and right: Peter Cornish. Others: Mary Doggett
Acrosscountries
Great rides
E-biking from Mid Wales to London, Nick Sanders chose paths less travelled, avoiding busier roads in favour of quiet lanes, cycle routes and towpaths
On a bicycle, the journey is often more important than the destination. Anyone driving from Wales to London would likely head down the soulless M4. On my e-bike, I planned to use byways, river banks, canal towpaths and minor roads to create a peaceful route unencumbered with cars. Since I was aiming for a relatively trafficfree route, I took advantage of some of the 12,739 miles of the National Cycle Network (NCN) .
I live near Machynlleth, notionally the ancient capital of Wales and the seat of this country’s first parliament. (It was formed at the start of the 15th century by Owain Glyndŵr, who led a 15−year revolt against English rule.) My home town – where I often have a coffee in between Glyndŵr’s Parliament House and the chippy – was my start point. The end was England’s and the UK’s capital: London.
The Big Hill to Llanidloes
On a bicycle you carry as little as you need. You are decluttered and plugged into your surroundings. You hear the cooing pigeon, the rattle of wind against standing wheat, the church chimes and the bleat of sheep. It’s so peaceful.
The more you carry, the longer it takes to pack and unpack. You can lose hours on tour just taking things out of overstuffed bags, only to put them back in again. I’m too random a character to be precise about my packing but I kept things simple: fairly minimal camping equipment; a few tools; a spare battery and charger for my e-bike; and some assorted bits of clothing that packed around my cameras. Then I was on my way.
Leaving town I headed for Machynlleth’s sister town, Llanidloes. This mountain road over the aptly named Rhiw Fawr (‘Big Hill’) is magnificent. A right turn off the B4518 took me onto on a tiny road that
immersed me in the beautiful Hafren Forest, and I entered Llanidloes via a back road.
It was a hilly start to my ride but was easy on the e-bike, and the Wild Oak Café on Llanidloes high street will let you recharge if you buy coffee and cake. Around here, the NCN routes are numbered 8 and 81. They’re well signed and take you along traffic-free farm roads, high on the tops of a range of local hills that form the northern front of the Cambrian Mountains. Rich green fields are lined by rows of conifers, a windbreak for scattered farm houses on a steep landscape dotted with sheep.
Down in the valley, the River Wye is shallow and narrow here but it grows wider every mile until you get to Builth Wells. I didn’t scroll through the Booking.com app for somewhere to stay but wild camped instead. While the right to roam scarcely exists in England and Wales, I find that if you ask a farmer and leave no trace, you can generally pitch in a field without problems.
Into the Wye Valley
Builth Wells – specifically Georgie Porgies Coffee Stop – was a perfect spot for breakfast. I then rode back across the bridge and followed the B4567 south. On the north bank of the river, I stopped at the tea room at what was Erwood Station until the Mid-Wales Railway was dismantled in 1962.
The tour was going well. Adventures like this are greater than the sum of their parts. They’re
Above left: Braywick Park, a nature reserve in Maidenhead’s suburbs
Left: Wiltshire back roads
Right: Nick at home in Machynlleth
good for the soul. Humans are built to move around with muscle power, and those who do so seem calmer and more reflective than those who are sedentary. Touring cyclists, not tramps or highwaymen, are the true gentlemen and women of the road.
At Hay-on-Wye, the Cosy Café was another that offered e-bike plug-ins for cyclists buying food. I sat thinking about how, after centuries of rural subsistence, people have had to adapt rapidly to an urban lifestyle and the tsunami of additional stimuli that entails. Seeing my bicycle through the window was a reminder that we’re better equipped to handle slow travel where we can get lost in the moment.
“Flat white,” said the waitress, “and don’t forget your battery. You’ll not get far without that, will you?”
I rode through Monmouth and on into the Wye Valley. It was getting dark and while there was plenty of accommodation in the town, it was expensive.
An arc of trees created a dark corridor, so I found a spot by the river to set up my tent for the night.
Over the Severn
Early the next morning I rode along a very quiet
A466. Before reaching Tintern, home to the abbey of that name, I took a left up Mill Hill to stop at the Brockweir community café, where I did what I always do: purchase something so I could charge my battery. The owner told me how the abbey was deliberately built far away from cities,
towns and “the conversation of men”, and how it fell into ruin after the dissolution of the monasteries in the 16th century.
Leaving Tintern, I continued uphill for while, passed by wellmannered traffic obeying the 40mph and speed-camera signs, then freewheeled downhill past the racecourse to the port of Chepstow. Passing under the restored 13th-century town gate, I immediately found another café.
The weather was sunny and fresh; it was turning into another good day. After crossing the Severn Road Bridge, I navigated urban landscapes until I reached the Bristol and Bath Railway Path, which starts near Temple Meads railway station. That night I camped again.
“On a bicycle you carry as little as you need. You are decluttered and plugged into your surroundings”
White
horses
Up with the sun, I soon found myself in the main square of Devizes and then in an early-opened Greggs. Town houses here are reminders of a prosperous past, where merchants traded in corn and wool, and businesses included a bell foundry, booksellers, brewers, snuff-makers, milliners, grocers and silversmiths.
The Kennet and Avon Canal runs through Devizes, and the towpath was part of my planed route.
Nick’s top 10 tips
1. See what National Cycle Network routes you could use. They’re either traffic free or quiet roads.
2. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel when planning. Half of this ride was on signed routes.
3. Be imaginative when linking up your routes. Unclassified tarmac lanes (white on an OS map) criss-cross the country.
4. If you’re going to wild camp on farmland, ask the farmer first. Leave no trace.
5. If you’re e-biking, take a spare battery or be mindful of charging points. Most cafés are happy to help if you buy something and offer, say, £1 for a 30min top-up.
6. If the off-road sections are rougher than you anticipated when planning, there will be a tarmac alternative.
7. Don’t worry too much about booking accommodation ahead. Cafés, pubs and hotels are ever present on this route. Use an app like Booking.com on your phone.
8. Don’t slavishly stick to your planned route. Ad hoc alterations are fine.
9. A phone is indispensable. There’s a signal on almost all of this route.
10. Don’t put off until tomorrow what you could do today.
Riding this simple, quiet route on home soil was one of the highlights of my travelling year.
Above: The mountain road from Machynlleth over the aptly named Rhiw Fawr (‘Big Hill’)
Right: Caen Hill Locks, Devizes, on the Kennet and Avon Canal
It proved too lumpy, so I broke away from its traffic-free roughness and took narrow, unclassified roads. To the north I could see the Devizes White Horse at Roundway Hill. It’s the eighth and latest Wiltshire white horse, and at 45m long resembles the original Snobs Horse, which was cut by shoemakers from the town in 1845. Opposite the long barrow near Bishops Cannings, the road and the fields were quiet. Wheat heads were heavy, waiting to be harvested.
Traffic was down to one car per minute. The peel of church bells led me towards a tall spire, barely visible behind taller trees. At Honeystreet, near Alton Barnes (where there’s yet another white horse on the hillside above), I dropped in at the Crop Circle Visitor Centre. Here you can ruminate over whether it was indeed aliens who had left their artistic imprint on our crop fields.
“It is a secret pleasure to have a journey recognised,” I said to this lady.
“It’s the electric cycling. Everyone should give it a go.”
We sat chatting amicably about e-cycling and riding around the world. I told her that cycling here was just as enjoyable as riding in the Himalayas.
At Hungerford, I had a choice: take the Kennet and Avon canal to Reading, via Newbury and Thatcham; or head north to join the Ridgeway, which would take me to Goring and the Thames Path. I took the northern option, climbing up to the chalk downs to enjoy expansive views and, incidentally, join King Alfred’s Way
“I could see the Devizes White Horse at Roundway Hill – the eighth and latest Wiltshire white horse”
Up the Downs, down the Thames I rode into Marlborough along a back road past its eponymous college. Further on, I passed by Ramsbury Manor. Designed by polymath Robert Hooke in the 17th century, it was described in a 1966 edition of the Guinness Book of Records as being the most expensive domestic building in Britain. In the nearby village of Ramsbury, a woman approached me over the village green.
“I know you,” she said, “I saw you in a cycling magazine.”
At Reading, it was easy to find the Thames Cycleway, NCN4, and the signs to Wargrave. I had coffee in Sonning, then took the utilitarian cycleway alongside the A4. From Knowl Hill I continued to Maidenhead on NCN4, which then took me to the delightful Braywick Nature Park. Soon I was back beside the River Thames, where regular signs pointed me towards London. To my surprise, riding into the capital on a riverside route was as interesting as the start had been Wales. Filtering through the lives of people living by water, I cycled past narrowboats, cheery pubs, businesses and houses getting increasingly grander. London at last! It was time for another coffee.
Nick made a video of his trip. Watch it here: bit.ly/cycle-mach-to-london
Baggage check
Using Ortlieb and Restrap luggage*, my kit list comprised:
Clothing
• 1 pair of socks
• 1 pair of underwear
• 1 pair of shorts
• 1 T-shirt
• 1 spare riding jersey
• 1 waterproof top
Camera equipment
• Insta 360 camera
• DJI Osmo pocket camera
• Fuji XT3 mirrorless camera with 50mm & 150mm lenses
• DJI Mini 4 Pro drone
• Røde wireless microphones
Camping gear
• Micro tent
• Sleeping bag & mat
• Camping stove & 7in frying pan
Tools & spares
• Bike tools & puncture kit
• Spare e-bike battery
(*Members get a 10% discount with Ortlieb and Restrap – cyclinguk.org/benefits.)
Above: Bridleway near Ipsden, in the Chiltern Hills, South Oxfordshire
Weekender
South Somerset Cycleway
This scenic-lanes tour of the West Country was created more than 20 years ago and relaunched recently. Neil Wheadon is your guide
Somerset is a glorious place to cycle, full of history, quiet lanes and interesting towns.
In the 1990s, Somerset Council recognised the potential and put together the South Somerset Cycleway, which took cyclists on an 80−mile tour. It was fully signed with metal direction markers.
The route was relaunched in 2022. It got a new website and was re-signed with brown South Somerset stickers; many of the original signs remain in place.
It’s suitable as a weekend ride as there are good train connections and plenty of places to stay, so it’s easily split into two parts if you don’t fancy a long day’s ride.
Along the way, you will discover multiple National Trust properties, a ruined abbey, manicured gardens and a hugely impressive hill fort. The towns you pass through are quaint and mostly have good cafés. One of the towns, Somerton, was probably the capital of Wessex back in King Alfred’s day.
The terrain is a mix of country lanes and some cycle paths. Various pieces of cycling infrastructure are in place to avoid major roads, making this ideal for a family ride. There is even a dedicated cycle crossing in Sherborne.
“Along the way, you will discover multiple National Trust properties, a ruined abbey, manicured gardens and a hugely impressive hill fort. The towns you pass through have good cafés”
The ride officially begins at Yeovil Junction railway station, but it can be started at any point on the loop, including the railway station at Castle Cary.
The South Somerset Cycleway can be ridden on any sort of bicycle, although there are two short sections on off road and gravel tracks. There are alternative route options to bypass these.
A hollow way or sunken lane descending from Ham Hill, near Montacute
South Somerset Cycleway
NEIL WHEADON Cycling UK member and cycling holiday organiser
Route name: South Somerset Cycleway
Start/finish: Yeovil Junction station, though anywhere along the route works fine Maps: Landranger 183 Yeovil and Frome; and 193 Taunton and Lyme Regis Ride length: 125km/80 miles Climbing: 1,226 metres (4,022ft) Bike type: Any, if you avoid the 2.5km of light gravel and a 300−metre walk through a field Ride level: regular, but most sections are suitable for a beginner GPX file: cyclinguk.org/ weekender-somerset-cycleway
01
Sherborne
Approaching Sherborne, the route takes the one and only really rough section as it dives down a lane to end in a field. (The road alternative is straight on.)
The walk – or cycle – is about 300 metres but takes you to a delightfully quiet way into this fascinating town, which has two (yes, two) castles, an abbey and a pretty town centre.
02
Cadbury Castle
Towering over the surrounding countryside, this 4,000−yearold hill fort was a military stronghold that’s now associated with England’s more recent defence against the Vikings, when we so nearly lost the country. An hour’s walk up and back gives glorious views. There are cycle stands in the small car park.
