Cycle Magazine Dec-Jan 2008-2009

The magazine of CTC – the UK’s national cyclists’ organisation

dec-Jan 2008-09 £3

Free to CTC members

road and trailside repairs • christmas gift ideas • pearson touché on test • cycling in the cold • the virtual commute

Founded in 1878

Don’t leave home without it Chris Juden’s road & Trailside repair guide

Beat the cold How to keep warm in winter

Made in Britain CHAS ROBERTS

december/january 2008-09

Christmaswishes Gift ideas for cyclists & a winter fixie on test

The virtual commute

Morning miles for fun

TOURING ECUADOR

Cycling at 14,000 feet

champion ideaS Cycling for all

FROM THE EDITOR

Cycle is the magazine of CTC – the UK’s national cyclists’ organisation.

The magazine promotes the work of CTC and the CTC Charitable Trust (Registered Charity No. 1104324). Formed in 1878, CTC is the UK’s largest cycling membership organisation with 70,000 members and affiliates, To join CTC, turn to page 80 and contact the Membership Dept.

CTC, Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford, GU2 9JX Tel: 0844 736 8450 Fax: 0844 736 8454 Email: cycling@ctc.org.uk Website: www.ctc.org.uk CTC Patron: Her Majesty the Queen President: Jon Snow CTC Council Chair: David Robinson Director: Kevin Mayne CTC (Cyclists’ Touring Club) is a company limited by guarantee registered in England No. 25185 Cycle Magazine Editor: Dan Joyce email: editor@ctc.org.uk Designers: Will Slater, Gemma Hancock & Gary Milne Advertising: James Batten tel: 0207 306 0300 x127 email: ctc@mongoosemedia.com Creative Director: James Houston Publisher: James Pembroke Cycle is published six times per year on behalf of CTC

by James Pembroke Publishing, 90 Walcot Street, Bath, BA1 5BG. Tel: 01225 337777. Cycle is copyright CTC, James Pembroke Publishing and individual contributors.

Reproduction in whole or in part without permission from CTC and James Pembroke Publishing is forbidden. Views expressed in the magazine are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or the policies of CTC. Advertising bookings are subject to availability, the terms and conditions of Mongoose Media and final approval by CTC. Printed by St Ives (Plymouth) Ltd, Eastern Wood Road, Plympton, Plymouth, PL7 5ET. Tel: 01752 349431 Cover picture: cycling Santa, on the fixed-wheel bike from page 64, by Jo Burt

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Contents Features

20 The virtual commute

From your back door to your back door

24 Touring at 14,000 feet Exploring the mountains of Ecuador

32 Made in Britain

Profile of frame builder Chas Roberts

35 Trailblazing

Building the future of UK mountain biking

39 Road & trailside repair Chris Juden’s guide to fixing your bike

49 We are the Champions

CTC’s 13 new cycling development officers

52 Dear Santa…

Cycling gifts that you’d actually want

55 The big chill

How to fight the winter cold

64 Fixed asset

Pearson Touché fixed-wheel bike on test

Regulars

JOIN CT FROM JUSCT £12 PER YEA R Contact

04 CTC shop CTC Mem 06 News Departm t.bership Details onen p80 12 Events news 14 Your letters 26 Holiday guide 29 Down your way 56 Cycling answers 66 Gear reviews 70 What’s on 71 CTC small ads 71 Prize draw 78 CTC member benefits 80 CTC contacts 82 Travellers’ tales 83 CTC Cycling Holidays Top, Chris Juden; top left, f22photography

There was a crack like a gunshot as we began another Dales climb on a club weekend. A saddle bolt had broken. Again.

However prepared you think you are, fate will sometimes bowl you a googly. The first time it happened we were in the middle of nowhere, en route to Tan Hill. A friendly farmer gave us some rusty bolts, while a small town later had, if not a bike shop, at least a mechanic with a welding torch.

Next day the repaired bolt snapped at the weld. Of course. We freewheeled back into Settle where a cycle festival was on. A guy with a sculpture made from bikes was happy for us to scavenge from it, but we couldn’t find a bolt to fit. Festival organiser Stuart Holdsworth rescued us by phoning a friend, who turned up with a choice of immaculate bike parts. Our day’s ride was saved.

Two weeks later we were shocked to hear that Stuart had been killed by a driver while out cycling. Stuart, we salute you. The one thing you can never pack in a toolkit, nor ever take for granted, is the most valuable of all: the kindness of strangers.

cycle CTC’S round up of cycling news, views and events

MTB training gears up

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CTC acquired mountain bike training company OTC Training shortly after the last issue of Cycle went to press. This exciting development will combine OTC’s highly-regarded range of qualifications with CTC’s existing offroad skills courses. It will allow OTC’s staff, including the company’s founder Dan Cook and its 4,000 accredited mountain bike leaders, to access the resources of the UK’s largest cycling organisation.

OTC’s training and education programme will complement CTC’s growing mountain bike portfolio. This already includes skills training, off-road campaigning, advising local groups and commercial operators, community outreach, and project managing and designing new trails, overseen by Ian Warby. Year on year, more mountain bikers are joining CTC and currently 27,000 CTC members own a mountain bike.

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CTC Director Kevin Mayne said: ‘OTC’s training and education programme is a perfect addition to CTC’s growing range of mountain bike activities. We are looking forward to welcoming OTC into CTC and working to improve conditions for mountain bikers of all abilities. This acquisition is just the start. The mountain bike world is going to be hearing a lot more from CTC in the coming years.’

Founder and Director of OTC Dan Cook said: ‘Integrating with CTC will provide a fantastic future for mountain bikers, professional activity providers, voluntary group leaders, regular riders and weekend warriors. CTC will now be the only point of contact needed for training, insurance and virtually all recreational services for mountain bikers. Plus CTC’s proven record in accessing funding for cycling development can also be harnessed to

benefit mountain biking across the UK.’ Arrangements for OTC activities for 2009 onwards will continue with the same staff in place across the board. Mountain bike activity providers (including some of the biggest names in the sector such as the Forestry Commission, PGL, Thomas Cook, Crystal and numerous local authority outdoor centres) can rest assured that both OTC and CTC are looking to extend and develop opportunities for mountain biking throughout the UK and Europe with existing partners.

OTC’s calendar of training courses is being incorporated into CTC. More information can be found on a temporary transitional website: www.promtb.net.

Other contact details are already live – tel: 0844 736 8463, email mtb@ctc.org. uk, and by post CTC MTB, PO Box 1506, Sheffield, S6 3XN.

Above: Jan Bailey

CTC’s mountain bike portfolio grows with the acquisition of OTC Training

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ly email newsletter – membershi send your CTC p number to publicity@ct c.org.uk

Your local heroes b

Nominations are open for CTC’s Volunteer of the Year and Group of the Year Awards. This is your chance to get your local heroes formally recognised and rewarded. In memory of the late Gordon Selway, who championed cycle campaigning for CTC, the Awards Committee have added a new award, ‘Local campaigning achievement of the year’, open to groups or individuals.

Chair of CTC Council David Robinson said: ‘The energy that people like Gordon showed for cycling is what these awards honour.

Many of you will know someone who campaigns on local issues, keeps a CTC group running, or leads rides for others. We need you to tell us who they are.’ For an entry form, visit www.ctc.org.uk/ volunteerawards or phone National Office. Closing date is 1st Feb 09.

Report says 20’s plenty b

CTC has strongly welcomed calls from the Commons Transport Select Committee to increase the number of 20mph speed limits, for a stronger role for cycle training, and for new road safety targets which support wider health and environmental objectives by encouraging more as well as safer cycling.

The Committee’s report ‘Ending the Scandal of Complacency: Road Safety beyond 2010’ comes out as the Government starts work on a new Road Safety Strategy for the next decade.

One of the Committee’s key recommendations is that local authorities should be given more

freedom to introduce 20mph speed limits. CTC believes that 20mph should be the default speed limit for built-up areas, covering residential streets and others where vulnerable road users are present. Local authorities would be free to identify those busier and wider streets where higher limits would apply.

Speed limits of 20mph are popular, with around 75% public support. As well as reducing casualties, they create attractive and secure local communities, giving people of all ages the freedom to adopt the healthy and sustainable options of walking and cycling.

Besides lower speed limits, the Inquiry backed several of the measures which CTC had called for, including: n Setting road safety targets that encourage more as well as safer cycling, in order to realise its wider health and other benefits. CTC presented strong evidence to the inquiry that cycling gets safer the more people do it, hence ‘more’ and ‘safer’ cycling can and should be pursued as complementary objectives. n Tougher enforcement of traffic laws, including drink-driving. n Recognising the role that cycle training can play both in encouraging more cycle use and in encouraging safer road behaviour. The Government is currently reviewing the training and testing of novice drivers, and the Committee backed CTC’s argument that the Government should have considered how driver safety might be improved if teenagers were encouraged to take cycle training before learning to drive. n Allowing the police and courts to use cycle training as a sanction for cyclists caught breaking the law, in the same way that offending drivers can already be sent on driver retraining or speed awareness courses.

See www.ctc.org.uk/safety for more.

FROM the campaigns dept Roger geffen One of my biggest challenges is handling two issues where CTC’s stance can seem counterintuitive. When forced to speak out about either motorcycling or helmets, I receive a small flurry of emails from people who think we’ve lost the plot.

CTC members who also ride motorbikes cannot believe our claims that, mile for mile, the rate of involvement of motorcycles in collisions with both pedestrians and cyclists is significantly higher than for cars – all the more so for serious and fatal injuries. Yet that’s what the statistics say.

This, and similar evidence that the average motorbike is still more polluting than the average car, backs up CTC’s long-established policy of opposing motorbikes in bus lanes. It’s one we share with Sustrans, Living Streets, RoadPeace and, crucially, with the London Cycling Campaign who collected a 3,500-signature petition against London Mayor Boris Johnson’s plans to allow motorbikes into bus lanes on London’s main roads.

CTC sides with motorcyclists on many safety issues where we have common ground.

However, their machines can present real hazards, and Boris’s plans would doubtless bring a lot more of them of them onto London’s roads, increasing pollution while undermining cycle use and cyclists’ safety.

London’s comprehensive and well-enforced bus lane network has doubtless contributed to the capital’s 91% increase in cycle use since 2000. Let’s not lose that, nor surrender the possibility of similar growth in other towns and cities before it’s even begun.

december/january 2008-09 cycle

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Bike-rail awards

FROM THE TOURING Dept MARK WATERS

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New CTC group Reinforcing the fact that CTC is a welcoming and open club, a number of gay and lesbian members have created a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) CTC Member Group. The aim is to offer support and rides to other CTC members and to encourage non-members to join.

CTC already has LGBT members active in local club events and the new group would like to encourage more LGBT members to join these. In addition the new group is planning specifically LGBT-focused rides. One already

planned is a London to Brighton Ride to coincide with Brighton Pride on 2nd August 2009. The idea is to finish at the carnival in Preston Park at a large CTC display stand.

Barry Jordan, CTC Councillor and Equality Champion, is the founder of the new group. He looks forward to hearing from more lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender cyclists who want to find out more about the group, be on its mailing list, or offer their help in some way. Contact Barry on hjb536@blueyonder.co.uk.

Thorny issue for farmers b

Photo: Matt Hodges

We continue to make efforts to improve ease of access to touring information on the CTC website. All 600-plus route sheets may now be found on the new CTC Maps site, www.ctc-maps.org. uk, rendering the old system surplus to requirement. The ‘INF’ information sheets, which cover public transport and information of a more general nature, will still be available from the main site (www.ctc. org.uk).

Updates and recentlysourced information is now being added to the ‘Notes’ section of route and country information sheets, so don’t forget to have a look here before downloading the PDF. Remember: you can still access an alphabetical list of all CTC’s route sheets on the CTC Maps site by clicking on ‘Cycle Routes’ and then ‘CTC Route Sheets’.

Look out for a swathe of new route sheets that I am hoping to put up over the winter. These will include all the routes featured in the magazine over the past four years.

A factsheet about CTC’s Route and Information Sheets will soon be available as an INF sheet on the website. Or you can phone or email me at National Office: mark.waters@ ctc.org.uk, 01483 238305, and I’ll send it to you.

Don’t forget that as well as downloading routes you can upload your own favourite road and off-road routes to the site, to share them with other CTC members. There are thousands of routes already up there but it would be great if we could get even more. Why not share your knowledge and encourage more people to cycle? Contributions are always very welcome.

CTC’s Public Transport Adviser Dave Holladay won the ‘People Award’ at the ATOC National CycleRail Awards 2008 in London on 7th November. He was presented with his award by world record-breaking cyclist Mark Beaumont (far left).

Dave was singled out for his work to improve access for cyclists on public transport. The judges described Dave as ‘one of the best known figures campaigning for cycle rail integration’.

They also commented on his recent achievement in persuading Eurostar to improve its booking process to make it easier for cycles to be taken on board, and his current work campaigning for more flexibility in train design.

Also at the Awards, St Albans won CTC Station of the Year. First Capital Connect at St Albans station has redeveloped the cycle parking and added 150 spaces. It has also increased staff visibility around the cycle parking areas, which has led to a 29% reduction in cycle crime.

A cyclist injured in an accident caused by hedge cuttings is calling for landowners to be more responsible to road users.

Wheelchair-user Andy Ebben, a health and safety consultant from Market Drayton, was cycling along a lane when both tyres of his recumbent bicycle were punctured by hawthorn and blackthorn debris.

Mr Ebben, 55, was thrown from his cycle onto the road, suffering severe cuts, bruises and grazes, while his £2,500 bike was badly damaged. Mr

news in brief CTC COUNCIL IN 2009 The last issue of Cycle reported that an election would take place for councillors to represent CTC members in the Yorkshire and Humber Region on Council for the three years from January 2009.