03
Somerton
The town is presumed to have been the ancient capital of Wessex before Winchester. If you have chosen to do the route clockwise, take care here as you will cycle counter to the one-way system. While anti-clockwise is recommended (and described here), a clockwise GPX file is available from bit.ly/southsomerset-cycleway
04
Langport
Sited on the River Parrett, Langport has good cafés and a bike shop, as well as a hanging chapel (a listed building that’s slightly off route). You leave town on the River Parrett Cycleway. Utilising a former railway line, its 2.5km length is gravel and takes you across the Somerset Levels. The road alternative goes via the hanging chapel.
05
Muchelney
Home to a delightful abbey (English Heritage) and the Priest’s House (National Trust). The abbey isn’t just a ruin; parts are intact, including the two-storey monk’s toilet block, which is unique in the UK. Children will love that.
06
Ham Hill Country Park
You can easily miss this, as there’s an alternative route option to Montacute. However, the climb to the top of the hill is well worth it for the extensive views alone. Descending to Montacute takes you down one of the many, beautiful sunken lanes that are a feature of this area. (See opposite page.)
Great rides
Fiets
first
The Netherlands prioritises pedalling, making cycling accessible to everyone. Sam and Martin Cooke toured its enviable cycle network by bike and e-trike
The UK has made some progress in terms of cycle paths, but many segregated routes are disjointed and can be impassible for the less able, with rough surfaces, gates and other obstacles. As an able-bodied 23−year-old, I can cope with these issues when riding. Disability means that my dad, Martin, can’t.
The amazing cycling infrastructure and culture of the Netherlands is why we have been to the country many times since Dad bought his trike there in 2014. Knowing the progressive nature of his condition, we decided to do a bigger tour while we still could. In June 2024 we took a two-week trip. We visited five different areas and explored each of them by bike and trike. Dad uses a wheelchair, so we stayed in hotels with accessible rooms and drove between the different locations.
“I’ve always been very active,” Dad says. “I was a windsurfing instructor and I kayaked, sailed and enjoyed mountain biking. My steady physical decline due to Becker muscular dystrophy has meant saying goodbye to the water sports but cycling has remained a constant. Determined to keep cycling when I became a father, I bought an electric bike in 2002, before the e-bike revolution. When I tried out and decided to buy a trike at a specialist bike shop in Haarlem, near Amsterdam, I saw just how accessible cycling could be.”
The Netherlands has an amazing network of 29,000km of leisure cycling routes, in addition to lots
more cycle infrastructure. Signage is excellent. Every few kilometres, a numbered node directs you to subsequent nodes, and these numbers can be strung together in a list using the Fietsknoop (‘bike node’) app or one of the big maps you pass along the way. Plotting a route is as simple as writing a sequence of numbers on a piece of paper.
Red tarmac rules
Our first stop was a Van der Valk hotel in Cuijk, outside Nijmegen. It was easy to ride into the city on the adjacent cycle highway: a fourmetre-wide red tarmac path with a dashed centreline. We stopped at an impressively large cycle bridge over the River Maas, which had so much space for both cyclists and pedestrians. We also crossed the river on a simple chain ferry that carries pedestrians, cyclists and cars.
The primary reason for our trip to Cuijk was to explore across the border to the German town of Kleve. As well as being linked by roads, they are connected by a cycle track alongside a historic railway. We were inspired by watching a ride on the same route on the Bicycle Dutch YouTube channel.
It was a fascinating ride that took us past small villages in both countries. Arriving in Kleve, it was interesting to see another country with decent cycle infrastructure – although it wasn’t to Dutch standards. We found a lovely forest path to take us back into the Netherlands. We rode under pine trees and dappled sunlight, and there were regular intersections
Main photo: Martin in the Biesbosch National Park, shot from the observation point Inset: Martin on a cycle bridge over the River Maas, Nijmegen
Fact file
Fiets first
Distance: We cycled 625km (390 miles).
Route: From Nijmegen in the east, then north to Apeldoorn. Heading south-east, we stayed near Utrecht, in Dordrecht and in Middelburg on the island of Zeeland.
Conditions: The weather was cool for June with occasional damp days. Cycle routes were well surfaced and signposted, and on quiet roads when not segregated.
Bikes used: Martin – 2014 Hase Lepus with a Sparticle front-wheel motor and two batteries. Sam – Cube
Reaction Pro hardtail and sometimes a hired e-bike.
Maps/guides: We downloaded the (English) app from fietsknoop.nl and used that.
I’m glad we had… The car, e-trike and wheelchair to make it happen. Next time we would… Explore more. Our next trip will include Limburg and Maastricht.
Further info: bicycledutch. wordpress.com, the Bicycle Dutch blog and YouTube channel. And valk.com for Van der Valk hotels.
Video: Watch the highlights of our trip at youtube.com/@ on-3−wheels
We were not surprised to see ‘oranje’ bunting and banners strung across the streets, as the Euro 24 football tournament was in full swing. We discussed the football with our charming young waiters back at the hotel, who spoke English almost as fluently as us.
Exploring the gently rolling countryside, we stumbled across Radio Kootwijk, a former long-range radio transmitter station from the 1920s, designed in art deco style. Here we were overtaken by a peloton of friendly road cyclists. We could see why they’d be out here instead of mixing with motor traffic. Smooth concrete, tarmac and compacted gravel paths snaked through beech woodland, with sunlight illuminating the leaves, birds flitting between the trees, and seas of bright foxgloves. This landscape gave way to expansive heathland, featuring heather, bracken, silver birch trees and skylarks singing.
Top: Martin overlooking the Biesbosch wetlands, near Dordrecht
Above: Martin and Sam (on a hire bike) in the forest outside Utrecht
with other cycling and walking routes.
Urban exploring
Our next hotel was outside the small city of Apeldoorn, next to the Veluwe, a large area of forest and heathland. It had a distinctly ‘country club’ vibe, with horses and hire bikes. An e-bike was less than £25 a day.
Next morning we followed a canal into the heart of the city, riding along a beautiful bike track teeming with other cyclists. In the city, we rode along quiet streets where cars not bikes were considered the ‘guest’ (auto-de-gast roads). We also used low-speed roads that were one way for motor traffic and two way for cyclists. It was fantastic.
Elsewhere, tarmac cycle paths threaded behind busier streets and around the edges of recreational fields. These efficient routes were often shortcuts, demonstrating to the undecided commuter that it would not just be healthier and cheaper to travel by bike but faster, too.
“It’s fascinating how nobody gave me a second glance there,” Dad said. “Everyone seems to be equal no matter how you cycle or what your bike looks like. There were trikes, recumbent bicycles, side-bysides, handcycles, wheelchair motor attachments, bakfiets (cargo bikes) and upright tricycles.”
Woodland wandering De Bilt, outside Utrecht, was our next stop. Our first ride from there was into the city, the country’s fourth largest. Utrecht is a lively and popular place for young people. The university’s pride cycle path, celebrating unity and diversity, is the longest rainbow bike path in the world. Considering how many cyclists and pedestrians were using this path when we were there, it was very easy and safe to negotiate. We followed canals and bike routes all the way through to the Dom Tower, the tallest church tower in the Netherlands.
The cycle path crossed the former US airfield at Soesterberg and continued into the forest nearby. We were struck by how easy it was to access green space, even
for someone with limited mobility. There were no barriers. Someone on a mobility scooter could go all the way from Utrecht city centre to the forest, along paths without interruption.
Hilversum is a town north of Utrecht. On one of the routes, the road for cars disappears into a tunnel while the cycle route continues uphill at street level, before sending cyclists into a tunnel of their own. In fact, Alexiatunnel is a stacked tunnel: the cycle path sits above the road, and both are underneath the train and bus lines.
We ate our lunch at the multi-use intersection of four roads. It was compelling to watch the smooth and consistent flow of cars and bicycles, in this instance sharing space but always with unparalleled awareness of one another, and no aggression or frustration at all.
Beaches and dikes
“The cycle highway was a four-metrewide red tarmac path with a dashed centreline”
stopped in Dordrecht’s ancient town square for afternoon tea, surrounded by leaning, old merchant houses. Our final destination was historic Middelburg. It’s the largest town on the island of Zeeland, in the south-west of the country, and it’s full of listed buildings. We enjoyed exploring the town and appreciated the two-lane canalside cycle track that joined Middelburg with the port town of Vlissingen. The variation of users was brilliant to see. Fast road cyclists, commuters, elderly couples chatting, joggers, dog-walkers, cargo-cycle riders, children and tricyclists were all prevalent. At Vlissingen we were surprised to discover that even the tops of lock gates were part of the coastal path, and they were completely accessible for Dad’s trike.
Works created after the disastrous 1953 floods. It connects cyclists and motor traffic (segregated, of course) to an artificial island called Neeltje Jans. This island is well serviced by quiet roads and many cycle paths, and occupied by a myriad of wind turbines and a theme park.
Heading west to the city of Dordrecht, we were keen to explore the Nationaal Park De Biesbosch. Along with other cyclists, we took a river ferry to the gorgeous wetland area, which is the largest freshwater tidal zone in Europe. It’s otherwise accessed by small roads open only to service traffic. On our return, we
Heading northwards towards the EuroVelo 12 North Sea Cycle Route, we joined one of the longest and widest cycle tracks we had ever seen, by the beach and along a high ‘dijk’. Vast swathes of cycle racks were positioned either side of the path for beach visitors. The islands are connected by the Oosterscheldekering storm-surge barrier. This flood defence, with huge closable barriers, is part of the Delta
The Netherlands is an ideal destination for any touring cyclist, but especially those with limited mobility, less confidence or an unusual cycle such as a trike. Segregated cycle paths run everywhere and are smooth and predictable, enabling you to ride and chat without jousting with cars.
Cycling in this environment, Dad is at the absolute peak of his freedom and independence. That’s worth so much to me.
Want to try a trike? Cycling UK’s Inclusive Cycling Experience offers free taster sessions and nonstandard cycle loans for those with disabilities. cyclinguk.org/ inclusive-cycling-experience
Getting there
With our adapted Peugeot Rifter car, Le Shuttle (leshuttle.com) is the easiest way for us to get across the Channel. It’s a 35−minute trip and Dad and his wheelchair don’t have to get out of the car, which would involve unloading the cycles. The return crossing cost us £278. The drive from Dorset to the tunnel terminal took about three hours, and the drive from Calais to our first hotel near Nijmegen another four hours.
Above: Cycling towards the beach on Zeeland
Below: The flood defence at Neeltje Jans connects the cycle track and road to this artificial island
Autumngold
Whatever cycling you enjoy most, autumn and winter have similar demands. Mudguards. Suitable tyres. Lighting. Clothing for when it’s colder and wetter. The products that meet those needs vary a lot by rider type. I’ve written shopping lists for a club road rider, commuter, family e-biker
Seasonal essentials for you and your bike don’t have to cost a fortune. Dan Joyce suggests some solid gold bargains for different cyclists on a £100 budget
and mountain biker with an arbitrary limit of £100. The aim is to show what it’s most worth spending your money on when the budget is tight.
That financial pressure means that stores like Decathlon, Evans Cycles and Halfords get multiple mentions here. This isn’t to say it’s not worth spending more or that these are the only options. (Do let us know your own seasonal essentials via the Letters pages or the Cycling UK Forum.)
Prices are RRP at time of writing, unless noted. Discounted prices have been included where a store has brand exclusivity. Don’t forget your Cycling UK member discounts at Halfords and Evans (cyclinguk.org/benefits).
Autumn is a good time to service your bike to head off potential problems. As a member, you can get a free bike check from Evans. For more information, see cyclinguk.org/ evans-bike-service
Club road rider
Mudguards – proper mudguards, not saddle flaps like Ass Savers – are vital for any year-round roadie. They stop dirty water from spraying over you and your bike. On a group ride they’ll also keep your club mates clean. Common courtesy requires them on wet roads.
If your road bike has the clearance and mounts, a set of SKS Bluemels mudguards (sks-germany.com) in a size 10mm wider than your tyres is a good choice. Expect to pay £30−£40. Otherwise you’ll need road-bikespecific mudguards (cyclinguk.org/ review-mudguards). Crud Roadracer Mk3 guards (£34.99, crudproducts. com) are Cycle’s favourite among these. You can make the fit even more secure by adding cable ties.