Following that election, Council is pleased to welcome Kevan Shuttleworth as a new councillor. He will join existing councillor Arthur Spurr who was re-elected.

SUMMER DRAW Congratulations to the winners of the CTC Summer Draw.

The £2,000 first prize goes to Mr and Mrs Freeman from Reading, second prize (£1,000) to Mr R Windsor of Preston, and third (£500) to Mrs I Lowe from Wigan. Runner-up prizes of £100 go to Miss S MacAuley from Belfast, Ms H Woods of Bristol, Mr H Elliott from London, Mr J Taylor from Powys, and Mr A Hood of Illingborough. ctc shop move We are in the process of transferring the CTC shop to a new supplier from 1st January 2009.

The current email address, telephone and fax numbers for the CTC shop will remain. We are sure that the new supplier will maintain the high levels of service and membership benefits associated with the current provider.

Ebben’s spinal injury meant he was unable to get up and was forced to phone for help.

Using the free legal advice afforded to him through CTC, Mr Ebben took action against the landowner and won compensation for his injuries and the damage to his cycle.

Christian Shotton of legal firm Russell Jones and Walker’s Birmingham office which represented Mr Ebben, said: ‘If you are carrying out works that will create a hazard you must use barriers or signs to prevent danger. If you don’t, and a third party suffers an injury or losses, you could be liable and negligent.’

local

We wan know abtouto your lo t news stocral ies We’ll publish

them here and on the we publicity@ctbsite. Email c.org.uk

news from across ctc’s regions

news in brief

Left: Dave Bocking. Right: Clive Andrews

Peak District

Tandems for the blind b

A squadron of tandems with visually impaired stokers took to the roads and paths of the Peak District’s Ladybower reservoir thanks to CTC’s Cycle Champion for Sheffield Steve Marsden and members of a local walking group for people with eyesight difficulties.

‘Visually impaired people often don’t have the opportunity to have the exhilaration of riding a bike unless it’s on the back of a tandem like this,’ said Charlotte Fyne of Sheffield’s Visually Impaired Walking Group, ‘Being part of something like this gives people fortunate enough to be sighted the feel good factor. So everyone’s a winner!’

‘I thought it was a great idea,’ Steve Marsden said, ‘because I knew the blind people who were to take part would get a huge amount of enjoyment out of cycling around Ladybower.’

The walking group includes 40 blind and visually impaired people and around 60 sighted guides, and members Charlotte and Jon Fyne organised the ride with the help of

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the CTC and local cycle company Recycle Bikes.

Visually impaired people have different levels of eyesight, and volunteer tandem pilots need to work out what their visually impaired stoker actually needs to know. Charlotte advised that it’s nice for pilots to describe the surrounding landscape, and to point out tricky road conditions.

‘It’s a real benefit to people, because they get to do something they might have thought they would never do again,’ said Charlotte’s stoker Hannah Burley, who also works as a rehab officer for a charity for the blind. ‘You need to know you’ll be safe, but you also feel you are involved doing this, you’re not just a passive observer.’

After his ride, teenager Jonathan Heenan was ready to take his tandem riding a stage further.

‘I’d like to compete,’ he said. ‘I think one guy took it up and in two years he became a gold medallist. And if he can do it, then I can have a go at it too…’

CYCLING FOR MENTAL HEALTH CTC’s Cycle Champions Project in Swindon has started a new scheme called Windswept on Wheels (WoW), which aims to promote cycling to people with mental health issues.

WoW was launched at the start of World Mental Health Week in October, with the goal of giving anyone in Swindon with mental health issues free access to cycles, safety equipment and storage facilities. Tamina Oliver, CTC’s Cycle Champion in Swindon, is working with Swindon MIND, Windswept, and Swindon Active Life.

She said: ‘Research shows that physical activity is beneficial psychologically. Cycling helps to reduce stress, improves concentration, enables relaxation and boosts endorphins.’ correction The main photo on p53 last issue was

by Graham Glen not Graham Irving.

Hampshire

Down to the woods b

Since its launch earlier this year, East Hampshire’s Cycling for All has been helping people to cycle at Alice Holt Forest. A series of weekday ‘Forest Discovery Rides’ has welcomed hesitant and lapsed cyclists to the pleasures of riding a bike on woodland paths.

The first ride took place on 20th September.

CTC’s Cycle Champions Officer Clive Andrews said: ‘Forest Discovery Rides are about taking it easy. It’s great to enjoy a relaxed bike ride with people and a simple, fun way to do some light exercise.’

For information or to book a place. contact Clive on 07717 721511, email clive.andrews@ctc.org.uk or go to www.ctc.org.uk/easthampshire.

SCOTLAND

Glasgow’s green corridor

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At a public enquiry, CTC Scotland has called for Glasgow’s East End Regeneration Route to be scrapped and be made into a green route for walking and cycling instead. They claim this would do more for regeneration than any four-lane highway and tackle Glasgow’s problems with obesity and climate change too.

The ‘green corridor’ proposed by Glasgow’s cyclists would link Alexandra Park in the north to Richmond Park, Glasgow Green and the River Clyde in the south. Like the proposed road, it would mainly use old railway lines and land which is currently derelict.

CTC Right to Ride Representative for Scotland Peter Hawkins said: ‘What the area badly needs is green space. The route could be used to encourage residents to commute by bike and would connect to The Forge shopping centre and Celtic Park. Unlike a road, it would offer a healthy and green alternative means of travel.’

event december / january 2008-09

EVENTS in brief velocity comes to brussels One for your diary.

From 12th-15th May 2009, Europe’s premier cycling conference is coming to Brussels.

Velocity takes place every two years. A record turnout in Munich in 2007 saw over 1,000 delegates mingling with ministers, city mayors and other policy makers from across the world to share the best ideas on cycling’s way forward. The Brussels theme is ‘Re-cycling cities’ and will have strong urban and EU themes throughout. In addition to previous events, there will also be a busy public programme with events and exhibitions. See www.velo-city2009. com. More details will appear in forthcoming issues.

STOP PRESS Help get more people cycling more often: CTC will be starting a programme of volunteer development days across the regions in 2009.

Details are still being worked out. In the meantime, keep watching Cycle, CycleDigest, and Newsnet for further information.

Chester hosts AGM & Dinner b

As the nights continue to draw in and the maps come out to plan another year’s cycling, it’s time for 2009 diaries to be marked with the spring’s big event. The CTC National Dinner and AGM take place in the historic city of Chester on 25th April.

Once home to Roman legions, the former port on the River Dee is also home to the UK’s oldest racecourse. The city is on the border with Wales and in mediaeval times Welshmen found within the walls after dark could be arrested and locked up for the night. Fortunately for Welsh CTC members, there is no risk of that today! All CTC members are welcome.

The venue for both the AGM and Dinner is easily accessible by train. The Queen Hotel is just opposite the railway station, and there are good rail connections to all parts of the country. For those travelling by bike, traffic-free cycle routes from North Wales, Merseyside and the Cheshire Plain lead to within a few hundred yards of the venue. There is plenty of accommodation to suit all pockets nearby.

On Sunday 26th, freshen up with Chester and North Wales cyclists on a choice of rides to suit all abilities. Venture into the hills of North Wales; cycle through the Cheshire lanes; see the castle where Richard ll’s treasure is hidden; enjoy the fabulous ice cream at the Cheshire Ice Cream Farm nearby; or have a cuppa at the world-famous café, Eureka, on the edge of Wirral. (Eureka is celebrating its 80th Anniversary in 2009 – it’s just 10 years older than the Chester and North Wales CTC.) Motions for the AGM should be sent to the Director at National Office by 2nd February 2009. Advice on setting out wording and content can be given by the Director or your National Councillor (see page 80 for details). All motions must be accompanied by signatures of a proposer and seconder, who must be current members.

More details will appear on the website, www.ctc.org.uk/ agm, and in the next issue of Cycle.

Please send me _____ tickets @ £26 each for the CTC National Dinner on Saturday 25th April. (Cheques should be made out to ‘CTC’.)

Names of those attending (use another sheet if necessary). Please put a letter V in brackets, like this (V), after the name of any vegetarians. _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ I would like details of local accommodation ❏ Yes ❏ No I will be taking part in the Sunday rides ❏ Yes ❏ No Name and address _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ Tel ____________________________________ Email _________________________________

Birthday Rides 2009

Photo: Michael Pitt-Payne

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Next year’s CTC Birthday Rides will take place in Oundle, Northamptonshire, from 8th-15th August. The gently rolling countryside is ideal for cycling and there’s plenty to see in the way of market towns, historic sites and houses.

Perhaps the town’s greatest claim to fame is Oundle School, one of the largest boarding schools in the country. Cyclists will stay in modern residential accommodation with family, double and single rooms.

Camping facilities are close by, at the rugby club.

Local CTC groups are finalising a full programme of rides for all abilities, children’s events, a treasure hunt, a free wheeling competition and social events. The famous Birthday Tea will again be a special feature.

The booking form will be available in January on the website www.birthdayrides.org, and by post from CTC National Office.

cycle

LETTERS

Write to: Cycle Letters, CTC, Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford, GU2 9JX, or email cycleletters@ctc.org.uk manufacturers – for example, Mercian, Argos, Bob Jackson and others – deserve some mention. It seems these days that every magazine is full to the brim with articles about such makes as Specialized, Trek, GT, Marin and so on. I guess it is fashionable to ride anything other than British machines. I am sure that it is the cycling press that is responsible for, in part at least, killing off Raleigh! I have two steel-framed (Reynolds) machines: a 26-year-old Raleigh Professional, still in near perfect condition, and a nearly new Mercian Strada. I have no desire to have anything modern and I am sure there are many like me. So, please give this a thought. The British cycle industry needs support and encouragement!

R S Fuller, by email Turn to page 32…

BIKING MOUNTAINS ODE TO AUTUMN I was wondering if you would like to use the attached photo in Cycle magazine? There is no particular story to go with it other than the fact that it seemed to sum up an autumn Sunday morning club ride. It was a foggy start and as we climbed up to higher ground (Bagwich Lane near Godshill) the mist cleared slightly but was still thick enough to create some tempting photo opportunities. I fumbled for my trusty camera and snapped a few shots. Among the blurred pics of the road and my own face was this image, which captured the moment!

The riders featured are members of the Wayfarer Cycle Touring Club, from the Isle of Wight.

Alan Rowe, Isle of Wight Any interesting cycling photos for the Letters pages are gratefully received.

Don’t send your only copy: a digital photo or a duplicate is better. And bear in mind that we might not have room to print all that we receive.

MADE IN BRITAIN Could we please have an article about traditional British-made steelframed bicycles. I am sure that British 14

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We (husband Bill and myself) are just back from a Scottish coast-tocoast mountain bike trip, including Corrieyaraick Pass, over the shoulder of Culardoch to Braemar, and the Capel Mounth track over to Glen Clova, all above 700m. We had booked B&Bs and were not camping.

Al Churner (Biking Mountains, Oct 08) seems to be happy cycling all day with a big rucksack. I find panniers easier for most terrain. But for steep or very rocky ground, I can wear my pannier like a rucksack. The straps on the pannier buckles have been lengthened so they do not sit on my shoulder blades. All the heavy gear is on my back and this is reasonably comfortable for some hours.

The bike is nothing fancy – a Ridgeback Meteor hybrid, on which I changed the chainset to give lower gearing.

Eileen Holttum, Edinburgh May I respond to two items in the Oct/Nov edition of Cycle?

Firstly, the article about cycling mountains. Are Al Churcher and his mates bonkers? As a cyclist, mountaineer and rock-climber, I know about loads. I use a hardtail bike for access to hills and rock-

climbs. The load goes into the panniers for the bike bit and into a rucksack for the walking bit. I note that at least one of them had a rack, which was used to carry his helmet. Also, a quick comment about bivvy bags. They’re okay on your own but two quality bags weighs more than the lightest available two-man tent.

Secondly, the bits about fixed-wheel bikes. Many cyclists of my age (74) who were riding in the 1950s could tell you a thing or two about fixed-wheel bikes. In those days I was a member of the Oxford City Road Club and I think that I can say that at least 80-90% of its members rode fixed, both for touring and time trials. That this form of cycling should become some sort of cult I find odd.

These days I do ride gears, but a nice, simple fixed-wheel bike (or should I call it a ‘fixer’ to keep up with the times?) has its attractions. With the frame and every component made in the UK, what more could one ask for?

Bob Brown, Dingwall The best way to carry loads off-road depends not just on personal preference but on the type of riding you’re doing.

Rough-stuff touring, where you might be walking some sections, is fine with the load on the bike. For mountain biking over difficult terrain, having the load on your back is better for bike control than the dead weight of panniers.

FIXED CAPITAL The article on fixed-wheel bikes in the Oct/Nov issue prompted me to check over my own rather neglected ‘fixie’ and venture out on it, if only to remind me

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why it has been so little used.

So last Friday, on the first sunny day since reading about the big surge of London ‘fixie’ riders, I set forth on a carefully planned flat circuit and found out very quickly why I was not alone in favouring my 24, 27 and 30 gear bikes. You see, instead of the usual benign weather (i.e. relatively little wind) around London and district, I was cycling on the Lancashire plain and immediately found myself spinning my 42×17 (66.7 inch) gear before I made a sharp turn and found progress was a lot slower – and much harder – due to a NNW 23mph headwind, gusting to 31mph (the Met Office told me on my return). After only a 26-mile ride I was left with aching thighs for two days, so I doubt if I will be repeating the exercise.

Such winds are commonplace and frequently much higher, hence there being few, if any, ‘fixie’ riders hereabouts.