To fully protect you and following riders, mudguards need to extend below hub height. Most don’t so you’ll need mudflaps. You can Blue Peter your own from, for example, dampproof course membrane or cut-up ice-cream tub lids. Bore two vertically positioned holes in each mudguard and attach the mudflaps with small nuts and bolts. Alternatively, buy some ready-made ones from Raw Mudflap (£11, rawmudflap.uk).
In the days when road bikes came with 23mm tyres, it was standard advice to go up a tyre width for the winter. You can run a wider tyre softer, meaning more rubber in contact with the road for grip. These days road bikes typically come with tyres at least 28mm wide so there’s no pressing need to size up.
There is value in having tougher, grippier tyres for autumn and winter. But a second pair of tyres is not cheap; Continental GP 4 Seasons, for example, are £70 each. To save money on road tyres, run longer-lasting fourseason tyres all year round instead. (I’m on Continental GP 5000 AS TR.) As for lower pressures: not having rock-hard tyres is common practice now. (See also cyclinguk.org/cycle/ tyre-pressure.) Try dropping yours by 10psi, initially, if you haven’t already. While group rides tend to take place in daylight, overcast days and
Off-season cycling
For more information about autumn cycling, visit cyclinguk.org/ autumn-advice
poor weather limit visibility. To make yourself more conspicuous on roads with fast-moving traffic, a rear light is a good idea. The Btwin CL 100 LED USB Rear Bike Light 5 Lumens (£7.99, decathlon.co.uk) is cheap, rechargeable and has steady and flashing modes.
You’ll need to keep your bike’s drivetrain relatively clean and well lubricated. (See p36 for more on cleaning.) For lubrication, any chain lube used regularly enough is sufficient. Halfords All Weather Lube 100ml (£5, halfords.com) will do the job and is PTFE free.
Upgrading your summer cycling outfit for autumn can just about be done for less than £50. Here goes: Forclaz Multi-Position Tube Scarf (£4.99, decathlon.co.uk); JSP Stealth Amber Lens Safety Spectacle 731FR (£3.67, screwfix.com); Planet X 365 Glove (£7.49, planetx.co.uk – RRP £14.99); Boardman Windproof Removable Sleeve Jacket in yellow for men, blue for women (£20, halfords. com); Pinnacle Knee Warmers (£8, evanscycles.com – RRP £29.99); Carnac Neoprene Toe Covers (£4.99, planetx.co.uk – RRP £9.99).
Road rider essentials
• Crud Roadracer Mk3 mudguards
• Raw Mudflap, pair
• Btwin CL 100 LED USB rear light
• Halfords All-Weather Lube 100ml
• Forclaz Multi-Position Tube Scarf £4.99
• JSP Amber Lens Safety Spectacle £3.67
• Planet X 365 Glove £7.49
• Boardman Windproof Removable Sleeve Jacket £20
• Pinnacle Knee Warmers £8
• Carnac Neoprene Toe Covers £4.99
“On a group ride mudguards will also keep your club mates clean. Common courtesy requires them on wet roads”
Opposite: Jon Hicks/Getty
Images.
Above: Paul Hailwood
Commuter
For a commuter, mudguards aren’t something you attach to your bike in October. They’re a permanent fixture. Bikes designed for urban riding such as Bromptons and city hybrids often come with them. If you’re riding to work in normal clothes, you always want to arrive clean and dry.
That’s the reason Carradice’s Pro Route Cape (£49.95, carradice. co.uk) tops my list of commuter essentials after mudguards. Capes have fallen out of fashion but unlike most waterproofs they do actually keep you dry when it’s properly raining – at least from the knees up. Since air can circulate, you don’t boil-in-a-bag like you do in a waterproof jacket and trousers. The cape covers your hands so, on days that are wet but not especially cold, you can go without gloves.
) tops my list of commuter
While the cape comes with a hood, a
Commuter essentials
• Carradice Pro Route Cape £49.95
• Van Rysel RoadR 520 Cycling Cap £7.99
• Brompton Rain Resistant Front Luggage Cover
£11
• Halfords 50 Lumen Front Bike Light £10
• Halfords 25 Lumen Rear Bike Light £10
• Zefal Puncture Repair Spray, 75ml £4.99
• Halfords All Weather Lube 100ml
£5 TOTAL
£98.93
traditional cycling cap like the Van Rysel RoadR 520 (£7.99, decathlon. ) keeps the rain out of your eyes (or off your glasses) better and doesn’t restrict peripheral vision. It can be worn by itself, under a helmet and with a snood/ multi-tube to keep your ears warm.
£100 budget and a smash it. The next best thing is a rain
Waterproof cycling luggage is the best option for regular commuters. But a single Ortlieb pannier would consume most of our £100 budget and a Brompton-specific bag would smash it. The next best thing is a rain cover. The Brompton Rain Resistant Front Luggage Cover (£11, brompton. com) is one option. For nonwaterproof panniers – or backpacks, though they won’t work with a cape – there’s the Altura Nightvision Waterproof Cycling Raincover 20−30L (£20, altura.co.uk). Lights are non-negotiable for commuting in autumn and winter (cyclinguk.org/lighting-regulations). We’ve tested some for urban riding
this issue (p58−60). Although not super expensive, the better ones in this review would leave little left over for other commuter essentials. So it’s back to Halfords (halfords.com), where you can buy a pair of reasonably bright, rechargeable be-seen lights for £20: the Halfords 50 Lumen Front Bike Light and the Halfords 25 Lumen Rear Bike Light. They won’t light your way on dark lanes but they’ll make you conspicuous around town. Reliable journey times are more important than ride feel or rolling efficiency for commuting, so tougher tyres are a wise investment. Schwalbe’s Marathon Plus is £43.99 per tyre and Continental’s Contact Plus £41.95. Either should last for ages, while shrugging off shards of glass or other urban detritus. But with insufficient cash in the £100 commuter kitty, Zefal Puncture Repair Spray 75ml (£4.99, zefal.com) should at least get you rolling again if you suffer a flat. It’s designed to seal the hole and re-inflate the tyre. Buy tougher tyres when you can. Finally, you’ll need some chain lube. To keep costs down, Halfords’ own again gets the nod.
Left: Mudguards and a cape keep you drier and less sweaty than a waterproof jacket and trousers
Below: Dan’s Brompton bag (cape packed inside) is waterproof but a rain cover works well enough
Below left: Both bikes have a front mudguard or mudflap long enough for dry feet. Most don’t
co.uk) keeps the rain out of ears warm.
Clockwisse
from right: Simon Ayre, Dan Joyce, Andy Catlin
Family e-biker
When you’re transporting a child by bike in autumn and winter, the priority is to keep them warm and dry. That’s easiest with an enclosed child trailer from the likes of Burley or, if you have an e-cargo bike, a passenger rain canopy such as Tern’s Storm Shield. Neither is affordable on a £100 budget.
If you’ve already been ferrying your child around by bike, you presumably have a child seat. To make that weatherproof, you need the Hamax Rain Poncho (£40, hamax.com). This covers both child and seat, similar to an adult rain cape, and it will keep off the wind as well as rain. You’ll need to something bigger for a larger child on an e-cargo bike’s bench seat, such as a cycling cape or rain suit.
For warmth, add one stretchy snood/neck tube under your child’s helmet and another around their neck as a scarf. You can buy a pack of three Aquarius Neck Warmers from Decathlon (decathlon.co.uk) for £3.99. You can wear the third. Your child will also need warm outdoor clothing, like gloves and those padded all-in-one suits, but you likely have those already.
As you’re riding an e-bike, you don’t have to have cycling-specific clothing to stay warm and dry yourself. The raincoat and boots you’d wear for a wet walk will be fine as you can cruise along at an effort level that won’t make you sweat. Given your precious cargo, you might want to stand out more on dull days. A Halfords Adults Hi-Vis Waistcoat (halfords.com) is £5.
E-bikes often come equipped with mudguards and lights, usually powered by the main battery, so I’m skipping over these. If your e-bike has chaincase or a belt drive you won’t
“The raincoat and boots you’d wear for a wet walk will be fine as you can cruise along at an effort level that won’t make you sweat”
need much in the way of bike lube.
More than any other cyclist, you don’t want your journeys disrupted by punctures. Schwalbe’s Marathon Plus (£43.99, schwalbe.com) is approved for e-bike use and is available in a huge range of sizes. If you can’t afford a pair, buy one and fit it to the rear wheel. That’s more likely to puncture as it bears more weight. It’s also more awkward to fix, especially if your e-bike has a rear hub motor. For the front tyre, pack some puncture repair spray – in a larger size if your e-bike has high-volume tyres.
With the bike’s rear rack occupied by the child seat, front luggage to carry child-related paraphernalia would be useful. That’s not feasible if £100 is an absolute limit. If you can spend a little more, a front basket that will carry around 3kg is the cheapest option. Halfords sells a wire basket for £20, Decathlon £17.99.
E-bike journey range falls in cold weather as batteries don’t work as well at low temperatures. They also shouldn’t be charged when they’re cold, as it can damage them. For advice on looking after your e-bike battery, see cyclinguk.org/ecyclebatteries
Left: Any non-pedalling passenger needs to be wrapped up warm as they won’t generate heat from riding
Below: The Hamax Rain Poncho covers both child and seat, giving good weather protection
Family cycling essentials
• Hamax Rain Poncho
• Aquarius Neck Warmers (pack of 3)
• Halfords Adults Hi Vis Waistcoat
• Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyre
• Zefal Puncture Repair Spray, 150ml £6.99
E-cargo bikes like Tern’s GSD generally come equipped with mudguards and lights Right: Jim Densham. Top: Paul Hailwood. Top right: Hamax
Mountain biker
To stay upright on a mountain bike through a muddy British autumn and winter, you need balletic bike skills or tyres with a decent amount of tread. Some trail tyres are grippy enough for year-round use. Lightly treaded summer or XC tyres aren’t.
If you can’t afford a pair of grippy tyres, buy just one and put it on the front. Front wheel slides are way worse than rear ones. While some mountain bike tyres cost £80+, Specialized’s are uniformly good value. The Specialized Hillbilly Grid Trail 2Bliss Ready T9 (£45, specialized.com) is excellent even before considering the lower cost. It’s available in 29×2.4in and 27.5×2.4in. Mudguards help prevent bike wear as well as keeping you cleaner and drier. Many riders use a fork guard all year to keep dirt out of eyes and fork stanchions. Rear guards are frowned on by fashionistas but do an even better job, keeping mud away from your bum, back and dropper seatpost. The Rear Mudhugger Mk2 (pictured on p55) offers extensive coverage and secure, stable mounting. Yet the older Small Rear Mudhugger (£24.99,
mudhugger.co.uk) is £10 cheaper and nearly as good. Don’t be misled by the name; it works with big tyres, too. If you’re not going to use a rear mudguard, at least protect your dropper seatpost from rear wheel spray with a strip of old innertube. Cable-tie it to the saddle rails and to just below the seatpost clamp.
Lights aren’t on this list because, unlike commuting, mountain biking in the dark isn’t a given. Having said that, night-riding need not cost a fortune. The Halfords Advanced 1800 Lumen Front Bike Light (halfords.com) is £60, while there are 1,000−lumen lights from about £10 on eBay.
A more tenacious wet lube is worthwhile for off-season mountain biking. My favourite is Nzero Wet Lube (100ml £9, shop.nzerowax.com). Don’t just keep dumping it on the chain. First remove the gunk after each muddy ride. Two old toothbrushes taped together, heads facing, will get the worst off the chain. A flat-bladed screwdriver, an old nail brush and a rag can
“If you can’t afford a pair of grippy tyres, buy one and put it on the front. Front wheel slides are way worse”
remove oily paste from jockey wheels, chainring and cassette. For the rest of the bike, water, washing-up liquid and brushes are all you need. Sluice off with plain water to remove any residue. In terms of clothing, winter boots that are both warm and waterproof are the hardest to come by on a tight budget – except at Decathlon. Quechua Warm Hiking Boots NH100 Mid (£29.99, decathlon.co.uk) are fine in rain, mud or freezing conditions. While not designed for cycling, grip is good enough on flat pedals with pins. Long-finger summer biking gloves will be OK in milder autumn weather. As it gets colder, you will of course want thicker gloves, an extra layer up top and either three-quarter shorts or trousers for knee cover.