However, as a result of riding regularly in such conditions, including a 15-mile commute before I retired, I found that the need to fight such headwinds over 20 or 30 miles in whatever gear was necessary helped enormously when, with my friends, I completed (at age 58) the Raid Pyrenean, followed by the Raids Alpine, Dolomites and Corsica – at least you could freewheel after a 10 or 15km climb!

In case there are those who are put off trying a ‘fixie’ because of the cost, I would point out that there are lots of older steel frames with horizontal dropouts that can adjust to a fixed-wheel chain and these could be picked up at little cost. I also wonder if a mention could be made as to ‘fixie’ gearing preferences to guide beginners.

Frank Nocetti, Liverpool

would also like to be able as a member to scroll through past editions online.

Chris Wilby, by email As yet, there are no plans for a digital version of the magazine to appear alongside the printed version. However, we are in the process of archiving recent issues of the magazine as PDFs on the members-only section of the website.

This will take some time.

IT’S A WINNER Just thought that I’d let you know that we’re really pleased with the Puky bicycle that I won in the Cycle magazine prize draw in May. Although it’s been a wet summer, my seven-year-old son Alasdair has been thrilled with his new bike. It’s now in regular use for the journey to school, and should get many more years of use, as five-year-old Hazel already has her eye on it!

The photo was taken on a sunny day in July in Kings Norton park, Birmingham, on National Cycle Network Route 5.

Alison Kennedy, Birmingham

STEVE KINSELLA

Right to Ride campaigner for the South West Region What’s your main project at the moment? > Bristol Cycling City

What’s been your best moment as a volunteer? > Experiencing utility cycling in the Netherlands, where the bicycle has priority over other traffic. That’s our future.

And the biggest challenge? > Getting any part of the UK to be like that. There’s an awful long way to go, but one has to have an objective, even if it’s beyond my lifetime.

What are your future plans? > Keep trying. And making sure I have some quality time on the bike when I can forget campaigning!

Why did you become a volunteer? > To do something useful for CTC.

When and why did you join CTC? > 2003. I had started going on local group rides, which were really enjoyable.

DIGITAL CYCLE As a member of CTC and an internet user, I would like to ask if you have any plans to publish Cycle in electronic format. This would: 1. Reduce harm on the environment by reducing use of paper, and transportation of copies.

2. Reduce printing costs and costs of postage, sorting etc.

You would of course still need to print many copies for those who wish to receive a printed version, but for people who elect for an electronic copy only, this would have the savings above. I

LOCAL heroes

DOWN THE DANUBE I have often wondered how much response advertisers receive from advertisements placed in Cycle magazine, especially the December/ January edition.

This year an advertisement for a guided tour of the Danube cycle path caught my eye so I sent for details. The company (Mercurio-Bike-Travel.co.uk) were advertising for trips on the Elbe and the Rhine/Mosel paths as well as the Danube.

What’s your favourite cycle journey? > Our Somerset levels in winter, as the mist rises and the cattle are steaming.

Which of your bikes is your favourite? > My wife Claire and I have had some terrific times on the Bike Friday tandem, mainly on CTC tours.

december/january 2008-09 cycle

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cycle

LETTERS

ON THE ’NET The CTC Forum (http://forum.ctc. org.uk/) lets you pick the brains of your fellow CTC members 24/7.

One popular topic before we went to press with this issue was…

Where 2 next year?

BTFB: anybody making plans yet? I am unsure still… So many options, so much time, so little money! lisap: Not only planned but the plane ticket has been booked and paid for.

Flying to Vancouver, up the sunshine coast, across to Vancouver Island, down through the Puget Sound and then onward to San Francisco. The classic Pacific Coast trip. Can’t wait for May to arrive. eileithyia: Son wants to attend New Forest week again, so am left with little choice, again… Roll on him finding girls, package trips to the Costas, so I can go touring again!

Mike F: An idea I have is to cycle from here in Cornwall to Dover, cross to Ostend, then make my way down to Santander, and catch the ferry back to Plymouth. A sort of ‘English Channel/Bay of Biscay Coastal Tour’.

Si: I’ve still not carried out the plans for this year. However, a proper tour is on the cards (one with hills ’n’ things, lots of hills, and some more hills).

And a rough-stuff tour, probably with tent. And a mini-tour in Cornwall next week if health holds out. simonhill: A couple of months in Thailand before Christmas, then two & a half months in New Zealand in the New Year. Then I’ll be praying for a better summer next year in the UK. vernon: I get my buzz from the riding not the planning. I rarely know more than the start and end points of a tour and like the middle bits to be a surprise. I’d be bored if I knew the details.

CJ: In September I’ll be leading a CTC tour to the Rioja and Basque country. jags: hoping to tour France for three weeks, camping all the way. My very first tour so let’s hope it’s a good one.

If that doesn’t come off I’ll stay here in Ireland and maybe do end to end.

This forum thread has been abridged.

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Cutting a long story short, I signed up for the Danube cycle path. It was wonderful. Everything was perfectly organised, and luggage was carried in a van from hotel to hotel. I recommend this company to both starter cyclists and more experienced tourists. For anyone contemplating cycling in Europe for the first time, it is a must.

Peter Brake, Castlemartin, Pembroke We know from our last survey that 73% of CTC members have responded to an advert in Cycle. As for riding the Danube cycle path: we’ve got an article on exactly that next issue.

AFGHAN REBEL As a member of the armed forces serving in Afghanistan I was intrigued to see in the latest copy of Cycle Rob Liwall’s account of his trek across the country.

I read the article with a mixture of admiration and horror. I admire his adventurous spirit but I couldn’t help thinking that the potential risks of his journey were not worth the experience.

In the 19th century the struggles between Britain and the Russians in this region were known as the Great Game.

Today it is no longer a game and a fullscale counter insurgency operation is in progress, with people, including many members of the Afghan security forces, losing their lives in daily incidents.

Yes, the northern part of the country is quieter than the south but it is not without significant dangers and I think Rob conveys his own fears and anxieties well. No matter what one may think of the politics surrounding the conflict in Afghanistan I would urge anyone ‘inspired’ by Rob’s article to think again and plan a detour around this troubled region.

I ask that if you decide to publish this letter that, for obvious reasons, you withhold my name.

SITTING COMFORTABLY As a sufferer of lower back pain for the past five years I can relate my own experience to Stephen Brownlow (Cycling Answers, Oct/Nov issue).

After damaging a couple of discs and not allowing them time to recuperate, I found myself with chronic and increasing lower back pain. After two years it got the state that any imperfection in the road was agony. I too went from the racing bike to the full suspension bike for all rides.

After a number of consultations, the NHS offered a disc fusion op but for a variety of reasons I didn’t want to do this. An article on suspension seatposts got me thinking, and I invested in the most expensive Post Moderne offering. At £50 it proved to be an excellent investment and riding comfort was amazing by comparison. It still sometimes takes a mile or two for the back to get used to the hunched position, but the rest of the ride is generally painless. I would say: buy one at the earliest opportunity. Even if my lower vertebrae ultimately knit together I will keep the suspension post because it is so comfortable, especially combined with a Brooks saddle. (Some feel it isn’t in keeping with the full carbon frame, but we Brooks converts know better than to be a slave to fashion!)

When choosing the post, go for an elastomer sprung one. I have a cheap spring unit on my commuter bike. It suffers from the pogo stick effect, unlike the expensive one, which only betrays its presence with increased comfort.

Richard Hill, by email

GROUPTEST REQUEST Your review (last issue, page 63) of a kickstand suggests to me that it would be much more helpful to members to have proper ‘Which?’ type reviews of equipment rather than of just one item that happens to have been sent into you for review, which is, I assume, what happens. I have tried several kickstands although not the one reviewed and none of them has been very successful when touring with four panniers. The best I have come across is the Bontrager one but this doesn’t seem long enough for a 28" wheel and is not adjustable. The others tend to bend or break. Equally useful would be a review of head and tail lights e.g. effectiveness of beam,

cycle

LETTERS

OBITUARIES PETER JACKSON: 1936-2008

whether it is visible to other road users, strength of casing if dropped, etc.

Simon Hillyard, by email

Peter died suddenly from a heart attack while playing badminton.

Active to the last, he’d been an enthusiastic cyclist from his school days. Touring, in Europe and the UK, was his first love, although he enjoyed time trialling, road racing and MTB riding. A CTC member since 1952, Peter was a councillor for 15 years, two as chair. Always happy compiling lists, he ran the DATC competition for years and was very active helping to run the British Cycle Quest. Peter lived for most of his life in London.

Rita Jackson

CYCLISTS AND TAX

NORMAN TAYLOR

Further to Letters last issue, anyone proposing a tax on cyclists should be prepared to answer the questions below.

In lieu of a vehicle (bicycle) tax disc, there would have to be a some form of proof-of-payment – a credit card style document, perhaps – that would be difficult to forge. It would not be cheap. Record keeping would require a database maintained at national level.

Q1. W hat would be the percentage and total cost of administration and therefore the net value of the contribution to cycling?

Q2. At what age would a cyclist become liable to this tax?

Q3. W ho would enforce it? And how would this be done? ‘Road tax’ was replaced in 1938 with Vehicle Excise Duty, i.e. a tax upon vehicle ownership that went straight to the national exchequer. Expenditure on roads was then and still is funded from general taxation. So despite neither owning nor running a car, I already pay for highway building and maintenance.

Q4. W hy should ‘cycle routes and facilities’ be considered as not part of the general transport infrastructure?

Q5. W hy should cyclists be required to pay separately and additionally for facilities that they may never use?

Q6. How could you guarantee that any money collected for a given purpose would be correctly spent?

Q7. W ho would make the decisions on expenditure and what mechanism would there be for appeal?

J Rose, Gillingham

One of the famous cycling brothers who had been making frames at Stockton since 1936, Norman died in hospital on 28th August aged 85.

Norman was a keen cyclist all his life.

He rode for the Stockton Wheelers and helped form the BLRC. After his racing career he rode with CTC’s Teesside Hardriders Section from 1970 until his illness in 2003. Norman’s other love was jazz. His favourite artist was Louie Armstrong, whom he once met. Ian Bowman

LEONARD HALSTEAD: 24/2/1923-20/5/2008

Len passed away in Huddersfield Royal Infirmary after a short illness.

A life member of CTC, Len started cycling as a teenager and carried on until his death. In his youth, he would ride to Blackpool on a Sunday to have lunch with his aunt – a 130mile round trip. By the early ’50s Len was the Secretary of the Huddersfield Section and was to be seen helping and officiating in all capacities on events such as West Yorkshire’s DA Tourist Competition rides. He was Huddersfield’s auditor at the time of his passing. John Radford

RAYMOND JOHNSON: 16/5/1952-3/8/2008

Ray was a staunch member of York section of the North Yorks DA for many years. He was well known for his enthusiasm for and involvement in the DATC. Ray’s highest standing was 2nd in 1990 but he was the driving force behind the NYDA dominance of the competition from 1989 to 1991. In 1994

he was involved in a collision with a car on the A64 on his way to ride a DATC-counting event in Malton. He sustained serious injuries from which he never recovered enough to cycle again. Continuing health problems led to his untimely death. Keith Benton

JOHN RUTHERFORD

Died 30th September, aged 92. John was the last survivor of the old guard of the Northern Ireland DA, who kept the club going during the war years and after. A keen outdoor man, he had a great love and knowledge of the countryside and wildlife, as well as being an outstanding photographer.

His favourite area was Scotland and in particular the Applecross region of Wester Ross. He rode from Ireland to Cape Wrath in 1948 at a time when very little was known of the area. He was a true ‘gentleman of the road’.

Billy McCormick

JOYCE SYBIL NEIGHBOUR: 1930-2008

Joy died on 1st September, four days after falling from her bike due to a heart attack on the way home from a section meet. Married to Bert for almost 60 years, they both enjoyed cycling on solos and their tandem, first with the West Kents and latterly the West Norfolk section. Joy and Bert soon became involved with West Norfolk’s day-to-day affairs and organised some memorable cycling trips. They toured widely in Britain and France. Joy will be sorely missed by members, particularly at meetings at Milcham Village Hall. Dennis Ford

NORMAN FEY

Norman was killed and a fellow cyclist badly injured when they were riding to the York Rally on 20th June.

Norman would have taken his place in the veteran cycle group leading the parade back from the Minster after the Sunday service. Norman was 72. From his shop in South Shields, Norman sold bikes but also rode them, built them, restored, repaired and adapted them. His workshop was a treasure trove, a bike his normal mode of transport. He and wife Marion cycled throughout the UK and overseas. He was enthusiastic about classic bikes and modern folders. Ralph Stather

december/january 2008-09 cycle

17

Great Rides Virtual commute

The Virtual commute Commuters get to cycle every day, rain or shine, summer or winter. How lucky is that?! Having an office 20 yards from home isn’t going to stop Dave Barter from joining in

S

anctimonious. Smug. That’s how the Clarksons of this world characterise commuting cyclists. They annoy me too. It’s not that I don’t agree with the idea that we should get out of our cars and onto our bikes. I know that cycling to work saves money, improves health, and clears the roads of traffic. I just have a problem with commuting.

Like those who are retired or unemployed, I can’t join in: I work from home.

About the best I could manage would be a 60 foot mountain bike ride to the shed at the bottom of the garden that has become my office. Maybe to add interest I could ride from the bedroom, ‘huck’ down the stairs and hone my trials skills as I dodge kids and cereal in the kitchen en route…

Things worsened when my lunchtime riding buddy, Rob, announced that our sessions were cancelled. He had decided to cycle to work instead. Through gritted teeth I congratulated him, particularly as it was the depths of winter. It was the final straw when I calculated that his 36-mile round trip would push his weekly training mileage way beyond mine. Not only was he to join the ranks of the sanctimonious, but he’d be doing me over on the summer rides as well.