Mountain biker essentials
• Small Rear Mudhugger
• Specialized Hillbilly Grid Trail 2Bliss Ready T9 tyre £45
• Nzero Wet Lube, 100ml £9
£24.99
• Quechua Warm Hiking Boots NH100 Mid £29.99
TOTAL £108.98
Left: Joolze Dymond
Front and rear mudguards limit the wear to your fork stanchions, dropper post and washing machine
In the frame
Bikes, components, kit and media reviewed by journalists and staff
Gear
SCHWALBE
Aerothan innertube
Thermoplastic urethane (TPU) innertubes present a compelling challenge to butyl and latex tubes –and even road tubeless – for riders seeking the best performance from their tyres. Schwalbe’s Aerothan TPU tubes feature robust tube walls and reliable, accurately dimensioned aluminium stems. At 50g for the 28in SV 15−AE tube tested, weight still matches the very lightest butyl tubes.
Verdict
The lightweight butyl tubes I used lost 10psi overnight while the Aerothan’s air loss was negligible – as was the difference in performance on my coast-down test slope. But the Supersonic tubes feel fragile, the Aerothan tubes don’t; the latter win.
SUPERLIGHT BUT ROBUST
AIR RETENTION
WIDE SIZE RANGE
This tube can be used in tyres from 23mm to 32mm in section. TPU tubes have limited elasticity and will stretch permanently if inflated past their yield size. Once this has happened, the tube should not be used afterwards in a narrower tyre, as it will risk failure. Fitting is easy with the tube lightly inflated, the low-friction surface letting it slip easily into the tyre/ rim pocket. Aerothan tubes are approved for use with rim brakes, and in tests have proven more resistant to heat damage than latex or lightweight butyl. I used them on steep, highspeed descents with rim brakes. Their manufacture uses an average of 92% recycled material to produce 100% recyclable tubes. They can be repaired using Schwalbe’s own
Other options
CONTI TUBE RACE 28
SUPERSONIC £15.95
Exceptionally lightweight (50g) butyl tube that needs careful installation. conti-tyres.co.uk
MICHELIN AIR COMP
LATEX 700C £10
Low rolling resistance and tough for a latex tube. This road tube weighs 75g. bike.michelin.com/en
glueless patches. And they offer impressively low rolling resistance. This, their light weight and small size when folded are the three features that make TPU tubes most attractive to performance-minded riders. I tested them alongside Continental Supersonic lightweight butyl tubes (also 50g). There is a notable difference in feel. The Supersonic tubes offer a quieter ride, but the rolling performance is much the same. Richard Hallett
In the frame
+ KICKSTAND ALSO SUPPORTS BIKE
+ EASY MOUNTING
– AXLE KITS SOLD SEPARATELY
A trailer that works well on road and off, and that can fit any bike
TOPEAK JOURNEY TRAILER £499.99
Nearly half the weight of the Coho, it comes with both dry-bag and skewers. Unlike the Coho, which also fits 29+ bikes, the Journey Trailer only fits 26in, 27.5in and 700C wheels. extrauk.co.uk
Until recently I’d been looking to buy a longtail e-cargo bike. After a couple of months using the Coho XC, I don’t think I need one. This easy-mounting trailer gives me all the luggagecarrying capacity I want, and turns my tourer and MTB into reliable workhorses for a fraction of the cost. When not in use, the Coho easily packs down without tools. Made of aluminium, at 9.6kg it is more awkward than weighty when you pick it up. It’s a true beast of burden, reportedly capable of being able to
carry up to 31.75kg (70lb) – if your legs and/or motor are up to the task.
I’ve mainly used it for work, where I lug hand tools to help maintain rights of way, and for short camping trips with my three-year-old. The trailer’s kickstand was a revelation, keeping the bike upright as well as the trailer. Packed right, the trailer followed like an obedient trail dog on singletrack and tarmac. Packed wrong, it felt like a husky dragging its heels while wagging its tail!
I also tried it for the weekly shop. Riding along dry bridleways, the groceries picked up a fine layer of dust kicked up by my rear wheel (even with mudguards) that was a pain to rinse out of the broccoli. Burley makes a 75−litre dry-bag (£97.99) that slots into the trailer. This would have kept out the dust (and any rain).
Given the trailer’s high cost, I think the bag should be included. The same goes for the axles you need to fit the trailer to your bike. You have to buy them separately. The Coho 5mm Skewer (for QR dropouts) is £65.99, the Coho Nutted Axle Adapter £25.99 and the Coho Thru-Axle £49. Sam Jones
Your reviews If you’ve used a product that Cycle has tested, you can post your own review of it (or of any other product) at: cyclinguk.org/ forum-reviews
BOB YAK 26 PLUS £520 approx Made of steel, the classic BOB Yak comes with skewer and dry-bag. Only a few stockists (such as sjscycles.co.uk) have new ones as production stopped in 2022.
Verdict
At home both on and off road, the Coho XC is a great option for adventurers looking to carry more, and would-be cargo bikers who can afford neither the price or the space of a specialist bike.
BURLEY
In the frame
Designed for bad-weather mountain biking, it’s more durable than packable
ALTURA WOMEN’S RIDGE TIER PERTEX WATERPROOF
JACKET £175
Similar price and features to the SingleTrack jacket, with an adjustable hood and dropped tail but higher chest pockets. altura.co.uk
MADISON DTE 3-LAYER WOMEN’S WATERPROOF
JACKET £199.99
Another jacket for filthy conditions, it has a hood, dropped tail and pockets, plus higher breathability and waterproof ratings. freewheel.co.uk
Endura’s SingleTrack range is its mid-tier mountain bike collection.
“Feature rich and built tough for every type of mountain biker,” Endura says. I’ve had this jacket for nearly a year and have worn it in some wild, wet and windy conditions, confident that it will cope and that I won’t risk hypothermia. That makes it a good choice for bikepacking trips, too.
It’s at the tougher, thicker end of the cycling jacket spectrum so it doesn’t pack up small. But it’s designed as a waterproof jacket, not a lightweight showerproof. It’s longer in the body and, paired with a pair of waterproof shorts, almost makes a filthy day at the bike park pleasant. While I haven’t crashed in it yet, the three-layer fabric feels substantial enough to withstand rough treatment. Mine has washed well and doesn’t look scuffed yet.
There are two good-sized handwarmer pockets on the front, and one oddly sized pocket on the chest that won’t fit my phone. It is warm due to that three-layer construction but has
long pit zips to aid ventilation. There’s a large hood with volume reducers so it can go over your helmet and stay there while riding. Top tip: play with the volume adjusters at home before you need them so you know where they are. I’d prefer to have a means of fastening the hood away when not in use as well.
The current season’s colourways are black, bramble and ghillie green. Older colourways, like the harvest shown, are often on sale, which makes them great value. Women’s sizing goes up to 2XL, which is about an 18. The men’s version goes to 3XL and has different colourways.
Hannah Collingridge
Verdict
A good, tough waterproof jacket built for wilder days out and conditions where the ‘mountain’ part of MTB makes an appearance. A practical design, apart from that chest pocket, means grim weather isn’t quite as bad as it could be, thus improving rider safety too. Mine is wearing well so far.
ENDURA
“Bicycle
Touring as it used to be”
Manche-to-Med
Dieppe to Montpellier: 55-60 miles per day
2-15 May 2026, from £1975 pp
Remote Spain
Bilbao to Seville: 55-60 miles per day
3-16 October 2026, from £1949 pp
Great Bike Rides run all-inclusive long-distance guided tours in Europe. Tours are self-supported, led by an experienced, quali ed and knowledgeable guide, on quiet country roads, with a comfortable hotel and a good sociable dinner at the end of the day!
Full details on the website
01
Carradice Brompton Weekender
£94.95+
This new bag is made from 600−denier polyester laminate and is 100% waterproof. It includes a mount to fit the Brompton carrier block and comes in black or olive. The 10L bag is £94.95, the 17L £119.95. carradice.co.uk
02
Enigma Elan frame
£2,599+
Unlike most titanium bikes, Enigma’s new endurance road bike is made in the UK (in stock sizes). It has a T47 bottom bracket, hidden mudguard mounts and takes 32mm tyres. enigmabikes.com
Save money
As a member, you can save up to 50% on a wide range of cycling products and services. Visit cyclinguk.org/ member-benefits
04
Spirgrips+ Composite
£63.75
While they’re about as attractive as Shrek’s ears, these ergonomic (and updated) inner bar-ends look like a good solution for longer-distance flat-bar comfort. They’re only 84g. spirgrips.com
05
Pirelli SmarTUBE RS
£28.99
TPU tubes are on a roll right now. Pirelli says its new one for 26−35mm 700C tyres (32g with a 42mm valve, 34g with 80mm) offers “nearly identical” rolling performance to a tubeless setup. pirelli.com
06
Exposure Six Pack Mk15 £495
03
Pinnacle Commute Jacket Ladies
£44.99
Not new but, like a lot of Pinnacle stuff, discounted at the time or writing; it was £90. It has 5k/5k waterproofing and breathability. Sizes 8−16, yellow or coral. Men’s version available evanscycles.com
Exposure’s off-road bar lights –like the 6,000−lumen (!) Six Pack 15 – now have USB-C charging, power delivery, an OLED status screen and better auto-brightness to adjust light output to speed. exposurelights.com
Basil Bicycle Crate Large, 40L
£29.99
Basil’s bags and baskets are easier to get hold of now they’re imported by Madison. With a MIK adaptor and compatible rack, this recycled plastic crate clicks on and off in seconds. freewheel.co.uk
In the frame Books
Bikepacking – South East Gravel
Details
By: Ed Hunton
Publisher: Cicerone
Price: £16.95
ISBN: 9781786312372
Ed Hunton is a lifelong cycle tourist, on and off road, and you can tell he likes plotting an interesting journey. Bikepacking – South East Gravel details 12 routes within a triangle between the New Forest, north Norfolk and the east Kent coast, all with charts, variations and recommended stops, and all accessible by train.
Two are one-to-two days (69km and 76km), nine are two-to-three days (109km to 179km) and Cycling UK’s Cantii Way is two-to-five days (249km). They average 45% off road, which might not sound like much, but often adds up to at least three-
quarters off road time-wise, with welcome respites on quiet lanes. I tried the Chilterns route and the ‘Come on Pilgrim’ route near Sevenoaks, and they were beauties. Both were lovely showcases for their areas, with shady wooded trails, open
“The book contains a link to the GPX files, and I would absolutely like to do them all”
views and enough villages and tea stops. The book’s gradings seem fair – the former was the only one graded ‘difficult’ and was definitely best on a mountain bike. Half the routes are ‘easy’ and the rest ‘moderate’. The book contains a link to the GPX files, and I would absolutely like to do them all. I’m not sure whether there’s a need for the turn-by-turn instructions or the 1:150,000 OS maps that lack enough detail to be useful off road. More background information and narrative would have been nice instead.
Sean Fishpool
You can read excerpts from some of the books that Cycle has reviewed at: cyclinguk.org/cyclebook-excerpts
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 books to: Cycle, Cycling UK, Parklands, Railton Rd, Guildford, GU2 9JX
Cycling Edinburgh
Details
By: Richard Peace
Publisher: Sustrans & Ordnance Survey
Price: £9.99
ISBN: 9781914410703
As the parent of a six-year-old cyclist, I found this book a brilliant resource. The format is great: a fold-out key, ring binding and thick paper make it easy to use. I’d love more circular routes and a summary of route difficulties, but overall it’s ideal for families, beginners or visitors exploring by bike.
Kirsty Ryder
Roads Towards a Supreme Fiction
Details
By: Matthew Crompton
Publisher: Independent Price: £7.99
ISBN: 9798305025095
At times majestically descriptive, at others philosophical, Matthew Crompton recounts a challenging and not always enjoyable four-month, 6,000km solo ride through western China, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. I would not describe this as an uplifting and positive tale but rather a fine description of a tough journey and its psychological impact.