I thought he was joking when he said: ‘Dave, you could always join me. Why not become a virtual commuter?’

On your marks The plan was hatched. Rob’s normal commute was an 18-mile journey to my home town. I would awaken early, mount the bike and cycle in the direction 20

cycle december/january 2008-09

of Rob’s place. Meanwhile, Rob would wait until 8am and then set off. We would meet, I would turn round, and together we would cycle back. Rob would continue on to his office and I, the virtual commuter, would roll up at my own front door and report for duty. What could be simpler?

A lot, actually. The night before saw my frantic preparations. I started by strapping lights to my bike and siting it next to the front door. The virtual commuter would soon lose the support of his wife if the young children were awoken before the very last minute necessary to clothe, feed and herd them to school.

I collected a mound of cycle clothing and placed it strategically. Underwear and base layers by the bed, middle layers on the kitchen table, and helmet, gloves, shoes, coat and overshoes next to the bike. Pump, tube, tools, mobile phone and house keys were placed alongside the middle layers ready to be stuffed into pockets. Energy powder was carefully measured and mixed into my bottle, then mounted to the bike.

Then it started to get silly. I laid out my toothbrush, toothpaste and contact lenses. I put a cereal bowl and spoon on the table and, as an afterthought, stood a packet

Photos: f22photography (Main photo) Dave jostles with the morning commuter traffic (Above) Leaving suburbia and heading out into the pre-dawn darkness

of Frosties next to them. I resisted the temptation to tear off the required lengths of toilet roll.

The final step: I set my alarm clock for 6.30am. It made a funny noise – I think it was the digital equivalent of ‘Are you sure?’ It hadn’t seen such an early hour in three years of home working.

And so to bed, and a hacking cough that saw me finally drift off at about 1am.

A perfect start to my life as a virtual commuter.

Milk floats & morning light Morning came and I rolled out of bed, driven by the excitement of a pending new adventure. Resplendent in my lycra underwear I tiptoed down the stairs and rendezvoused with my breakfast apparatus. Swift calculated movements saw breakfast disappear, then my semi-nakedness, followed by my contact lenses down the back of a radiator…

I rapidly disintegrated into a maelstrom of picking up, putting down, clothing and unclothing. As I zipped up my final layer I caught a glance of my heart rate monitor strap. I had half a mind to leave it, but couldn’t face the small gap in my near perfect training log. Off and on came the clothes for the final time.

I left the house five minutes later than planned. I had an hour to do the 18 miles to Rob’s house. I flicked on the lights and headed into the dark of a winter morning. The virtual commute was on.

Cool fresh morning air rushed through my lungs straight to my senses. As I

skulked through my home town, I became aware of the indigenous creatures that populate the early morning.

A postman struggling with a full bag of mail, a milk float blocking a car-laden street, dustmen slinging black sacks, and a spattering of early morning dog walkers trying to ignore the defecating canines attached to them by leads.

Orange lamplight and mist had repainted the streets and my regular escape route from town became suddenly unfamiliar. Gradually I slipped from suburbia and followed a steep hill under a railway bridge and into the dark. Here I learned the first lesson of the cycle commuter: my front light was entirely inadequate.

A thin pool of light in front of me failed to pick out the potholes and lumps in the road. I veered from left to right as hedgerows and corners rushed at me, and I desperately fought to keep control in the dazzling flood of full beam lights that streamed from approaching cars, only dipping at the last possible moment. I could not see and nor, apparently, could I be seen.

Lesson one: attach decent lights.

Commuter racing A motorway roundabout provided temporary respite as I was stopped by a traffic light and lit by a street lamp. I glanced down at my cycle computer: seven miles in 30 minutes. I was slow this morning, which surprised me. The dark had altered my perception of speed. At 7.30am the motorway was surprisingly busy. I allowed myself a private smile of sanctimony. The lights changed and I rekindled my fight with the headwind, on into another town.

There was no spectacular sunrise. Daylight snuck december/january 2008-09 cycle

21

Great Rides virtual commute

Virtual commuting’s 10 commandments 1) Always go first thing in the morning.

Something will crop up and stop you from riding later on in the day. Can you remember the last time the phone rang before 7am? Get out there before it starts ringing.

2) Ritual is everything. Prepare to go the night before and you’ll go. Procrastinate and it will become too hard or too time consuming and your resolve will crumble.

3) Ensure the longevity of your virtual commuting career by leaving the house as quietly (and tidily) as possible. Waking your partner, housemates or relatives will earn their wrath.

4) Save a cheery smile for road users imprisoned within their cars. Remember that without them your feelings of sanctimony would be much reduced.

Don’t hector them either. The mantra of the virtual commuter should always be ‘demonstrate, don’t remonstrate’.

5) As with all rides, the things you leave behind are the things that’ll catch you out.

The worst punctures happen when the spare tube’s at home and fully charged batteries discharge in direct proportion to the number of backups you’ve left in the kitchen.

6) Why not use a virtual commute as a means to stay in touch. Contact your friends within a ten-mile radius and virtual commute to a café midway.

7) If you can’t get enough of your virtual commute, consider a career change. Cycle couriers and many postmen get paid to ride. Failing that, add a virtual commute at the end of your working day as well.

8) Remember to leave the bad habits of other commuters at home. These include: talking loudly into mobile phones; drinking overpriced lattes; actively ignoring your travel companions; smelling of aftershave; wearing odd socks; and pretending to complete crosswords that are way beyond your vocabulary.

9) Why not buy a new bike for your virtual commute? I’m sure your partner would fully understand and share with enthusiasm your justification of yet another pointless cycling-based purchase.

10) Remember that all virtual commutes should end in the shower. A virtual commuter should never be detectable by smell, only by the sanctimonious smile.

“Slowly the darkness around me became grey. The noises of my bike were interspersed with bird song” up on me. Slowly the darkness around me became grey. The groans of my poorly serviced bike were interspersed with bird song.

The bike and I creaked towards our halfway point. At last I reached a queue of traffic stopped at lights and mocked by unattended roadworks. I afforded each driver a cheery smile and glided to the front of the queue. A short sprint, in which I was probably the only conscious participant, saw me cross the roadworks first to bag the first prime of day.

A few miles further I reached the midpoint of my ride. Rob had left on the dot and I met him a few miles from his house. I turned in the road and took a deep suck on Rob’s rear wheel.

As is always the case with any rider I meet up with, Rob was better prepared than me. His bike sported a set of powerful lights. It was well oiled and looked clean. I spotted no holes in his kit and he’d even had a shave. I maintained the facade of some friendly banter as I secretly willed pieces to peel off his bike.

We retraced my route at what felt like double the speed, driven by the wind behind us and that unspoken agreement that spurs two riders to increase their pace faster than that of one. The traffic jams had become more profound but were easily skirted by confident cyclists. All too soon I was close to home and waving Rob ‘goodbye’ as he turned off towards his office.

Ready for work It felt strange to turn the key in my own front door at nine o’clock in the morning. The house was quiet, devoid of children and smelling of breakfast. I changed, showered and then sat with a coffee to reflect upon my commute.

I’d covered 32 miles and the clock said 9:15. I had a complete day ahead of me, without the interruption of a lunchtime ride or evening turbo training session. I felt tired, but a motivated kind of tired. No, I’ll be honest, I felt the fatigue of the sanctimonious. I was tired, but I’d earned the right to be tired, and that sort of tired felt good. I was ready for the day ahead. If you understand that, then you probably cycle-commute already.

My virtual commute may seem entirely pointless. It doesn’t save a car journey and I’d have ridden the miles at lunchtime anyway. Yet after it I had one of the most productive day’s work in a long while. And so I’ll continue. Not every day, mind: 32 miles is a fair distance and I’m sure that a percentage of my motivation was delivered by novelty. But I’m definitely doing it at least once next week, and maybe the week after. And we’ll see about the week after that.

The virtual commuter doesn’t need to carry work clothes or a packed lunch, so can travel light on any kind of bike 22

cycle december/january 2008-09

Great Rides Ecuador

Touring at 14,000 feet Sandwiched between the Andes and the Pacific, Ecuador is anything but flat. Clive Parker recounts his 1,000-mile tour

T

he payoff for pushing my bike up the steep dirt road for miles would be a glorious descent.

That was what I told myself at the summit.

Two miles later, I rounded a bend to find the road obliterated by mud, several feet deep, stretching for at least 40 yards. No wonder I hadn’t seen any cars for a while.

The guidebooks had warned about mud slides in Ecuador. And on this on a scenic road from the small town of Baños over the mountains to Patate, I had found one. I started to carry the bike over it. Half way, it became more slippery and I realised I could only carry the weight of my bike if I removed all my bags… I waded through several times, carrying bike, bags and boots. As I was rinsing my wheels on the far side, a small pick-up truck pulled up. The driver took one look at the mud and turned round, wheels skidding. I asked them where they had come from: Patate.

I knew I would get through.

(From top) Locals are friendly but you’ll need some knowledge of Spanish.

Quito’s old colonial centre is great for sightseeing.

Mud slides are a face of life in Ecuador.

Many towns and cities are high in the mountains – Quito is at 2,800 metres.

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Climbing for 26 miles Mud slides apart, Ecuador is a good country for cycling.

The roads are quiet and Ecuadoreans pass cyclists wide,

even though there are few of them.

Road surfaces vary widely and can dictate your route. Basically there are four types: asphalt, dirt, cobbled stone, and loose stone, in order of acceptability to cycling. Good maps will indicate the road surface but can’t be relied up as the roads are steadily deteriorating through lack of maintenance. It’s best to ask people, particularly bus and taxi drivers.

I spent a morning in Riobamba bus station interviewing bus drivers about the state of the road to Guaranda.

The consensus was that the road was asphalted all the way, it climbed very high, had a lot of potholes but was easily passable by bike. One driver had seen a group of cyclists on it.

The following morning I set off early, aware that I had a long day ahead of me. The road climbs 26

miles to a mountain refuge at about 4,500 metres above sea level, on the flanks of Chimborazo, the highest mountain in Ecuador at 6,310 metres. As I puffed my way up to it, feeling the lack of oxygen, I realised that I was about to cycle at a higher altitude than I had ever been mountaineering!

Each bend always seemed to bring more ascents into view. Finally I saw the mountain refuge hut and knew that was it. It was bitterly cold and I had all my clothes on. The views of snow-clad Chimborazo were worth all the work. It is a massive bulk of a mountain, and it was awe inspiring to sit on my bike at the edge of the road peering up at it. I didn’t hang around for long though as thick cloud came down on me.

Then I had a 26-mile descent into Guaranda. The chill factor of doing 26 miles downhill is immense – I was frozen! Needing something to warm my hands I stopped at the first place I saw for a coffee.

Reaching Quito I had started my journey in Guayaquil, and from there headed north along the coast. A tarmac road, the Ruta del Sol, stretches up the coast to the Colombian frontier.

It was an ideal beginning to a cycle tour. Passing through mangrove swamps, shrimp farms, and rice fields the road seldom climbed more than a few hundred metres.

I left the coast at Pedernales, just after crossing the equator, which is marked by a sign and a yellow line painted across the road. I headed inland for Santa Domingo, as I wanted the challenge of riding up into the Andes. From Santa Domingo I pedalled uphill for two and a half days, resting in the little town of Mindo.

Mindo is a good place to see a wide variety of hummingbirds and butterflies, and the gently babbling rivers make it a tranquil place to recharge your batteries.

From there I continued to Quito, the capital, which nestles 2,800 metres above sea level in two valleys surrounded by impressive volcanoes.

Quito has an attractive colonial centre and is packed full of things to see. I spent nine days there before heading south to the Quilotoa loop. This route of minor, mainly dirt roads threads its way through the mountains west of Latacunga. Highlights have to be the Laguna de Quilotoa, an azure blue lake sitting placidly in the crater of a great volcano, and a visit to the market at Zumbahua.

Dirt roads and descents The loop is very hilly, but the dirt roads have smooth surfaces and it can be cycled comfortably in four days,

“I had a long day ahead of me.

The road climbed 26 miles to a mountain refuge at 4,500 metres” with plenty of accommodation en route. The most homely is probably the guesthouse in the mountain village of Isinliví, which is run by a Dutch lady.

From the Andes it was an exhilarating downhill run all the way back to Guayaquil. The last stretch was scary as the road crosses the estuary by a long bridge, a mile and a half long. Once, I had tried to cycle into Panama City over the Puente de Las Americas but traffic policemen had prevented me from doing so. This time, although there was a traffic cop at the start of the bridge, he ignored me. The bridge has two lanes in each direction, but no shoulder or path. The parapet is only 18 inches high, so I pedalled along peering into the murky waters of the estuary, hoping a bus wouldn’t knock me into them…

I made it back into Guayaquil, having covered 1,029 miles and enjoyed the hospitality of a very friendly people. Doing a circular route enabled me to see both cultures – the coast and the mountains. Coastal people are very open and approachable. When you stop for a drink someone will always come and sit with you for a chat. In the mountains, the indigenous people still wear colourful traditional clothing and are more reserved. Hardly anyone speaks English, so knowledge of Spanish is helpful.

Clive’s book ‘Pedalling to Panama’ (ISBN 978-1-4343-5940-7) is available from www.authorhouse.co.uk or Amazon, or by order from Waterstones.

Fact File Ecuador tour Distance: 1,029 miles, 25 days cycling.

TERRAIN: the coast is relatively flat, inland the Andes are steep and challenging.

Climate: coast is hot and humid, mountains rainy and colder. Good clothing is a must. roads: traffic was light except in Quito. Road surfaces were variable.