Dominic Kelly
Equator to Cape Details
By: Lloyd Butterworth
Publisher: Independent Price: £9.99
ISBN: 9798314125885
Equator to Cape is enthralling and educational. It follows the achievements of a couple determined to take on this epic ride, regardless of the (many and frequent) barriers, and how they approached the whole adventure with such gusto and enthusiasm. One for would-be travellers or those who just like to live them vicariously.
Duncan Jagger
In the frame Bike test
High-grade steel
If you’re buying a road bike for over £4,000, why choose steel? Guy Kesteven tests a Condor Fratello Disc and a Mason Resolution to find some answers
To introduce this test, I’m going to cheat and quote Cycle magazine editor Dan from when we exchanged emails about it: “Surveys tell us that road bikes are now the most popular type of bike among Cycling UK members. That’s what we’re testing here. Not tourers. Not gravel bikes. Not race bikes. Quality, generalpurpose road bikes that are brisk, comfortable and practical.”
But with alloy, carbon fibre and titanium frames all available, why is the oldest, heaviest frame material – steel – still popular for this sort of bike? The surprisingly different ride feel of the two bikes here, Condor’s Fratello and Mason’s Resolution 3, go a long way to explaining why ferrous bikes have so many fans.
Frame and fork
Before we get into the differences between the two bikes, there are some clear similarities. Both frames are handmade in Italy using triplebutted (three wall thickness in each main tube), internally corrosionproofed, Italian Columbus Omnicrom steel. The Fratello is made from ‘Spirit’, the Resolution 3 a mix of ‘Spirit’ and ‘Life’. Both bikes have carbon fibre forks.
Frames and forks have clearance
for 35mm tyres or 32mm with mudguards – which both bikes have fittings for, as well as four-point rear rack eyelets and a brace of bottle cage mounts.
Each bike has internal main-frame and fork routing for the disc brake hoses, front hub dynamo wiring through the fork, 12mm axles front and rear and conventional gear hangers. The swappable hardware for the ‘Smart’ gear routing on each bike also looks very similar. It allows you to fit blanking plates if you use a SRAM AXS wireless or a Shimano Di2 electronic groupset.
While the Condor’s cable shift routing is external, the Mason’s cables are routed internally right to the dropouts. The Resolution 3’s use of an oversize T47 bottom bracket shell enables the rear brake hose to run internally the whole way, too. The Fratello has a traditional BSA design and partly external hose routing.
The literal big difference between the two frames, however, is tube diameters. The Spirit pipework of the Condor changes from 32×38mm to
Middle:Slimmer stays and less chunky dropouts contribute to a more archetypal steel-frame ride
Bottom: Campag Chorus – but you can pick and mix the spec
35×36mm on the hexagonal down tube and 33×24mm to 33×25mm on the rectangular top tube. The D-shaped Life down tube on the Mason morphs from 43×45mm to 45×43.5mm, and 35×30mm to 35×35mm on the top tube. The rear stays on the Condor are also slimmer, with extended sections of simple plate on both chainstays and a much thinner head tube than the Mason.
In terms of cosmetics, Condor offers five colours with reflective logo panels to Mason’s three hues and more subtle but extensive graphics. Metal head badges and internal corrosion treatment are common to both bikes.
Components
In the frame
Tech spec
Condor Fratello Disc Campagnolo Chorus Hydro
Price: £4,279.99 as tested (£1,449.99 frame & fork).
Despite different groupsets from Campagnolo and SRAM, and variations in the Deda build kits, complete bike weights are similar enough to have a negligible outcome on performance.
Mason and Condor both let you choose the specification from a large range of options, so commenting on specific transmission and braking traits is largely irrelevant here. Interestingly, despite carbon rims, the Campagnolo Shamal wheels of the Condor are actually fractionally
Below: External gear cables run under the
“ BOTH SHOW THAT STEEL CERTAINLY STILL HAS ITS PLACE IN THE MATERIALS MENU OF
MODERN CYCLING”
heavier than the alloy-rimmed Hunt Aerodynamicists (1,565g versus 1,585g). I swapped them over for part of the testing to isolate the effect of the wheels and different width and brand of tyre on the overall ride, just to be sure I’d levelled the playing field.
Ride
However level things look on the scales, the differences in ride between the Mason and Condor are immediate and clear. From the first pedal stroke the larger diameter tubes and bottom bracket of the Resolution 3 give it a firmer, more positive response to effort. The stouter fork and head tube give a more direct connection through the handlebar. Add a significantly slacker head tube (71.5ºcompared to 73.5º) longer trail (69mm versus 55mm) and a longer wheelbase (1020mm versus 997mm), it’s obviously more stable and surefooted in its stance.
I found that reassuring and was a lot more confident carrying speed as a result. Less front-end flop and
Sizes: 46, 49, 52, 55 (tested) 58, 61, 64cm.
Weight: 9.67kg (21.31lb), including guards but without pedals.
Frame & fork: Columbus Spirit triple-butted steel frame with external cable routing, two bottle cage mounts, flat-mount disc, mudguard and four-point rear rack mounts. Condor Pioggia Disc full carbon monocoque fork with flat-mount disc, mudguard and internal disc hose and dynamo cable routing.
Left: The Condor Fratello is essentially a modern update of the classic clubman’s bike
down tube and BB
In the frame
more rear drive encouraged me to climb and sprint combatively on the Resolution 3, too.
In contrast, the slimmer tubes, longer plate sections on the chainstays and conventional bottom bracket of the Condor lay power down more smoothly and sedately. The skinny main tubes, fork legs and head tube of the Fratello are more flexible and springy. In conjunction with the steeper head angle and a narrower handlebar, the result is a faster-reacting, borderline flighty front end despite the deeper-section wheels holding a course more readily than swerving easily. Toe overlap on the mudguards is more of a potential issue, which made me more on edge riding the Condor.
Given the likely demographic of riders choosing steel frames, I lined up some swap-around testing sessions with friends of more traditional tastes than my admittedly gravel/MTB-tainted views. They clicked with the faster-steering, easier-to-correct handling of the Fratello, even on faster, swerving descents. In contrast, they felt the Mason could be on the stubborn and unresponsive side – particularly when trying to thread through potholed or
Tech spec
Mason Definition SRAM Force AXS
Price: £4,530 as tested (£1,795 frame & fork).
Sizes: 48, 50, 52, 54, 56 (tested) 60, 62cm.
Weight: 9.51kg (20.96lb), including guards but without pedals.
Above and right: Cables and hoses from the SRAM levers all run internally, even through the BB
Below right: Like the Condor, the Mason can be fitted with a rear rack – as well as mudguards over 32mm tyres
rough road sections or climbing out of the saddle.
Failing to avoid holes and ruts highlighted the stiffer ride of the Mason compared to the gliding ride of the slim-tubed Condor. This not only influences a difference in comfort levels through the bars, saddles and pedals when swapping between the two bikes. It also affected the traction and feedback levels, with the Mason having
Frame & fork: Mixed Columbus Spirit and Life multi-butted steel main frame with configurable internal cable and hose routing, two bottle cage mounts, flat-mount disc, mudguard and four-point rear rack mounts. Mason Aperture2 full-carbon fork with flat-mount disc, mudguard and internal disc hose and dynamo cable routing.
Wheels: 32−622 Continental GP5000 S TR tyres on Hunt 34 Aero Wide Disc SL alloy wheels.
Transmission: SRAM Force AXS 48−35t chainset, chain, shifters, derailleurs and 10−36t cassette. Hope T47 Dub bottom bracket. 24 ratios, 26−130in.
Braking: SRAM Force AXS levers, callipers, rotors. Steering & seating: Mason bar tape, Deda Zero100 420mm handlebar and 100mm stem. Deda headset. Fizik Argo Tempo saddle, Mason carbon seatpost, seat clamp. Equipment: PDW Full Metal mudguards. masoncycles.cc
In the frame Bike test
Other options
PASHLEY ROADFINDER CAMPAGNOLO
CHORUS
£3,995
Pashley’s new Reynolds 853 all-rounder combines traditional UK craftsmanship and hand painting with 3D printing and bang up-to-date features like T47 BB, UDH dropouts and 40mm tyre clearance. pashley.co.uk
SHAND STOOSHIE
£4,320
Recently returning to UK-made independence, Shand has reduced its range slightly but still offers the super versatile, extensively customisable, Columbus-Life-tubed Stooshie all-rounder. shandcycles.com
a clearer, brighter road feel, while being more likely to rattle or skip out of grip in turns or under power than the more compliant Condor.
As mentioned previously, I swapped wheels to double check it wasn’t just the difference in rubber brand and volume or the distinctive tripled spoke layout of the Campagnolo wheels distorting comparison.
While these traits will polarise riders, I’d say that they match each bike very well. The brighter feel and more progressive handling matches the modern fixtures and aesthetic of the Resolution 3, whereas the more traditional character of the Fratello is reflected in its ride and look. It also aligns the Condor much more closely with the lithe and sinuously smooth ride that tubing cognoscente would expect from a ferrous frame. By contrast, the Resolution 3 is closer to aluminium in its taut feel, which comes at the expense of occasional punishment over the roughest roads. Although you can specify either frame with whatever equipment you want, both bikes feel holistically
Left: With beefier dropouts, a T47 bottom bracket and larger diameter tubes, the Mason gives a stiffer ride
correct as they are. The choice of Campagnolo, with its lengthy road race heritage, feels right when you consider that Condor has been in business since 1948.
Even though Resolution designer Dom Mason had years of bike design experience at Kinesis before setting up Mason 10 years ago, he’s a relative newcomer to the steel-frame scene. And compared to Campagnlo, SRAM (which the Resolution uses) is regarded as the new kid despite producing parts since the 1980s and subsuming storied brands such as Sachs into its family over the years.
Verdict
The Resolution 3 is an unashamedly modern interpretation of a steel all-rounder, with clean looks, stable handling and punchy power transfer for a steel bike. That gives it a muscular rather than mellow overall feel that brings it close to an alloy frame – not least Mason’s own Definition, which is both lighter and cheaper.
In contrast, the Condor is an update of the classic ‘clubman’ bikes that formed the majority of the York CTC Easy Riders group that I used to join as a young teen over 40 years ago. It prioritises a smooth glide over standup grunt, but still with fast handling for when the café ride becomes a criterium race.
Whichever you prefer, both show that steel still certainly has its place in the materials menu of modern cycling.
Photos: Guy Kesteven
Stooge Dirt Tracker
Retro style, modern geometry and big tyres combine to create a bikepacking-ready trail bike that’s way more capable than it appears, says Dan Joyce
“Looks like a Raleigh Bomber,” said a friend. A fair assessment. The Bomber had US clunker vibes but was really the last flowering of the tracker bike, the UK’s own off-roader of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. Stooge’s Andy Stevenson calls it: “My bikepacky, trail-shreddy ode to the glorious British tracker bikes of post-war Britain.”
It’s not a period piece but a modern iteration with up-to-date geometry, contemporary standards, huge tyre clearances (29×3.25in front, 29×3in rear) and abundant frame fittings. Like its Stooge stablemates, the Dirt Tracker is only available as a frameset, which includes thru-axles and an eccentric bottom bracket (EBB) insert. I built it up with an eclectic selection of used components – with one gear, like many Stooges, because I had the parts from my singlespeeding past.
Frame and fork
The butted chrome-moly frameset is made in Taiwan to Andy’s design, with a tracker-bike kink in the top tube and a distinctive ‘biplane’ fork. There are three colour options but only one
Tech spec
Stooge Dirt Tracker
Price: £780 (frameset).
Sizes: one size (18in).
Top: As its name, kinked top tube and big handlebar make clear, the Dirt Tracker pays homage to an older, simpler kind of off-road bike. And it rides great!
size: 18in. That’s fine if you’re average male height like me but limits you to a short dropper post or an awkwardly long stem, respectively, if you’re much shorter or taller. Stooge suggests riders from 5ft 7in to 6ft 2in will fit.
It’s a rigid-specific bike. The fork has an axle-to-crown height of just 455mm so you can’t sensibly fit a suspension fork, even one with a straight 1 1/8in steerer. The shorter fork means the stack height is modest despite a 140mm head tube. A highrise handlebar like Stooge’s own Junker 85 (£78), which Andy also sent, is required if you want to avoid a poker-chip stack of headset spacers. (The test bike has those as well as I like a high bar position on a rigid bike.)
The Dirt Tracker’s 66º head angle isn’t much steeper than the functional, sagged head angles of the progressive trail hardtails I tested last issue, and the wheelbase is about the same. But with a longer-offset fork, there’s less trail and wheel flop. Compared to a Jones Plus LWB, the chainstays are shorter – although not short – and the front-centres
Weight: frame inc EBB 2.93kg, uncut fork 1.74kg. Bike (as shown but no bottles) 15.0kg. Frame & fork: Doublebutted, ED-coated, 4130 chrome-moly frame with 73mm threaded bottom bracket in EBB insert, 34mm head tube, 30.9mm seat tube with dropper port, 148mm thru-axle, and fittings for rear rack, mudguard, two bottle mounts, one triple cage mount. Chrome-moly biplane fork with 1 1/8in steel steerer, 110mm thru-axle and fittings for rack, mudguard and two triple cage mounts. Wheels: front: 76−622 Maxxis Minion DHF tyre, Light Bicycle RM29C15 50mm (ext) carbon rim, Hope Pro 4 hub. Rear: 76−622 Bontrager XR2 tyre, Jones Spec 45/50 aluminium rim, Jones Spec rear hub. Transmission: Nukeproof Neutron Evo pedals, 155mm Hope Evo chainset & 30t ring, Hope 30mm BB, Surly 20t cassette cog. One ratio, 46in. Braking: Avid BB7 MTN callipers, 180mm rotors. Steering & seating: Wolf Tooth Karv grips, Stooge Junker bar, old bar ends, 40mm ×7º stem, FSA headset. Charge Spoon saddle, 30.9mm Specialized Command Post dropper.
stoogecycles.co.uk
In the frame Bike test
distance is longer. With a longer reach than a Jones, the riding position is more like a typical trail bike’s.
There are fittings for everything and all cables are external, aside from the dropper post’s, which enters the seat tube just above the bottom bracket. The fork has been beefed up for this year’s production run to help it survive bigger jumps and drops. I don’t mind its 1.74kg weight but Andy says it’ll be about 250g lighter next year.
Components
Apart from the Junker bar, the components are mine so I won’t discuss them much. The handlebar? It’s huge, with an orangutan width of 820mm that I cut down to 780mm. It’s made from chrome-moly steel and, being braced as well, is probably indestructible. It comes with a shim to fit 31.8mm stems. I added inner barends to provide an additional hand position for fire roads and headwinds.
The EBB insert can be rotated to move the bottom bracket. This lets you tension a singlespeed chain. If you run gears, you can adjust the bottom bracket position to change pedalto-ground clearance or the effective chainstay length. (I’ve put a ‘c’, for circa, by numbers in the geometry diagram that only reflect one BB position.)
I initially fitted 170mm cranks and 32/20 gearing. Then I tried 155mm cranks and 30/20 gearing, which was much better. You lose some leverage with short cranks but, with a lower gear ratio, that didn’t make
hills harder. Being able to pedal with a higher, more fluid cadence was a huge improvement everywhere else.
Ride
Forget what it what looks like: the Dirt Tracker handles much like a contemporary trail hardtail. It’s slower over big stutter bumps, as any rigid bike would be, but it corners superbly. I think this is a combination of: enough but not too much trail, thanks to the longer-offset fork; steering geometry that’s unaffected by suspension compression; a wide bar; the fork’s shorter A-C height; and the extra traction from big tyres that, on wide rims, don’t squirm unpredictably.
The result is a bike that whips along swoopy singletrack, carrying speed through corners instead of obliging you to brake into them and accelerate out. That’s nice for any bike but is priceless if you’re riding singlespeed, where maintaining momentum is key to keeping up with mates on gears.
The Dirt Tracker can comfortably be used for bigger days out. Off-road rides of 40 miles or so didn’t leave me battered – unlike last issue’s hardtails. That’s largely down to the big, plush tyres, the higher handlebar and the fact that the seat tube isn’t as steep as the virtual angle suggests; the bend in it means the seatpost angle is only 73º. The eccentric bottom bracket worked well. It was easy to orient and never budged when riding, although it did need nipping up very tightly to prevent creaking.
Other options
Above left: That’s a 30−tooth chainring. A 32t will fit fine. A 34t should with a wider chainline
Above: While this descent isn’t tricky, the Stooge went everywhere my friends’ 140mm fullsuspension bikes went
SINGULAR SWIFT MK5
STEEL FRAMESET
£950
Smart steel hardtail with an EBB that will take 29×3in tyres, luggage and a 100mm suspension fork. Geometry (69ºHA, 73ºSA) is more XC. Sizes: M-XL. singularcycles.com
SURLY KRAMPUS FRAMESET
£1,049.99
The original 29+ MTB. Gnot-Boost dropouts fit most axles and it can run a 120mm suspension fork. 69ºHA, 73ºSA. Sizes: S-XL. surlybikes.com
Verdict
The Dirt Tracker lives up to its billing as a trail MTB you could go bikepacking on. It’s not quite as comfortable or versatile as the Jones Plus LWB, which also works as a commuter or tourer. But for mountain biking you don’t have to recalibrate your brain like you do with Jones’s unconventional geometry, and I think it offers a more engaging singletrack experience. It’s also much cheaper. While a hefty, rigid mountain bike won’t suit everyone, for some it could be just the simple but capable off-road bike they’re looking for. It rekindled my love of singlespeeding.
Far right: by Rob Powell.
Others: Dan Joyce
Commuter light sets
With the nights drawing in, it’s time to fit your lights or buy new ones. Emma Silversides tests six battery sets for urban commuters
Bike lights are a practical and legal requirement whenever you’re cycling at night. If you’re riding on country roads or trails, you’ll need a front lamp with a beam bright enough to light your way. In urban areas where there are streetlights, however, the main role of bike lights is to make you visible to other road users. Because of this, urban commuter lights tend to be cheaper, smaller, lighter and less powerful (fewer lumens) than those designed for use in pitch dark.
While be-seen lights may not illuminate the road ahead, they must alert others to your presence – from as many directions as possible and ideally from a considerable distance. Some will also offer sufficient lumens to ride in full darkness. Runtimes on be-seen lights tend to be long as
they require much less battery power than powerful headlights.
Note that you’re required to use your lights between dusk and dawn, not just when it’s full dark. It makes sense to use them when visibility is limited by poor weather conditions or overcast conditions, although that’s not a legal requirement. Some cyclists also use be-seen lights during daytime, especially on roads with a lot of traffic.
For more details on lighting requirements, visit cyclinguk.org/ lighting-regulations
“In urban areas… the main role of bike lights is to make you visible”
Routes without streetlights require a front light that throws a decent beam
What to look for
Charge and run time
Consider how long the lights last on a single charge, especially the mode you will use most, and how long recharging takes. Charging will usually take longer via a PC’s USB port than a wall socket. Check that charging cables are provided or that you have one (often USB-C) that fits.
Attachment/mount
Make sure it’s secure. A screw-on bracket is ideal if you have only one bike. Stretchy O-ring mounts offer easy swappability. Check compatibility with bar dimensions/shape. Consider the bar/ post space you have free.
On/off button
Accessibility and responsiveness are important, especially with gloves. A firm button press limits accidental activation.
Output
For be-seen front lights, 50 to 200 lumens in urban areas is fine, more for suburban. For the rear, 10 to 80 lumens is sufficient. Different modes can improve visibility in different conditions but too many options can be frustrating when toggling through them.
Water resistance
Look for a secure, robust charging port cover. The IP (ingress protection) rating should be at least 4 (‘water splashes’). It’s not unusual for a light to be missing an IP rating against solids. For more on IP ratings see: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_code.
Main photo: Joolze Dymond
Lezyne | Mini Drive 400XL / KTV Drive+
£60, upgradebikes.co.uk
The Mini Drive 400XL front light is compact, sturdy and has a sleek metal body. It feels built to last. The mount offers infinite rotation, making it ideal for busy bars and unconventional mounting positions. Operation is easy, with a button that stands proud and doubles up as a battery-level indicator. For me, eight different modes was overkill.
The rear light has an excellent 270º beam. Day Flash mode offers up to 20 hours of runtime, enough for most commuters. Mounting stability isn’t the best; a deep groove in the rubberised rear means the light tends to slide off centre. It’s well-suited to aero seatposts.
Both front and rear charge via integrated USB, conveniently doing away with cables. Charging via a laptop might be awkward.
Good visibility and durability, and an impressive IPX7 rating. The only negative is the rear mounting interface
These lights are tiny but effective. Both the flash and steady modes get you seen; the rear really stood out in the group, and side visibility is excellent. The front is definitively a be-seen light.
I found switching between settings took a bit of getting used to, but worth it for the longer runtimes that can be achieved. They can run for up to 24 hours in the lowest setting and only take three hours to recharge. I loved the etchings on the lights themselves, which give runtimes and basic operations.
While these are tiny, they are robust and have an IP67 rating. The hardened plastic clip mount is very secure. They will only attach to round posts and bars unless you buy one of the alternative mounts. High price reflects the quality and functionality of these lights. The rear light is head and shoulders above the others here
These lights are the cheapest set here, being reduced to just £19.99 at the time of writing. The 300-lumen front light offers three steady modes and two flashing modes, with the lowest steady mode lasting 11 hours and flashing modes five. The Day Flash mode works particularly well. It has good lateral illumination and an intuitive operation. I found the plastic casing prone to dents and scratches.
The 5-lumen rear has just one mode – steady – lasting five hours, and it’s not very bright. It was also the only one on test without a low battery indicator. The on/off button is easily activated accidentally.
Both mounts incorporate a ratchet rotation, which is useful at the rear for angled seatposts.
The front light will get you seen and allow you to see hazards. The rear light feels like a token addition
In the frame
Busch+Müller Ixon Core 2 / IXXI Light Set
£79 approx, bumm.de/en
The Core 2 front light is designed to ensure drivers aren’t dazzled, meeting German regulations. There’s no flashing mode, just low, medium and high, lasting from 18 hours on low to 2.5 hours on high. At 70 lux, the high setting is sufficient for riding in the dark, although it’s not as striking in daylight as those that use flash modes. The battery level indicator is intuitive but not so easy to see in very bright conditions. The light doubles up as a power bank (USB-C port). I love that the battery is replaceable. It has an expected lifetime of seven to nine years before it needs replacing.
The rear IXXI can run for up to 15 hours in a single, steady mode. Side visibility is good, backing up the claimed 320º range. A rubberised body protects against drops and the elements. The beam emitted wasn’t as distinctive as others.
A good choice if you don’t want flashing modes. The front light puts sustainability at the forefront
Verdict
As be-seen lights for urban use, Exposure’s stand well above the others for performance and quality. Their higher price reflects this. The front isn’t sufficient to light your way in the dark, however.
The lights from CatEye, Oxford, Lezyne
£64.99, cateyecycling.co.uk
The plastic casing of the CatEye set looks a bit cheap but performance is excellent. I found it strange that the charging ports were different: USB-C at the front, micro-USB at the rear.
The front light’s daytime mode lasts five hours, basic flash 60 hours. The brightest constant mode is accessible without scrolling, which is handy. Day Flash mode was the most conspicuous of all the lights. Side visibility is decent. Despite an IPX4 rating, I found the port cover a bit loose.
Side visibility of the rear was the best in the group, backing up CatEye’s 360º claim. It wasn’t the most striking in daylight, though it impressed at night. The mounting bracket is versatile, accommodating any kind of post or tubing. It can even be positioned horizontally.
A bit plasticky but the functionality will more than satisfy those riding in both light and dark conditions
and Busch+Müller are all up to riding on dark lanes, if this is a requirement. They sit close price-wise and each has its own pros and cons. I’d say identify your priorities, then buy accordingly. It could be a case of mix and match; several of these lights can be
Oxford Ultratorch CL500 and Cube-X R25
£39.99 & £14.99, oxfordproducts.com
The CL500 has enough oomph to take you into dark lanes and is easy to use; I loved the scroll forward/ backward option. Runtimes were all longer than claimed: 45 hours of Day Flash is impressive. I consistently got more than the claimed one hour on full beam. The digital display looks great but I found it ‘dropped off’ suddenly, so it’s best to recharge sooner rather than later. The light is well made, feels robust and has an IPX4 rating. It doubles up as a power bank.