Accommodation: easy to find rooms between $10 and $20.

In bigger towns there are more luxurious places.

Maps: Reise Map ‘Ecuador and Galapagos’ available through Stanfords. Scale is 1:650,000 so it needs supplementing from local sources. It indicates which roads are metalled.

Getting there/back: LAN Chile direct from Madrid to Guayaquil.

Bike used: Dawes Horizon.

Further info: Rough Guide to Ecuador.

december/january 2008-09 cycle

25

Down your way south hampshire

No one knows great rides like CTC groups. Sue Coles of CTC South Hampshire describes a winter classic

W

atership Down isn’t only a haven for rabbits like those in the book of the same name by Richard Adams. It is also home to some of the best cycling Hampshire has to offer. Situated in the North Wessex AONB among the chalk hilltops of the North Hampshire Downs, surrounded by dry valleys and woodland, it provides quiet roads, great scenery and picturesque villages with friendly pubs.

The terrain is anything but flat. When the Romans arrived at the top of what is now Chute Causeway, they realised that even they could not continue in a straight line, i.e. down into the combe and up the other side. So they did a sharp left turn and continued along the top of the ridge searching for a more benign crossing of the hills. The views from here are stunning. It is also home to wildlife and if you are lucky you may see red kites.

A winter warmer Cyclists have long recognised the area as ideal cycling country and once a year it is the venue of a winter classic – the Watership Down 100km. The Watership Down was

first run in the mid 1980s and despite its early January date, it has run every year since. The weather is obviously variable.

Stories of the epic flood-and-ice year have passed into cycling folklore. Mudguards are vital. Winter tyres are recommended and some riders will need lights.

There are two routes that run on alternate years. The route described here is the 2008 route. The 2009 route will be similar and take in the same hills. The ride starts from Kings Worthy near Winchester and takes an undulating route to Lower Chute and the Hatchet Inn for refreshments (included in entry price). If the weather is fine, riders can sit outside. Not bad for early January. If the weather is poor the log fire in the pub can be hard to leave. The Hatchet Inn is the only manned control but the route sheet mentions other pubs on route.

On leaving Lower Chute the route climbs gently up to Chute Causeway, along the Causeway followed by an exhilarating descent of Conholt Hill. It then meanders through the Downs before ascending Walbury Hill

(Main) The Hatchett Inn is a good refreshment stop (Above) Approaching the top of Watership Down on an October ride

december/january 2008-09 cycle

Photos by Jeremy Mortimer & Don Anderson

Watership Down

29

Ordnance Survey Mapping © Crown copyright AM66/08. Created using TrackLogs Digital Mapping Software, www.tracklogs.co.uk. Thanks to Don Anderson, Dave Barter and Anthony Cartmell for help with map.

Down your way south hampshire

FACT FILE Watership Down Distance: 108 km (67.5 miles). climbing: 1,292 metres (4,238 feet).

Average time: 5 ½ - 6 hrs.

Terrain: Undulating with a couple of steep climbs, mainly on minor roads. No off-road.

When: 2nd Sunday in January (Sunday 11th January 2009).

Maps: OS Landrangers 185 and 174.

Start/Finish: Jubilee Hall, Kings Worthy, Nr. Winchester.

Bike shops: None on the route!

FOOD & DRINK: The Hatchet Inn, Chute; The George, Vernham Dean; Crown and Garter, Inkpen; Carpenter’s Arms, Burgchlere; Watership Down, Freefolk. No cafés on route.

More information: Sue Coles 01962 864479 events@southhamptonshirectc.org.uk, www.southhampshirectc.org.uk

Route directions START: Jubilee Hall, Kings Worthy, Nr. Winchester (GR SU492323).

L from Jubilee Hall, under A34 R (Bedfield Lane). L at T 1st R, then at O 3rd exit A272 At staggered X with A30 SO on B3420 FL at White Lion PH L on A3057 1st R and continue to X where SO SO at X with A343 Thru ABBOTS ANN to T R and 1st L SO at staggered X Under A303 and SO at staggered X with A342. SO at next X. L at X in 3½ miles to LOWER CHUTE Pass HATCHET INN on R Continue thru CHUTE STANDEN Bear R & continue to T R along Chute Causeway L at T & descend Conholt Hill R at T, then 3rd L by George Inn 2nd R in 1½ miles L at T, and L at next T Follow hairpin bend to R and ascend WALBURY HILL R at top, then 3rd R, then R at T Pass Crown & Garter PH on R Continue to X in KINTBURY R along main street 30

cycle december/january 2008-09

1st R, and in 1½ miles 2nd R Continue to Ball Hill sign and then 4th R, immediately after garage Continue to A343 where SO Over A34. L at T Pass Carpenter’s Arms PH on R 1st R after pub R at T. R at next junction and immediately R again L at T. R at X & ascend WATERSHIP DOWN Descend – care, gated road – and R at T L at T and immediately L. Then 1st R Pass WATERSHIP DOWN PH on R L at T onto B3400 Continue to LAVERSTOKE and take 1st through road on R Stay on thru route, under A303 R at T and L in ½ mile L at T. SO at staggered X R in 3 miles by King Charles PH Under former railway bridge, then 2nd L up Nations Hill Descend to T and R to JUBILEE HALL ABBREVIATIONS: T = T junction, F = fork, R = right, L = left, SO = straight on, O = roundabout, X = cross roads, sp = signpost.

(highest point on route at 280m). The route then leaves the chalk and descends into the sands and gravels. This is an easier stretch but not long after leaving Burgchlere the route starts its climb of Watership Down. It’s a stiff climb – maybe a walk for those on fixed. The route then takes an undulating route back to Kings Worthy.

The event itself is always popular and so we insist on advanced entries. The Hatchet Inn is small and can only cope with about 120 riders.

The North Hampshire Downs contain a myriad of quiet roads and so it’s an ideal destination for a short break. Many of the pubs – including the Hatchet – do accommodation. If you are there between March and December, try to visit the Sandham Memorial Chapel in Burgchlere. Owned by the National Trust it houses the murals of Stanley Spencer inspired by his experience of the First World War.

Who we are We are CTC South Hampshire and are split into two main groups roughly covering Winchester and Southampton. Both groups offer day and half-day rides with evening rides in the summer. There is also an easy-rides group within each section. In addition to the Watership Down 100km, we also organise the Winton 200 and 100km in mid June, again starting from Kings Worthy. You are welcome to join us on any of our rides.

For a full list, see www.southhampshirectc.org.uk.

Submit a route

If you want to submit one of your local group’s favourite rides, write or email the editor – details on page 80 – for advice on how to go about it. Each one printed wins a boxed set of three Cassini historical maps of the area of your choice. To see the whole range, visit www.cassinimaps.com. For more information, call 08452 300 952.

Made in britain

Despite stiff competition from abroad, Chas Roberts hand builds 300 steel frames each year. In the first in a series on the UK bike industry, Steve Jackson went to meet him

Roberts cycles

A

s an ex-pat living in France, I often wonder if British cyclists realise how lucky you are to have such a great choice when it comes to buying a touring bike. On my side of the Channel, no large companies produce a real tourer these days and cyclists in the know are getting more and more envious of the British market. So when my FFCT (Fédération française de cyclotourisme) friends asked me to investigate, I started with a company I have always admired.

Old-school quality Roberts Cycles is not a shop, it is a small factory in a town-centre industrial estate in Croydon. You ring the bell and walk into an exhibition of beautifully built bicycle eye candy.

Chas Roberts is passionate about design and craftsmanship. He started brazing as a 12 year-old, making pannier racks at the weekend. His father founded the company in 1963, and Chas joined him full-time when he was 17.

He is proud to be old-school: ‘My generation judges frames on lug-filing and artistry. Aluminium is put together agriculturally and the welds are sometimes finished with body putty. TIG welding is necessary in Taiwan; it’s the only way to produce such high volumes. We don’t work like that. It takes 20 hours to make a Roberts frame and we build every one of them ourselves.’

Chas still offers road, track and mountain bike racing frames but these days 80% of his customers are cycle tourists. They are generally 35 to 50 years old, they appreciate the comfort of steel and they want to add a dream bike to their 32

cycle december/january 2008-09

collection. The firm has a full range of touring designs, from audax bikes to expedition bikes with disc brakes.

Women-specific cycles have compact diamond frames for stiffness but ultralow top tubes that can be stepped over more easily.

The bikes are beautifully made and painted but they are also stable and safe. Chas has carefully listed every usable combination, so if you order a small 700C frame you can be sure that your foot will not foul the front wheel when you turn.

The same effort is applied to component choice. ‘We often use Campag levers with wide-range Shimano mountain bike gears, so we have to explain our choices carefully. If the customer goes to an ordinary bike shop, they will probably be told that the bike was set up wrong and feel cheated. But it’s an excellent combination and it works perfectly.’

(Clockwise from top) The brazing is perfect.

Chas with some lightweight Reynolds 953 tubes. A Roberts tourer with Campag levers and Shimano transmission

Custom tubesets In the true British tradition, Chas chooses tubes to suit the rider and Reynolds encourages him by supplying

Photos: Steve Jackson

small series of special designs. Needless to say, nobody offers this level of customisation in France. So what would he suggest for me?

‘I would need to know more about the kind of touring you do, but you are very tall so I’d recommend a compact frame because it will be more comfortable and stable. The stays would be Reynolds 725 with a conical 853 oversize top tube and a Columbus Nivachrom or 853 down tube. The seat tube would probably be Nivachrom. Of course we would use lighter tubes for a small cyclist.’

The choice will change as Reynolds 953 stainless steel tubes are starting to arrive in small quantities. Chas is clearly very excited about this new material which, while strong, is almost as light as titanium.

Driven by enthusiasm It is a privilege to watch the frame-builders at work. The lugless joints are the best you can buy: they have perfectly formed fillets of brass which are lovingly filed with a pneumatic linisher and then polished by hand.

Good engineering practices are applied naturally. The insides of all frames are sprayed with anti-corrosion treatment and air-holes are filled with silver solder. For a lugless frame, the bottom-bracket shell is drilled and the seattube is fitted into it: this makes a stronger joint and water cannot collect there. Bikes are designed to work with their components, so if you specify Continental-style calliper brakes you can have a diagonal cable run under the top tube.

“He is proud to be oldschool: ‘My generation judges frames on lug-filing and artistry. Aluminium is put together agriculturally.’”

These days five people work at Roberts: Andrew at reception, Brian the mechanic, the frame-builders Winston and Adrian, and Chas the designer (who is in the workshop as often as possible).

Chas says, ‘Our builders have been here for 20 years.

There is not much money to be made in this business, but everyone is driven by enthusiasm. I sometimes drop by at 8pm and find Brian polishing ball-bearings.’

During our visit, a handful of customers ring the bell.

You can feel their excitement: they have come to buy a masterpiece.

Contact www.robertscycles.com, tel: 020 8684 3370. december/january 2008-09 cycle

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Feature MTB conference

Building the future of mountain biking was the theme of the CTC-IMBA National Mountain Bike Conference in October. Luke Webber was there

Trailblazing

I

f you build it – and build it properly – they will come.

That was just one of the messages to come out of the first national mountain biking conference, where leading figures from throughout the fat-tyred world met at London’s Cycle 2008 show to share experiences and ideas.

‘Who would have said, in 1990, that today people would be building trails using millions of pounds of tourism money?’ asked Dafydd Davies MBE, the father of the UK’s trail centre network. The dividends, he said, were clear not just in local economies but in getting people active.

‘When I go to Coed y Brenin now on a weekend now there are guys that I went to school with riding mountain bikes, who 10-15 years ago would never have been seen doing anything in the outdoors.’

More people than ever are riding off-road in the UK, yet the conference heard that the potential for growth remains. Such growth could deliver some of the two million more adults the government wants active by 2012.

Breaking new ground This conference was organised by CTC and IMBA-UK (the domestic wing of the International Mountain Bike Association) and was the first of its kind. It brought together experts on everything mountain bike. Speakers included Kevin Mayne and Ian Warby of CTC, IMBA Executive Director Mike Van Abel, Duncan MacKay

of Natural England, Mike Nelson from Cascade Environmental, John Ireland of the Forestry Commission, and more.

Discussions focused less on where UK mountain biking is now, but on where it’s going. In the early to mid-Nineties, participation in mountain biking was based mostly on competition. Today things have changed. Now attracting its second and third generation of participants, racing is a sideshow to the more popular draw of trail riding, predominantly at mountain bike centres – dedicated areas with marked trails for various abilities, built to withstand British weather.

In Scotland and Wales these centres have drawn in thousands of enthusiasts, provided an easily accessible route into mountain biking and revived local economies.

This despite being met with scepticism from local residents in the early years, Dafydd Davis explained.

(Top) New riders tackle the Marin Trail near Betwys-y-Coed (Above) CTC’s off-road day for kids at Dalby Forest (see p50)

Shifting focus Mountain biking centres today are buzzing on any given weekend, to the extent that the pastime could well weather

“Most children have bikes but can’t get to mountain bike centres or are without local areas to use them” december/january 2008-09 cycle

35

Feature MTB conference

the credit crunch. However, the general consensus at the conference was that ‘the best is yet to come.’ Right now the top tier of mountain bikers are well catered for – those with cars, bikes, and good disposable incomes find it easy to access areas often located away from urban centres.

Focus had been on this user group for long enough, delegates heard; now the priority must be to encourage more participation, particularly among children. Most children have bikes but cannot easily get to mountain bike centres or are without local areas to use them. So the challenge would be to create these safe, local, mountain biking venues while keeping the top tier going.

There are already success stories like Waterlooville, where there is a mountain biking area in an urban centre.

The biggest project to date has been the development of the off-road trails at Redbridge Cycling Centre. This will be part of the 2012 legacy developments for London, as the London Development Agency’s Vince Bartlett and CTC’s Ian Warby explained.

‘It was a farmer’s field,’ said Ian Warby, ‘a blank canvas, with very few natural features to work from. We wanted to have mountain bike cross-country, some form of downhill, a road circuit, and a bit of BMX. And we wanted to look at long-term usage and make it DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) compliant.’

Built inside the M25 and catering for London and the Home Counties, Redbridge Cycling Centre is a fantastic launchpad for cycling that’s on the doorstep of hundreds of thousands of people. It is also a fantastic community hub and the first of many long-term mountain bike projects.

Boris Johnson opens the Redbridge Cycling Centre with (L-R) CTC’s Ian Warby, IMBA’s Tony Williams, and site architect Karl Morrison

CTC’s off-road initiatives

Putting it together In the past most things in mountain biking were created on a fairly ad hoc basis. Lessons about trail provision were learned along the way. The conference heard that this has would have to change. Standards of ‘Best Practice’ were coming in, led by the UK’s largest provider, the Forestry Commission. These standards would encompass everything from building a track in your local park, through to creating a trail centre taking in several mountainsides.

The same would apply to leadership and skills coaching, too. CTC was already rolling out its own system – most recently acquiring the leading mountain bike training company OTC and its programmes with over 4,000 qualified leaders coming on board. CTC now has a comprehensive training programme for the mountain biking sector.

By setting everything within a standard, mountain biking will get something it has long needed: an objective measurement of quality. CTC will guarantee a level of excellence from which mountain biking can grow - an equivalent to the ‘kite mark’ for quality products and services in the cycling sector.

The whole mountain bike community will take ownership of the new standards and is encouraged to update and improve best practices. As these standards are rolled out across the UK, the big changes will begin and we should get yet more people on their bikes, making the most of the UK’s many trails.

Missed the conference? Listen to all of the speakers again at www.ctc.org.uk/mtb 36

cycle december/january 2008-09

Since the appointment of Ian Warby in 2006 as a full-time off-road officer, CTC has been making strides in offroad development. For any mountain biker wanting to know ‘what has CTC done for me?’, here are 10 recent initiatives.

1. Redbridge Cycling Centre (Hog Hill). Development of the off-road trails at this great new cycling facility.

2. Forestry Commission Visitor Safety Review.

Working with the Forestry Commission on guidance for the development and management of forest-based mountain bike facilities.

3. CTC Mountain Bike Leadership and Skills Training. A complete package of mountain bike courses for those working with the training sector 4. Working with local clubs, groups and volunteers across the UK to develop

a range of mountain bike projects helping to grow and support grassroots mountain biking and participation.

5. CTC and IMBA National Mountain Bike Conference at Cycle 2008.

6. Waterlooville Recreation Ground. Urban Mountain Bike Park featuring a gravity track, pump track and novice dirt jumps.

7. CTC Trail Building Workshops. Coming to a forest near you soon.

Best practice workshops looking at the best ways for volunteers to develop their local trail networks.

8. South West Wild Trails Project. CTC is supporting Paul Hawkins as he works to develop the south west of England as a world-class off-road cycling destination, supporting tourism and rural-based business and bringing health, wealth and enjoyment into the natural environment.

9. Removing Easy-Jet’s ban on hydraulic fluid in brakes and suspension so that bikes can go on their ’planes.

10. National network of Right to Ride volunteers working to improve the public rights of way network and access for cycling.

• PREVENTING PROBLEMS • ESSENTIAL TOOLS • REMOVING & REPLACING WHEELS • CHANGING AN INNERTUBE • FIXING A PUNCTURE • ADJUSTING BRAKES & GEARS • TRUING A WHEEL • FIXING A CHAIN • GET-YOU-HOME TIPS

R with e rs 09 g ROAD EPAIbe 08pa o R em 20 8- e t IDE TC m/Jan d S C ec ui L to , D g RAI . Freeazine T 0 g & £1.5e ma ice cl Pr Cy

A guide to get-you-home cycle repairs by CTC – the UK’s national cyclists’ organisation. Words and pictures by Chris Juden

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1

CTC’S ROAD&TRAILSIDE REPAIR

CHRIS’S ESSENTIAL TOOLKITS Don’t leave home without n Topeak Mini 9: because it’s so light and yet strong, with all the bits that I want for my bikes. Your needs may differ. n Topeak Morph: the Mini version (right) for emergencies, or the Turbo with gauge for greater convenience and precision. n Var 425: the neat lever that also really helps you re-fit a tyre. n Spare innertube

Add for longer, more pessimistic rides n Tip-Top puncture kit n Vise-Grip 4WR: too many uses to mention, see last issue of Cycle. n Sram Powerlink: also fits Shimano chain. Lives with TipTop. n Spokey: grips three corners, not two, with hard steel where it’s needed, light plastic where it aint. n Tyre boot: any strong cloth will do.

Can you fix it?

T

his is about fixing the things that most commonly go wrong when you’re out riding and that you should be able to fix with a few simple tools and spares. If you don’t have these or the necessary skills, ask a passing cyclist for help – or improvise.

Cycling folklore is rich with tales of bodges and dodges. Some do really work; tyres stuffed with grass really don’t.

If all else fails, phone a taxi, or be thankful you took out CTC Cycle Rescue insurance. It’s only £30 a year (see p78). If you have no mobile or signal, knock on a door. The mercy of strangers is not to be underestimated.

Cycle Rescue won’t come out for just a puncture, so you’d better be ready to fix those and should always carry at least one spare innertube. Other useful spares include a no-tools replaceable chain link, a tyre boot, a spare gear cable (rear) and brake cable (also rear).

Prevention not cure Heard of ‘Sunday maintenance’? It’s when cyclists stand around in the cold waiting for someone to fix what you should have sorted the week before!

Well-maintained bikes don’t usually break down. So unless you’re up to the job yourself, get your bike professionally serviced at regular intervals.

How regular depends on how much you ride it. Every 2,000 road miles is a good rule of thumb. Twice as far if you ride only in the dry, but halve it offroad and half again for actual mountain-biking.

Weekly or monthly (you decide, reckoning on a dozen such checks between full services) look over your bike for anything loose, broken or worn. Tyres may need pumping more often than that: daily for narrow tyres under 25mm, weekly for normal 28 to 38mm, monthly for fat ones. And don’t just throw the bike in the shed after a ride. Now is the time to clean it if the ride was dirty, apply moisture repellent if it was wet and see to any faults or niggles not bad enough to fix on the ride.

Failures often happen when small problems are left to fester. Soft tyres have more punctures and let potholes damage your rims. Loose spokes let adjacent spokes do all the work, then snap. Dry and worn chains shift badly, occasionally jam and later break. Maladjusted gears do the same. A worn brake block could be chewing the rim or half missing it…

2

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Add for tours n Spare slip-in brake pads n Oil: Finish-Line XC in a Tippex thinner bottle. n Re-usable zip-ties: re-usable ones have even more uses. n PVC electrical insulating tape n Little pot of spares: containing: cleat screw, long and short M5 and M6 cap screws with washers and nuts, a mudguard stay bolt, solderless nipple… n 3-way box spanner: 8, 9, 10mm. n Park cone spanners: thin, light, strong. n Big old monkey: wrench with handleslide expands wider (36mm) than other longer and heavier adjustable spanners, but doubles as a hammer nevertheless! n Park pin wrenches: are light and can be sprung to whatever size. n Crank tool and wrench: but it’s better to convert the crankset to onekey release and save weight! n TNBT2: cassette lockring tool that uses the bike frame as a spanner and its transmission as a chain wrench. n Spare cables: rear brake and gear can also be used for the front.

Wheel removal/ refitting

R

emoving and fitting your bike’s wheels is an important skill, not just for changing an innertube or fixing a puncture but for packing the bike down for transit – in the back of an emergency taxi, for example.

If the wheel has a rim brake, you’ll need to release it unless the tyre is flat. See page 6 for that. And don’t forget to re-connect the brake when you put the wheel back! We’ve all done it once.

If the wheel has a drum or roller brake in the hub, disconnect the cable from the brake and the brake’s reaction arm from the frame. Refer to the owner’s manual.

Front wheel removal The most common sort of wheel fastener is a quick release lever. On old bikes the wheel will drop out when you undo this. On new bikes you’ll have to hold the lever and unscrew the adjuster nut on the other side, to clear the dropout’s security lips. If not quick-release there may be a security skewer, unfastened with an allen-key or a special tool. Or else there will be simple axle nuts, requiring a suitable spanner.

Always note which side the lever was (normally the left) and put the wheel back the same way. Failure to do so may damage the bearings*. With axle nuts: screw in the right one as a reminder. (*A loose cone on the right screws inwards, crushing the bearings, so the right-hand

cone should not be disturbed and all bearing adjustments done on the left.)

Rear wheel removal

Quick release should be hard to close

it leaves and imprint in the palm of your hand! As a rule of thumb, the lever should become snug when halfway closed, i.e. sticking out in line with the axle.

If the bike has derailleur gears, shift into top at the back. Then open the quick release or other axle fastener as for a front wheel. Lift the bike, Rear wheel fitting pull the rear derailleur back, and let the wheel With a rear derailleur wheel: pull drop. If it needs some persuasion, press the the mech backwards so that the ends of the axle down with your thumbs. axle and sprockets can be poked With a singlespeed or internal gear hub, first into the loop of chain as the wheel disconnect any gear cable (check the manual). is angled into the frame. Engage Then loosen the axle fastener(s) including the top (i.e. smallest) sprocket any ‘tugs’. Slide the hub forward a with the upper run of bit, pull the chain off the rear chain, guide the tyre sprocket and hang it around the between the brake dropout. Now slide the wheel blocks, then pull the out of the frame. Note the wheel backward to thing the , position of anti-turn washers guide the axle into ng cli cy of ry After half a centu thout is a pair of wi on the axle of a gear hub. the dropout slots. me ho ve lea r I neve gloves - for those Push down on the disposable latex st co jobs. They cold, wet, muddy saddle to ensure Front wheel fitting nothing. pennies and weigh the axle is fully home Before re-fitting a quick-release ll ge Er ic An whilst re-tightening the wheel, check the lever is open. axle fastener(s). See front Apart from that, you need only to wheel for how. remember which way round the wheel With single-speed and internal goes (bike computer magnet may be a clue), gear wheels: reverse the removal guide the tyre between the brake blocks, process, paying attention to the locate the axle in the dropout slots, and push positions of washers and nuts etc down on the handlebars to ensure it’s fully on the axle. Put the chain on the home as you tighten the fastener(s) – securely. sprocket and chainwheel, then pull With a quick-release that means holding the wheel backwards to tension the the lever in the open position and tightening chain while tightening the axle nuts. the adjuster until when you fold over the lever

CTC ’ members top tips

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CTC’S ROAD&TRAILSIDE REPAIR

Pssst…

Puncture!

F

itting a new innertube is quicker than mending, but don’t rush or you may puncture that too. Never fit a new tube before you’ve found what punctured the old one.

Removing the tube Remove the valve cap, deflate the tube and unscrew any ring before pushing the valve up into the tyre, to free it.

Insert a tyre lever under the tyre bead (its edging), pull up and over the rim edge then hook this lever behind a spoke. Insert another about 10cm away and slide it around the rim, lifting the tyre bead completely off one side.

Pull the tube out and lay it down as it came out of the tyre. To help remember which way around it was, attach a pump from the side away from the wheel. Pump the tube until you hear hissing or until it’s fatter than the tyre.

Find the hole Tip: hold the tube near your lips, feel the air and dab the hole with your tongue. Then make a big cross with a ballpoint pen – one line along the tube, the other all around it.

(Dipping the tube in water to look for bubbles is a last resort.)

Align the tube with the tyre, valve by hole in rim. Examine the tyre adjacent to that mark, feeling for sharp things inside and looking for cuts or embedded objects outside. Feel all round for any further puncture-makers - or in case you flipped the tube.

Sometimes the cause of a puncture is so obvious it’s quickest to find the hole in the tube by reference to that, rather than viceversa. Mark it, then fit your spare.

and able to prevent punctures from spoke heads and holes. Check for protruding spokes etc. Nothing obvious? Cover the edge of the rim tape and the adjacent bare-metal bead seats with a layer of PVC tape. A broken rim tape can also be mended or substituted with enough layers of PVC tape.

section and make it short enough to roll over with one hand. When that stage is reached, push up the valve with your other hand so the base of the valve is not pinched by the tyre.

Fit the tube Special fitting difficulties are If you took the tyre off, fit caused by puncture-resisting one side back onto the features that stiffen the rim. Inflate the tube just tread, pulling the bead enough to give it shape, back up onto the bead then remove pump, fit nctured pu I en seat as fast as you can valve to rim and push wh s wa e My best bodg rning ride before push it down in the well the tube inside the tyre. while out for a mo tube but not The solution is to push work. I had a spare using my e off tools. I got the tyr it down and tie it down, Fit the tyre the lever. front door key as with string or zip-ties! If To make fitting easier, ck Ro e Stev you struggle with stubborn start opposite the valve. Use tyres, get a Var 425 tool. your fingers and/or thumbs to Once the tyre is fitted, inflate it fit the second tyre bead. Stop when to less than one bar (a few psi) and you get to the final tight part and go back over spin the wheel. If the tyre wobbles, the length already fitted, kneading it deeper push and pull it straight. Inflate to into the central well of the rim, to make some the recommended pressure and slack. If necessary, fully deflate the tube so check the bead again. Replace the it doesn’t push back. Fit a bit, knead a bit, valve cap. working back and forth to slacken that tight

Check the rim If the hole is on the rim-facing surface of the tube, ensure the rim tape is central in the rim 4

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CTC ’ members top tips

Push up the valve when fitting the adjacent bead

Using the Var425 to refit a tyre

Fixing a puncture

F

ind and mark the hole as described opposite, with a cross at least three times bigger than the patch. The smallest patches are fine for thorn and pin holes. Use bigger ones for glass and flint cuts.