The compact rear COB light features both Group Ride and Daytime Hyperflash settings, running 33 and 15 hours respectively. It wasn’t as striking as others but the large surface area throws out plenty of light to get you seen. Side visibility is not as good as some. The mount is shaped for round posts only. Robust lights with some nice features, as well as runtimes that are impressive
bought separately so you could get front and rear from different manufacturers. Pinnacle’s front light is inexpensive and impresses in daylight but the rear is disappointing. So although it’s the cheapest set, it may be a false economy.
LOCH NESS MYSTERY
Like all the other cyclists I know in the Highlands, I am surprised by the article suggesting riding the Etape Loch Ness route other than when the A82 trunk road is closed to traffic for the purpose. The road is usually very busy, is not very wide and has poor sighting distances.
It’s an unpleasant ride and it is necessary to get off the road frequently to allow coaches and lorries to pass. I’ve ridden it during the Etape and I’ve also done it as part of longdistance cycle tours, but I’d not ride it ‘just for fun’; it isn’t fun.
What this highlights is the more general problem of the A82 corridor, which is the obvious route linking Glasgow, Fort William and Inverness. Provision for touring cyclists is at best mixed. Cycle tracks may be far from ideal for a touring bike, and in some places there is no cycle track at all. This contrasts badly with the Edinburgh-Inverness route.
Dr John Heathcote, Treasurer, Cycling UK Highland
In dark on lights ↑
I bought an Oxford Ultratorch R75 light and, unable to find any mention of British Standards, wrote to the manufacturer asking whether my new light was BS compliant. Oxford wrote back to say that it’s not BS compliant but it is CE marked. This doesn’t seem satisfactory because I understand that: no matter how effective a light is, in the event of an accident, partial culpability may be assigned to the cyclist using lights that aren’t BS compliant; and CE isn’t a performance standard but a qualitymanagement standard. But Oxford say its light isn’t compliant with BS and very few (if any) are! I would be interested in your thoughts.
Chris Johnson
Uphill struggle
WIN THREE HIPLOK JAW+ RACKS
WORTH £113.97
THE LETTER OF THE MONTH wins three Jaw+ bike racks, worth £37.99 each, courtesy of Hiplok. These wall-mounted racks are adjustable to fit tyres from 20-75mm wide, and can be used in or outdoors. Each is supplied with fittings plus a lightweight Z Lok Combo, which can double as your café lock. For more about Hiplok storage and security, visit hiplok.com
Oxford Products is correct: cycle lights on sale today do indeed fail to meet BS6102/3. The UK’s cycle lighting regulations are out of date. They push cyclists into being scofflaws – as former Technical Officer Chris Juden noted in a Cycle article 11 years ago!
You can adhere to the regulations by using lights that meet ‘an equivalent European standard’, such as Germany’s StVZO. But the police take a pragmatic approach and only require bright enough lights that are the right colours and don’t dazzle. Fortunately, the issue of partial culpability seems to be only a theoretical problem.
More on lights at: cyclinguk.org/ lighting-regulations.
There is a well-known adage that the night is darkest just before dawn. I have long felt that the same principle applies to pedalling my cycle up a hill. Has anyone else noticed that a hill is (or seems) to be steepest just before it starts to flatten out for the summit? Assuming the reason is not merely that I am nearing a state of exhaustion by that point, does anyone know of a rational explanation for this phenomenon?
Robert Behrman
Drive-by tooting
Well done Kathy Mcfarlane sfor having the courage and frankness to express disappointment over the anti-cycling mentality amongst some motorists. I lead a U3A cycling group in and around Bognor Regis. We may have up to 20 cyclists, women and men aged between 65 and 83.
May I suggest that riding in a group is a huge help and support? We too suffer abuse from motorists, very often because the dissemination of the Highway Code
LETTER OF THE MONTH
Left: Getty Images. Top: Joolze Dymond
Over to you
rules from February 2022 has been inadequate – particularly rules H2/3 and Rule 76. One of our members had a brilliant idea: DVLA should highlight rules H2/3 and 76 when the Vehicle Excise Duty reminders are sent out.
Christopher Cooper
Cycling with care
In celebration of World Bicycle Day this summer (3/6/25), Upton Mill Care Home in Gloucestershire invited local Cycling UK member group Stroud Valleys Cycling Club to visit. We did so on one of our regular Tuesday rides. Ten riders took part, riding from Stroud to Tetbury and back, and presenting the home with a card.
Both cyclists and residents enjoyed the visit. The care home provided refreshments and the cyclists chatted with the residents for more than an hour, covering many topics – including cycling. For more about our rides, visit stroudvalleyscyclingclub.org.uk. John Thatcher
On the buses
I read with interest your article on touring with a folding bike using trains and buses. That very week I had been denied from boarding a bus with my folded Brompton. I’ve been commuting by Brompton, bus and train for more than 12 years. However, at 7.30 one morning at a remote bus stop in Oxfordshire, the driver said I could not board. A Mexican standoff ensued, during which the driver told me that I could take the bike on the bus but only in a bag. I took off my coat and folded
Get in touch Letters are edited for space and clarity. The editor reads and automatically acknowledges all letters but publishes only a selection. Please include your membership number. Write to: Cycle Letters, Cycling UK, Parklands, Railton Rd, Guildford, GU2 9JX or email editor@cyclinguk.org.
it round the Brompton, cheerily saying that the bike was now in a bag. The driver told me she could still see part of my bike, turned off the engine and called the controller. I was finally allowed to board “just this once”. I now carry a large black bin liner in my bag!
Fiona MacLeod
Voice of cycling
Here’s commentator (and former CTC president) Phil Liggett with actor Connor Delves. Phil was in Edinburgh on 31 August to see ‘Cadel: Lungs on Legs’, which charts the life of Cadel Evans. Phil also suggested that Oscar Onley could become a Scottish winner when the race visits Scotland.
Judith
Ozkan
Doggy pedalling
My wife Jane and a few friends have a small group called the Muttercyclists. Here’s a picture of the magnificent seven riding from Tan Hill pub, Britain’s highest, to Reeth via Muker and the Swale Trail. Lots of magnificent scenery, cussing and heavy breathing but a memorable day.
Stuart Myers
Cycling UK forum
Get immediate feedback from other members at forum.cyclinguk.org
Here’s an abridged extract from a recent thread: cyclinguk.org/forumwhy-co2
WHY CO2?
GrumpyGit: I’ve been pondering why tyre inflators use CO2. The tyres on highperformance cars are often filled with nitrogen. Why don’t bike tyre inflators come filled with N2 rather than CO2?
philvantwo: You can’t compress nitrogen as much as CO2. The canisters would be a lot bigger.
Mick F: There’s a ready supply of CO2 as it’s used in the drinks trade for one thing, and cheap to produce too.
Brucey: CO2 is cheaper and easier to handle because (weight for weight of
gas) the cylinders can be smaller (CO2 gas is usually a liquid in the bottle) and lighter (the pressure can be a lot less)… To store a similar weight of nitrogen might require a bottle of three or four times the volume.
philsknees: Anyone know if it would be possible to inflate a tyre using the ubiquitous nitrous oxide cartridges which litter the gutters of South Manchester? :-( st599_uk: Surely using hydrogen would make the bike lighter.
GrumpyGit: Yes, but helium would be less likely to result in spontaneous combustion!
Samuel D: What is the composition of the [CO2] gas in a bicycle innertube after it has leaked down, been pumped up, leaked, pumped, etc, for many cycles?
Brucey: different; smells of rubber...? :lol:
PHOTO OF THE MONTH
Profile
Keeping up with Grandma
All three generations of Sarah Jasat’s family now cycle together thanks to an e-bike taster session attended by her elderly mum
PEDALLING up a hill, my lungs are burning and my leg muscles screaming. I’m getting slower and slower when I hear a tell-tale whirring approach. Seconds later a cyclist overtakes me with ease, undaunted by the incline, the rear hub motor giving away the fact that they’re riding an e-bike. It’s humiliating at the best of times. Now imagine that it’s not a stranger, but my 70−year-old mother cruising past.
“Wait for me at the top!” I gasp. But if she hears me she gives no sign, zooming away out of sight and leaving me to continue on in my lowest gear.
When my husband and I started cycling more with our kids, I thought my mum would enjoy having some time to herself. Living with us, she was on full-time grandma duty, and I assumed she would like a break. Instead, she decided to get an e-bike.
Mum had cycled as a child in 1960s South Africa, and she’d taken my brother and me on bike rides as kids. Even so, I had never actually thought of her as a cyclist. Frankly, I was cautious about the idea of her cycling; a fall at her age could be disastrous. But as she tried cycling at local events, I was surprised by how confident and stable she was.
Grandma takes charge
One day there was an opportunity to try an e-bike in Leicester city centre with Cycling UK’s Making cycling e-asier programme. Mum took the bus and my daughter and I followed by bike.
“I don’t think Nani will ride the bike until we get there,” my daughter said.
Making cycling e-asier
Cycling UK’s e-cycle scheme offers free try-out sessions and loans to encourage people to consider e-cycles as an active travel option for everyday journeys. Making cycling e-asier is currently available for communities in two regions: Manchester and Luton & Dunstable. For details, visit cyclinguk.org/makingcycling-e-asier
“She’ll be too scared.”
And yet when we arrived, Mum was already on a bike, riding up and down the town square. “It feels wonderful,” she said when she dismounted. A few months later, she got her own e-bike. Initially, I worried how Mum might deal with busy routes and complicated junctions, but she’s found a way of cycling that works for her. She usually dismounts to cross the road, and joins led rides that follow dedicated infrastructure.
Since getting her e-bike, Mum has become a confident advocate for cycling here in Leicester. She happily recommends cycling routes and cycling events to anyone who is interested. She also loves to encourage ladies who are just starting out. “If I can do it in my seventies, then you can definitely do it,” she says. Cycling with Mum has shown me what a game-changer e-bikes can
attempting to keep up with her mum, who became a keen cyclist at 70 after trying out an e-bike with Cycling UK
be for removing barriers to older riders. This year we went on a family holiday to the Netherlands, where Mum enjoyed miles of protected cycle routes. She’s keen to go back for a proper multi-day cycling trip – something she would never have considered without electric assistance.
A power of good
It’s a privilege to be able to cycle with my mum and to see her take time for herself after a lifetime of taking care of others. She also sets a wonderful example for my daughters, who are proud to have a cycling grandma — and who also enjoy her habit of carrying a few ‘emergency sweets’ in her pocket on rides. Though it pains my pride to have to huff and puff to keep up with Grandma whizzing along on her e-bike, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Sarah
Q&A
Your technical, health and legal queries answered by Cycle’s experts
QI cycle along a combined pedestrian/cycle path. At each of many side roads, I am forced to surrender my right of way, which I would have by staying on the main road. The Highway Code now gives pedestrians right of way across side roads where it meets a main road. Do you know if cyclists on a shareduse path have the same right of way as pedestrians at side roads?
Seth Kay
We have had the ‘new’ Highway Code rules since 29 January 2022, and these introduced the concept of the hierarchy of road users. The Code defines vulnerable road users and provides guidance for their protection.
On the specific point you raise, Rule H2 specifies that priority is given to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into which someone is turning. This rule does not specify cyclists.
However, if we look at Rule 76 and Rule H3, we can see that priority is given to cyclists going straight ahead whether that is on the road, in a cycle lane or on a cycle track (see also Rules 61 and 62). Of course, many shared-use paths have give-way markings on the surface as you approach the side road and you will need to comply with those markings.
On the issue of shared-use paths, note that cyclists should give way to pedestrians (see Rule 63). Rule H2 also says that ‘pedestrians may use any part of the road and use cycle tracks as well as the pavement, unless there are signs prohibiting pedestrians’.
Nadia Kerr
QI recently found the Presta valves seized on my bike and that of my partner. We are fair-weather cyclists. A pair of pliers later, three were freed but one broke. What is the best way to avoid the problem?