Cuts longer than about 3mm (1/8in) will grow under the patch.

Mend them if you must, but discard the tube as soon as you can. Self-adhesive (glueless) patches are also temporary. Apart from those exceptions, a well-patched tube can be just as reliable as a new one.

Booting a gashed tyre

If you get a gaping tear in the tyre, your spare tube will extrude and explode. A readymade tyre boot (or layers of PVC tape) puts a more wear-resistant barrier between the tube and the road. A traditional tyre boot works better for longer and is easy to improvise or carry.

You need a piece of any strong cloth (e.g. denim), wide enough to line the full inside surface of the tyre whilst also wrapping around the beads and up the outside, so that pressure between tyre and rim clamps it firmly in place. A square 3½ times the tyre section (32mm tyre: 11cm square) will be enough to fit bead to bead.

To fit: take the gashed tyre completely off the wheel and put the softly inflated innertube

Apply solution With the tube inflated or stretched over something (e.g. saddle nose) thoroughly sand it to remove any moulding marks and make the tube a darker matt black over an area twice the size of the patch. Keep the arms of your cross still visible. Let out all the air and spread ONE thin film of solution over the target area with a clean, dry finger in one or two quick movements. Let it dry. Really dry. It’s easy to put on too much and be too hasty. Be patient and never re-touch the centre of the target area or blow on it – your breath is damp.

Note: most patches now come with a vulcanising solution that works better on modern butyl tubes than old-style rubber solution. But don’t mix up the solutions and patches!

Apply patch

CTC ’ members top tipsc m a plasti

fro Peel off the backing (usually metal foil) and centre You are never far our roads. A patch bottle on most of the patch on the target. Press it down firmly, do a temporar y cut from one can e. working from the centre outwards. Pinch the tube a repair on split tyr e and patch to crack the cellophane (or paper) topping Miriam and Jo and peel that off from the centre outwards.

If the repair is good the patch will stretch with the tube.

If not, that’ll be because you didn’t clean the tube enough, didn’t let the solution dry properly or put it on too thick, so it was still wet underneath. It’s always worth a second go with the failed patch. Peel it off, put a thin solution on both patch and tube, wait longer, and re-apply. Sounds mean, but usually works perfectly well and is quicker than starting over with a new patch.

Dust around the repair (with any old dust that comes to hand) to de-sticky the tube, re-fit and pump up to full pressure.

inside it. Pull the tube down at the gash, drape the square of cloth over it then snug back up inside. Ensure that the same amount of cloth hangs down both sides. Fit one side of the tyre to the rim, starting at the boot, whilst holding that edge of it folded up outside the tyre.

Check that at least 5mm of this edge is visible above the rim.

Fit the other side of the tyre as usual, starting at the boot, which in the process will naturally fold into place, with its other edge showing above the rim – provided it’s wide enough.

Inflate the tyre and check that the boot is doing its job.

A large gash may still bulge slightly; and if the boot is liable to contact the road it’s best also to apply a self-adhesive boot, or a patch of some other tough material taped into place, before fitting the full-width boot.

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5

CTC’S ROAD&TRAILSIDE REPAIR Releasing a racing brake

Releasing a cantilever brake

Adjusting the H stop screw

Brakes & gears

B

rakes and gears are both operated by cables, and can usually be tightened the same way: by unscrewing a barrel adjuster. The picture centre right shows one of these adjusters on a rear gear mechanism (mech), but they can be found elsewhere When you’ve tightened all you can with the barrel adjusters – but need more – screw the adjuster(s) in again, loosen the cable clamp, pull some cable through it, then re-tighten the clamp.

Releasing a brake

Pull the cable taut whilst clamping it

the cable moves only one of the pads. You need to make the same adjustment on the static pad, usually with an allen key poked through the spokes.

Noisy gears

Gear shifts can become sluggish in the direction CTC pulled by the cable. Tighten it with the barrel ’ ers adjuster(s) on the mechanism, frame or b m me s p top ti e a shifter. If shifting then becomes reluctant in

the other (return spring) direction, screw the cable snaps, us If your front mech frame the d an adjuster back in a bit.

When working on a rim brake or removing a wheel it n ee twig wedged betw middle ring so the to Gears may even become one whole click it can help to release the brake. Racing brakes often er ov it ve to mo best range of out of synch. Starting with the shifter (lever, have a release lever where the cable attaches. On you have got the . home gear ratios to get twist-grip etc.) in top or bottom gear, whichever V-brakes the ‘noodle’ tube can be pulled out of its yoke ey el Be David produces a slack cable, give it one click and make and on cantilever brakes it’s usually possible to unhook sure that this delivers the next gear. If not, you need the nipple on the end of the straddle cable from one brake to tighten the cable quite a lot – probably at the clamp. arm. You’ll need to pull the arms together to make enough If prompt shifts in one direction can’t be had without slack to do this. Sometimes you can’t unhook the noodle or nipple without sluggish shifts the other way, you have sticky cables. screwing the barrel adjuster back in to give yourself more slack.

Lubricate them or replace the outer casings.

If the chain overshoots or simply will not engage the Misaligned brake blocks top or bottom gear, front or rear, you need to tighten Most brakes don’t move their blocks in straight line towards the rim, but in (overshoots) or loosen (won’t go) the High or Low limit a curve. So the position of the block changes as it wears down. If you’re not screw on the relevant gear mechanism. careful, the block can either be nibbling at the tyre or so far off the rim that one really hard pull might pop it into the spokes!

Make sure that brake blocks hit the rim squarely, or with the front end a bit closer to the rim than the back. Some brake shoes have an open end for block Replacing a broken gear or brake cable (carry both) isn’t hard. replacement, which must face backwards.

Loosen the cable clamp on mech or brake arm and pull away Brakes don’t usually start to rub during a ride, but the cable. With a gear cable, shift to the gear that gives most it’s worth noting that some have balancing screws near slack, i.e. lets you pull it. Some shifters have a cover over the their pivots that you can screw inwards to stop that side place where the cable nipple lives: unscrew or pull it aside rubbing. Already fully in? Unscrew the other side. and pull out the cable. Then poke the new cable down the

Broken cable

Rubbing discs Hydraulic disc brakes are self-adjusting and there’s not much to do with them during a ride. If they rub after a long descent it’s likely the fluid has boiled. You’ve just got to wait for the calliper to cool. On cable discs, adjusting 6

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hole the old one came out of and seat the nipple in its socket.

Thread the cable through all the other guides and pieces of casing (cleaning them first if you can) and lastly the clamp on the mech or brake. Screw in all barrel adjusters. Pull on the free end of cable and clamp in place. Adjust as above.

Buckled wheel

I

Looking down from the tyre, clockwise tightens the spoke

be two spokes near that place. Select the t happens sometimes, to front wheels one that comes from the far side of the hub if you take a tumble and to back and tighten it half a turn. Mark it, e.g. by wheels if you hit a bump. If the buckle wrapping tape around it, and check again. is up to 5mm and mainly in one place, Still buckled a lot? Give that spoke another i.e. merely rubs the brake on that side, it should be easy to mend just by tightening a half turn and the same also for each of the adjacent same side spokes. These will be spoke or two, or three, maybe four. two spokes away from our first, high spot Normal spokes are tightened by turning spoke. Not enough? Loosen half a turn the the nipple at the rim, with a spoke key, in a two adjacent spokes from the same side as clockwise direction when viewed from the tyre. Vice-versa to loosen. Tightening a spoke the buckle. Carry on like this, tightening far side and loosening same side, spreading out moves the rim in the direction of that spoke. to two more spokes with each successive So: if the rim bends to the left, tightening a half-turn. This is a good method, spoke that comes from the right side of the but don’t follow it blindly. If hub will reduce the size of the buckle. a spoke already feels very Find the ‘high spot’ of the buckle, tight, either tighten a i.e. the middle of the section less tight neighbour of rim that rubs the brake, or from that side of the release the brake and rest your home. at s de hub, or loosen the thumb on a brake block to feel gra up d an s Do you own repair goes wrong, you know other side. for it, turning the wheel to and ng thi me so to fix Then when a fighting chance fro and moving thumb away the bike and have ring, carry the phone tou from rim until it is touched Badly bent you it. Also, if you are il order supplier so ma ur yo of er mb nu xt ne only in one place. There will If the wheel is u yo to d can get bits maile sent poste badly buckled, like rim a t go ce on day. I Hostel Feeling for the a PringleTM, you’ll to Ullapool Youth te tan res high spot Matt never get it true again but might be able to ride again by identifying the biggest buckle and hitting it hard in the opposite direction. Swing the wheel down hammer-like onto the top of a gatepost etc. You’ve nothing to loose: it’s better than walking! Once the wheel is straight enough to go in the frame, you might be able to improve it a bit with the spokes.

Keep the tension low.

CTC ’ members top tips

A broken spoke

Identify the broken spoke – they usually break at the hub – and twist the remains around other spokes. Either leave it thus, safe against entanglement in the chain or unscrew the nipple from it (anti-clock viewed from the tyre) and remove the spoke.

Breakage of a spoke lets the rim buckle away from it and probably drag on the brake. To pull it back you must tighten the two adjacent spokes from the same side of the hub. Tighten them two or three turns then check, as described. Continue tightening these two until either the rim runs true enough to clear the brake, or you do not feel these two can take any more tightening. In which event, begin to loosen the two spokes immediately adjacent to the break, initially by one turn and check truth, then half a turn at a time. Continue until the rim runs true.

If you have a spare spoke and the means to fit it, simply tighten the existing nipple onto it until the wheel runs true. There should be no need to touch any of the other spokes.

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7

CTC’S ROAD&TRAILSIDE REPAIR

Fixing a chain Disposing of a broken link

C

hain breakages have become more common as chains have grown thinner. Another cause of chain breakage is a belief that chains can separated and re-joined by driving a rivet out and back in again. Some can, but 9 and 10-speed can’t – or only as a last resort.

CTC ’ members top tips -tied

Fit a master-link

Easing a tight rivet

Connex and Sram chains come with a master link, which joins the chain without driving a rivet. Always then continue – very slowly, watching for s, it can be cable If your chain break rd and back ward, use these. They may be used in other makes of chain emergence of the far end of the rivet and wa for l da together. Pe chain of on cti se – e.g. Sram Powerlinks fit Shimano. They are not only ensuring that the end you’re driving remains n ke keeping the bro between easier to use, requiring no tools to fit, but also more at the same level as adjacent rivets. on the underside r block. chainring and rea reliable than the special joining pin preferred by some Frank Turner other makes. They can also be had for 8-speed chain.

Stiff link A chain failure invariably starts with one end of rivet Slipping and jumping gears are sometimes caused losing grip of one outer link-plate. All the tension goes onto the by a stiff link. Joining a chain often leaves the joining other link plate, bends and snaps it. The failed rivet falls out, leaving the rivet too tight. Find it by turning the pedals backwards, remains of this outer link attached by the intact rivet. Use your chain tool to watching for the rear mech cage to make a jerk. drive out the remaining rivet and fit a master-link.

If your chain tool has a middle location for the chain, The wider chain used on some hub-gear and single-speed bikes comes away from the rear jaw, you can use it to ease a tight with a master-link. It’s not worth taking a spare because they seldom break. link. Try pushing in the more protruding side of the rivet half a turn. It’s also possible to ease a stiff link by bending the chain sideways with your fingers, pressing Using the chain tool with your thumbs against the problem joint.

If you don’t have a master-link, you’ll have to shorten the chain and re-use a rivet to join it again. Lay this chain joint against the rear jaw of the tool, To learn more about bike maintenance, get a good book checking that it fits snugly. Try fitting the other way around if it doesn’t. such as Park Tools’ Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair.

Screw the punch down onto the rivet, ensure it is centred and keep screwing. Do not push the pin all the way out. It must remain attached in one outer link plate, projecting slightly (0.5mm) into the inner link, so the chain has to be flexed to snap it apart. Bend towards the projecting rivet and CTC is the UK’s national cyclists’ organisation. CTC provides pull. technical advice, information, a magazine, cycling legal If this rivet still projects, the other end of the chain can aid, insurance, organised tours, specialist mail order, and now be snapped into place. If not it’s more tricky, but still thousands of cycling events annually. CTC is at the forefront in possible, to place both sides of the new joint in the tool. campaigning to improve the UK cycling environment.

First: derail the chain off the front chainwheels to make it CTC membership costs from just £12 per year. Join online at slack and unscrew the chain tool punch, so that the joint www.ctc.org.uk or phone CTC Membership on 0844 736 8451. in question can be placed in the tool with the protruding This supplement first appeared in Cycle magazine, Dec/ rivet facing the punch.

Jan 2008-09. It was published by James Pembroke Publishing, Screw the punch down onto the rivet, gently. Make on behalf of CTC. It is copyright CTC and James Pembroke Publishing. Reproduction in whole or in part without sure that the rivet and punch are perfectly aligned, then permission is prohibited. tighten the punch. When the end of the rivet reaches the far outer plate, it may help to back off half a turn

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8

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feature CHAMPIONS

T

ho Champions, w le c y C 3 1 d e it cal recru cycling at a lo This year CTC to s s e c c a e v impro ey getting on? th are working to re a w o h o S ngland. level across E

his year CTC Charitable Trust began a £6.3 million programme to bring cycling to those people in society who could most benefit from it: people who cycle less or never and who have lower activity levels as a whole – such as older people, the disabled, women and ethnic minorities.