Richard Freeth
Road-salt-induced corrosion can seize the little nuts on your Presta valves. Rinsing the entire bike with clean, cold water after a ride helps prevent corrosion. Frequent loosening, as when topping up air pressure, will also lessen the likelihood of valves seizing.
For fair-weather cyclists, it’s unlikely that corrosion is the problem. Perhaps you have over-tightened the nuts? Little force is needed. Presta valves are indeed fragile; Schwalbe’s Clik valve system (schwalbe. com/en/clik-valve) looks a lot tougher and easier to use and can be retro-fitted to Presta (and Schrader) valve stems.
Richard Hallett
QI’ve been getting through cup-and-cone freehubs on my Shimanoequipped 8-speed bike at a rate of one a year. Can you recommend a durable, simple-to-maintain rear hub?
Tom Burton
Shimano hubs at all price points are well sealed; I have several Shimano 105 hubs a decade or more old. Improved longevity can be obtained by opening the hub before first use and ensuring the bearings have an adequate grease fill, as this is often on the light side as supplied by the factory. Use Shimano’s own grease to ensure compatibility with the stuff already in there unless you degrease everything first.
Richard Hallett
Left: Roo Fowler
QI’m 69, have taken up cycling and am really enjoying it. But, twice now after cycling, I end up with discomfort in the nether regions. It feels like I have a UTI. Since the first time, I changed my saddle and got padded shorts, but it happened again. How I can deal with it? I don’t want to give up cycling. junescraftybits, on the Cycling UK Forum
There is a lot of mystique about saddles, how you need to get measured up and buy a special saddle to avoid discomfort. If you’ve tried various saddles, shorts and riding positions, see cyclinguk.org/ saddle-comfort-women for further discussion.
In my experience, as long as you have a reasonably firm saddle angled slightly down, and you are wearing padded shorts without any underwear (and with maybe some barrier cream on your bits), you should be able to gradually extend your comfortable cycling distance and improve your fitness.
When you get tired, you will slump onto the saddle and bruise your delicate parts. With increasing fitness and core strength you will be able to lift off the saddle more and come home less damaged. When you do get home, have a shower and apply more barrier cream and drink plenty of fluids to prevent the stinging. It will get better with time!
Dr Kate Brodie
QI’ve been riding my Condor Fratello with Mavic Ksyrium S Disc rims and Panaracer Gravelking SS+ tyres for a couple of years. However, they are almost impossible to remove and reseat. Can you recommend any tyres that would be much easier to remove and refit? Preferably in size 700×30C. fratelloqueen, on the Cycling UK Forum
Get in touch Email your technical, health or legal questions to editor@cyclinguk.org or write to Cycle Q&A, Cycling UK, Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford, GU2 9JX. Please include your membership number. Cycle cannot answer unpublished queries. Note: Cycling UK has an advice line for members’ personal injury claims, t: 0330 107 1789. Disc SS+ However, impossible reseat. you any much refit?
For best results, do not use an innertube when fitting a tubeless tyre to a tubeless rim. The tube makes a hard job even harder. If you prefer to ride with tubes, as many do, use the tube-type version of a tyre such as Continental’s GP5000 or Goodyear’s Eagle, both of which are available in 700×30C. The tyres are compatible with a tubeless rim and will be far easier to get on and off when used with a tube.
when used with a tube.
Richard Hallett
Dr Kate Brodie Retired GP HEALTH
Richard Hallett Cycle’s technical editor TECHNICAL
Some bike shops have saddle libraries so you can see which works best for you before buying
Jenni Gwiazdowski-London Bike Kitchen
Bikefinder
Which bike should I buy? Ask us at cyclinguk.org/bikefinder
AUDAX-STYLE LIGHT TOURER
←For: David Shannon, 54, from Kelso. Bike needs: It’s for audax-style light touring and fast road cycling over our less-than-perfect roads in southern Scotland. It needs to be practical, light, responsive and enjoyable, but with more relaxed geometry. Must have: Easily replaceable components. Reliable but fast enough wheels. Disc brakes. Take mudguards over 28mm+ tyres. Handle 95% road, 5% off road. Must not have: Complex or high-end groupsets. Be too fragile.
Budget: £2,000−£3,500
SIMON WITHERS
If I were going down this route, I’d open my wallet for the Spa Cycles Elan Ti Mk2 105 12−speed Hydraulic (£2,605 at time of writing, spacycles.co.uk). This fulfils all your criteria apart from perhaps the low weight – it’ll be about 10kg including mudguards. Though personally, I value fit and comfort over lightness.
Tyre clearance is 40mm with mudguards, 45mm without. Shimano’s hydraulic 105 groupset is excellent and it includes a threaded Shimano bottom bracket, so no problems with spares. You can choose from a 105 or GRX chainset and specify crank length, which is always a boon.
Another plus is that Spa gives you have a choice of saddles, flared or non-flared FSA bars, and different Schwalbe tyres. You can also choose from a number of handmade wheels with Bitex or Hope hubs. From my own experience (I bought a rim-braked Spa Audax), I can vouch for the construction quality of Spa’s wheels.
It’ll cope with road and unsurfaced routes, you can fit a rack, and the titanium frame and carbon (or chrome-moly steel) fork will deliver your longed-for all-day comfort.
There are carbon options from mainstream brands that will be a kilo or so lighter, if lower weight is crucial. The £3,000 Specialized Diverge Sport 105 (specialized.com) comes with Shimano 105, 47mm tyre clearances and Specialized’s bump-smoothing Future Shock 1.5 front suspension. Giant’s £3,199 Defy Advance 1 (giant-bicycles.com) has the same groupset and will accommodate 38mm rubber. Each of these 9kg (ish) bikes will take a rear rack if you use a seatpost clamp with integral eyelets.
Spa Cycles Elan Ti Mk2 105 11−speed Hydraulic – Hope £2,965 Edition
Various endurance road and all-roads bikes will tick those boxes. Of the two tested this issue – both of which take 32mm tyres, mudguards and a rear rack –the Mason Resolution matches your needs better. Its shallower head angle and longer wheelbase will offer more control on the off-road sections. Prices start at £3,300. While it’s light for a steel bike, its aluminium stablemate, the Definition, is both lighter and cheaper (from £2,900).
Two other aluminium endurance road bikes with relatively relaxed geometry and modest off-road capability include the Cannondale Synapse 1 (£1,900, cannondale.com) and Sonder Colibri Al (from £1,349, alpkit.com). Given your budget, however, the Colibri Ti 105 (£2,649) is the better pick from Sonder. The titanium version is a nicer bike and just as practical.
Ultimately, like Simon (whose recommendations I read after writing mine) I think the best option is a different titanium all-rounder: the Spa Cycles Elan Ti Mk2 105 11−speed Hydraulic (£2,965, spacycles.co.uk). Its geometry is even more relaxed, with a shallower seat angle and a taller head tube that I think you’ll appreciate more and more as the years pass. It comes with excellent handbuilt wheels with Hope Pro 5 hubs and Kinlin XR-26RTS rims; I have a near identical set on my Colibri Al and recommend them.
You can pick and mix with the bike’s spec. I’d suggest an 11−40 cassette with a derailleur hanger extender (+£40), a full-carbon fork (+£40−£140), a Tubus Airy rack (+£260) and your choice of fast-rolling tyres in 32, 35 or 38mm. Spa Cycles Elan Ti Mk2 105 12−speed Hydraulic £2,605
Our novelist ride
Where: Hampshire
Who: Gill & Graham
Butler
When: Summer 2025
We live in Hampshire, we love Pride and Prejudice, and it’s 250 years since the birth of Jane Austen. So we decided to cycle to visit all the places in the county where she lived. We started the trip by catching the train down to Southampton. There we visited the site of her former home in Castle Square, then the Dolphin Hotel, where she celebrated her 18th birthday.
scenic route. Winchester is where Jane died in 1817. She spent her final weeks at 8 College Street, having travelled there to seek medical attention. She is buried in Winchester Cathedral.
Leaving Winchester, we followed the South Downs Way for much of the journey to Alresford, our overnight stay (no association with Austen).
First stop on day two was Chawton, Jane’s home from 1809. Her brother was adopted by a childless member of the family, and when he moved into Chawton House he offered a cottage in the village to his mother and sisters. It was here that Jane had the opportunity to devote her time to writing, and where she revised and published Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility.
We then cycled to nearby Alton, a town Jane visited often. Then on to Steventon, where she was born in 1775, and finally to Overton, a town frequented by Jane. That’s on the mainline railway, so it was the end of our journey. Want
Taiwan touring
Where: Taiwan
Who: Crispin Dunne
When: March 2025
The Portuguese named Taiwan Ilha Formosa (‘Beautiful Island’). A young country with a mix of Chinese, Japanese and Western influences, Taiwan produces most of the world’s bicycles and semiconductors. It is a land of forested mountains, volcanic springs, billiard-table-smooth roads, delicious food, Daoist temples and friendly people.
Sue and I departed with five friends for a guided trip of the island. Stephen Chen, our local ride leader, took us on a bike tour of Taipei, which included the National Palace Museum and dumplings at Din Tai Fung. Next day our cycling began in earnest with an ascent up the magnificent Taroko Marble Gorge and later ending at AnTong hot springs. The pothole-free roads down the coast were quiet and had bike lanes. Drivers were very considerate. We cycled through paddy fields down the east Rift Valley.
The route up to Winchester largely followed NCN23. It was our least favourite part of the journey as it ran close to busy roads. Were we to repeat the journey, we’d look for a more
Joining the coast road, we enjoyed a Taiwanese tea ceremony before reaching the southern tip of the island in Kenting National Park. There we explored the botanical gardens and swam in the Strait of Taiwan, before visiting the ancient capital, Tainan.
Winchester Cathedral, where Jane Austen is buried
Travellers’ tales
The magnificent Severn
Where: England & Wales
Who: David Smith & Dave Lane
When: May 2025
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After a wonderful 700-mile tour of the NC500, Cape Wrath and the Orkneys last September, I jumped at the chance to again join fellow cyclist Dave Lane for a fourday adventure along Britain’s longest river, from sea to source. The River Severn begins its journey 610m (2,001ft) above sea level on the north-eastern slopes of Plynlimon, the highest point of the Cambrian Mountains. Our journey began with a symbolic loop to Severn Beach for breakfast. Then we rode over the iconic Severn Bridge, officially marking the start of our route upstream. That evening, we followed the peaceful Gloucester &
Sharpness Canal towpath, arriving in Gloucester after 93 miles as the sun dipped behind the docks.
Day two took us 80 miles through river-hugging towns: Tewkesbury, Upton-on-Severn and Worcester, where the cathedral loomed grandly above the riverside cycle path. As the landscape gently rose, we rolled through the historic heart of Shropshire to YHA Ironbridge Coalport.
The third day, an 83-mile stretch, began on the old railway track to Ironbridge. We cruised into Shrewsbury, passed through Welshpool, and crossed the iron bridge at Abermule. After some scenic miles on quiet lanes, we reached Llanidloes.
Our final day was the crown jewel. Climbing into the Cambrian Mountains, we left the bikes to hike the last half-mile to the Severn’s source at Plynlimon. There, under brilliant sunshine, we unpacked our picnic with panoramic views of Mid Wales all around – a rewarding pause at the river’s beginning.
The Wolf Cub’s teeth
Where: Suffolk
Who: Chelmsford local group
When: July 2025
Four of us decided to try to tame the Wolf Cub, the shorter version of the Wolf Way, over a long weekend in July. On day one we rode to our Premier Inn in Bury St Edmunds.
Next morning, the first 13 miles of the Wolf Cub were easy going; we were following roads to Tuddenham. Then we hit the longest off-road section, where we struggled through sand and along Seven Tree Road (which is not a road). Admitting defeat and scratched by brambles, we joined the tarmac road that runs through the King’s Forest. We bypassed the Grundle hollow way on our return to Bury St Edmunds.
Day three was a race against the rain to see how far we could get. One of us caught a train straight home. The rest of us headed down NCN 13, which the Wolf Way overlaps. By Sudbury we were soaked and further downpours were forecast, so we bailed there. Despite our difficulties, all considered the trip a triumph.
If you live near Chelmsford and are looking for a friendly group to ride with, please email me, Ian Reffell: chelmsford_rep@ essexcycling.co.uk