CTC’s 13 new Cycle Champions are spearheading the programme.

They’re being funded for four years to work with community groups and organisations across England, with the BIG Lottery Fund providing £4.5 million and the rest coming from partner organisations. The Champions programme is part of a Sustrans-led portfolio of projects aimed at making two million people become more physically active.

Encouraging cycling as transport will help reduce CO2 emissions, as well as tackling health and obesity.

We asked our Cycle Champions to reflect on their experiences so far.

Clive Andrews / East Hampshire

The job of the Cycle Champions is to help get people cycling

Left: Clive Andrews

 My work with

disabled cyclists at Alice Holt Forest is now spreading around the district, with sessions coming soon at Queen Elizabeth Country Park. We’re also organising rides for people looking to return to cycling after a few years off, or following an illness (see p12).

Working in a rural area makes it harder to bring people to our activities. But I still get to see a cross-section of society. The other day I was riding with youngsters with behavioural problems in the morning, before helping an 83-year-old get back on a bike and assisting some mums fitting helmets for their toddlers.

The future of our work is all about volunteers. We’ve had some great help and this looks set to carry on. december/january 2008-09 cycle

49

feature CHAMPIONS Viv Carnea / Bradford  My main project has been

Manningham Women on Wheels for the South Asian community.

The women wanted to be able to learn to cycle outside their neighbourhood. Many had never ridden a bike but they were determined and, by the end, four could ride a short way. Sessions with another group saw the numbers who could ride rise to nine. They were ecstatic! The women are looking at how to keep the group and their cycling going.

In future, I’ll be working with secondary schools to help get teenagers and their families into cycling.

Richard Monk / Colchester  In the summer I ran ‘enjoy cycling’

taster events at fêtes and festivals, including a hugely rewarding Special Schools Skills Day. A successful Workplace Cycle Challenge followed in the autumn. It involved 34 organisations employing over 6,000 staff and resulted in more than 400 staff cycling over 18,000 miles. Of the people who took part, more than 100 had not been on a bicycle for at least a year beforehand. One, who had not cycled for many years, enjoyed it so much that he plans to sell his second car.

Work is also in hand to get more people cycling again through GP referrals, working with the university and with Colchester MIND.

Elizabeth Barner / Leicester Since April, the Peepul Centre Bicycle Project has offered family rides and

classes for adults who wanted to learn to ride. More than 60 people signed up and 20 attended the first three learn-to-ride sessions. An hour into the first session, most of the adults could pedal on their own.

I have also helped set up the Wheel Ability Cycle Club. Organised with the Disabled Children’s Inclusion Service, this six-week project grew from taster sessions.

Parents and staff said they ‘had never seen the young people so engaged.’ In August, I helped 44 young women take part in cycle and maintenance training in preparation for a sponsored ride organised by the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (see news, last issue).

Karen Carter / Rochdale I’ve been working with

the Duke of Edinburgh Award centre in Rochdale to make a variety of cycling activities available to youth and community groups in the borough. I’ve put together a 12-month plan of activities to support the DoE Award scheme. This plan includes Bikeability, bike maintenance, led rides, and will progress to overnight expeditions. It’s great to be able to make cycling and related activities available to those community groups who otherwise may not get such opportunities.

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cycle december/january 2008-09

Dave Cheetham / Wolverhampton I’m aiming to increase cycle usage in Wolverhampton by offering training and support to: those seeking an improvement in their health; young people with learning and physical disabilities; and members of the ethnic communities. Rides and group activities for all will be supported through work with other partner organisations.

I plan to set up a central hub of resources, particularly for information and education. A lot of the work involves overcoming people’s perceptions of danger and providing supportive networks for them.

Mark Gumbs / Manchester  My main work has been with the

Boggart Hole Clough project at the Manchester park of that name. Set up

by Shirley McCardell, it now includes a cycling session. The Boggart Bikers club was formed from a fund-raising night that brought in over £12,000 (with the help of Charles Hill of GB Solutions). From three people attending one wet Saturday in June, the club now has 30-40 people every week, all with a range of disabilities and special needs.

If we could replicate this in other areas of Manchester it would be amazing.

The big challenge for me is persuading people that the four biggest green flag parks in Manchester are a good place for community cycling.

feature CHAMPIONS Helen Biggerstaff / Reading

Amanda Salt / Derby

 Everybody Active is a weekly session for adults with

learning/physical disabilities that I’m involved with. We have some fantastic adapted bikes and regularly attract 30 people. The best moment was persuading a severely autistic person to have a ride on a trike, after he had sat watching for three sessions. He jumped on and rode around the stadium. He has returned every week since and absolutely loves it.

In future, I’ll be building on the various cycling sessions that are already running at Palmer Park: Cycling for Health; Accessible family cycle club; U3A; and the Asian women’s cycle club.

Juliet Jardine / Sefton

 I’ve worked with Wetherby Day Centre for

adults with learning disabilities to develop a regular cycle-group activity. Over 60 people from all over the city took part in a fun cycle try-out provided by Cyclemagic. Many had never been on a cycle before, and everybody who wanted to was able to participate. The project has now purchased some trikes – including a hand-crank trike and rickshaw – for the day centre. Volunteers have been trained to use the cycles and maintain them.

Tamina Oliver / Swindon

 Working with girls in secondary

 The major project so far in Swindon is SENsational Cycling, a project offering

schools has been my major project. They have enjoyed building up their skills, so that they have the confidence to ride in traffic. I hope to get a lot more girls cycling.

It’s been tough recruiting volunteers to help with all the projects in Sefton. But the response has been great. After helping one 14year-old girl to ride a bike, I heard her phone her mum afterwards, saying she wanted a bike for her birthday. I was glad to give her the opportunity to be like her friends.

Bikeability cycling skills training and Road Safety Awareness training to young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN). In the first phase of the project a qualified instructor is delivering sessions.

But two teachers are undergoing training to become Bikeability instructors and they will adopt the training role themselves to ensure sustainability of the project. Incorporating cycling skills training into the school’s curriculum within PE will facilitate this.

The Swindon Workplace Cycle Challenge I coordinated was a great success. It involved 41 businesses and 913 people cycling to work.

Martyn Bolt / North Yorkshire

Steve Marsden / Sheffield

 My biggest event was a

mountain biking day for children at the finish of the Yorkshire stage of the Tour of Britain in Dalby Forest. We had to build 108 bikes in three days. But the support of other officers and volunteers meant that children from across North Yorkshire were able to enjoy an event alongside some of the world’s best cyclists.

Many of the children were from urban areas were eager for more access to the bikes and more visits to Dalby Forest. In future, I’ll be working to offer greater access to the fleet of bikes we have there, and to establish satellite access facilities in other parts of the county.

I’ve been setting up a steering group on cycling, comprising the local authority, Primary Care Trust, education people, local businesses, disability interests, and cycle trainers. In July we started Cycle Back to Health, a pilot project that we hope to roll out over the area. In August, I set up Sheffield’s first cycle festival. Memorable moments include meeting a lady with over 15 bikes who now has a disability called lupus. She wants to get back to cycling and I will do my best to help her!

For more on CTC’s Cycle Champions project, including details on how to get involved, see: www.ctc.org.uk/cyclechampions. If you’d like to contact any of the Champions, their email addresses all follow the same formula: firstname.surname@ctc.org.uk

december/january 2008-09 cycle

51

health

beat the cold

The big chill You can only enjoy winter riding if you’re the right temperature.

Iditabike champion Andy Heading explains how to dress to beat the cold

Andy heading

Marathon cyclist

R

iding 1,100 miles across Alaska in midwinter teaches several important lessons – like taking extra gloves, how to have a pee (answer: very fast), and why you shouldn’t howl back at wolves. But after 26 days of the infamous Iditabike, in temperatures that regularly dipped to –50 degrees centigrade and below, the one that surprised me most was that cycling through a UK winter is just as big a challenge.

As I once tried explaining to an incredulous Alaskan, I’ve been more uncomfortable on a November ride around the Peak District than I’d ever been on his home turf. The difference, of course, is the type of cold. In Alaska, it’s dry; in the UK, it’s usually wet – that creeping, clammy sort of cold, often combined with driving rain, that gets right into your bones. But the principles of how to handle both types are the same.

Don’t get too hot First lesson is temperature management. Every arctic bike-racer is haunted by the Inuit saying ‘You sweat, you die.’ Of course, that’s unlikely to happen even in the depths of a UK winter, but the science is the same: heat loss from a wet body is dramatically faster than from a dry one. In Alaska, being wet with sweat when the wind gathers pace and the temperature drops could kill unless shelter is found quickly and clothing can be dried. In the UK, as every cyclist knows, it can lead to extreme discomfort at best, and hypothermia at worst.

For winter biking in either environment, the answer

is two-fold: use layers and ventilate effectively in a bid to stay as dry as possible. Layers trap the warm air generated by cycling effort and create a micro-climate around the body. The secret is to regulate that climate by using breathable and sweat-wicking fabrics, and by simply unzipping layers or removing them altogether. As any Alaskan will tell you, the trick to surviving 50-below is knowing when to take clothes off.

Hands, feet and head For the extremities – hands and feet especially – serious sub-zero temperatures present a whole new challenge.

The body’s natural reaction to freezing conditions is to direct blood towards the major organs, leaving fingers and toes susceptible to frostbite unless blood flow is maintained.

Most Alaskan cyclists wear winter boots at least a size and a half bigger than normal, allowing extra socks to be worn with enough room to maintain the ‘warmair’ layer. Cleats are triple-insulated with duct tape, foam cut-outs and extra insoles in a bid to slow heat conduction through the metalwork. In emergencies, chemical heat-pack sachets can be slipped inside the sock layers, but the most effective way to save toes is to jog alongside the bike for a few hundred metres, forcing the feet to flex and restoring blood circulation.

For hands, motorcycle-style gauntlets called ‘pogies’ are a favoured piece of kit. They slip over the bars and create a wind-shelter – sometimes also being designed to hold snack bags and allow mid-ride feeding. Choosing december/january 2008-09 cycle

55

Photos: Andy Heading

the expert

health

beat the cold

between mittens or gloves involves a compromise between dexterity and warmth. Gloves obviously allow a greater range of movement, but their larger surface area allows faster heat loss, and fingers tend to feel colder when separated in gloves. Most riders use a thin baselayer glove and then overmitts inside their pogies.

Cycle helmets are a rare sight on Alaska’s winter trails, despite the risk of falling onto ice. Most cyclists wear a windproof, fleece-lined hat with ear-flaps and a draw-string, coupled with a fleece neck-tube. As a way of ‘dumping’ excess heat, pulling off your hat for a few minutes – or even seconds – is highly effective. However, frostbite of nose, ears and chin is a danger, despite the micro-climate caused by constant breathing. Waxy, white skin is a sure sign that things are starting to get too cold, and extra layers need to be added. Alaskan snowmobile racers – who regularly clock speeds well over 100mph – favour duct tape applied to nose and cheeks to prevent wind-chill injury, and it’s common knowledge that Alaskan beards are often allowed to grow long for their wind-proofing attributes!

Warm and dry It’s not just while moving that bodies need protecting.

Pausing for a rest at –35ºC is the time you’ll most appreciate your down-filled jacket. Exercise has stopped, the warmth is seeping out of your body, and now it’s vital to add that extra layer to keep valuable heat in. And it’s not just clothing that maintains warmth. Another wise saying from the far north is that ‘a good meal is worth more than a good overcoat’. Before experiencing an Alaskan winter for the first time, I’d assumed this meant that heat ingested with a piping-hot meal would warm from ‘inside out’. Not so – it’s simply that food kick-starts the mini-furnace that is our metabolism. Many times I’ve been huddled in a bivvy-bag at minus 40 or below and raided a carefully-stashed bag of trail mix, and soon felt a glow of warmth as the system cranked into gear.

Good hydration is equally important in the cold as in the heat, but often overlooked.

So why is biking through a UK winter an even bigger challenge than Iditabike? Well, because it involves staying dry from the outside too. As the temperature hovers around zero, the combination of heavy rain, a lashing of sleet and a headwind can quickly turn a pleasant day out into something much more serious.

Having just returned from the Original Mountain Marathon in Borrowdale, I can testify to the challenge of staying comfortable in bleak UK conditions – and it’s not easy. The answer is to invest in good quality, breathable outerwear to keep the worst of the UK’s weather at bay, but to remember the principles of arctic biking to keep things warm and toasty on the inside.

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cycle december/january 2008-09

“I’ve been more uncomfortable on a November ride around the Peak District than I’ve ever been in Alaska”

Andy’s winter wardrobe For Alaska

For the uk

Sweat-wicking thermal base layers Thermal tops as a mid layer Lycra fleece tights with windproof knee and thigh panels Windproof, fleece-lined jacket Windproof, fleece-lined overtrousers Down-filled Parka coat Balaclava and fleece necktubes Windproof hat with ear-flaps Liner gloves, fleece mitts and extra-large downfilled over-mitts Thermal liner socks, plus thicker socks Winter hiking or cycling boots, rated to –40C

Sweat-wicking thermal top as base layer Thermal bib tights Liner gloves Winter boots and thermal liner socks Balaclava, beanie hat or Buff beneath helmet/neck warmer Plus, weather-dependent: IF Wet: breathable waterproof jacket and gloves, Porelle dry socks IF Dry: gilet or windproof jacket, fleece gloves/mitts

Cycling answers Your technical, legal and health questions answered by CTC’s experts

the experts

Chris Juden

CTC Technical Officer and qualified engineer

Paul Kitson

Partner at CTC’s solicitors, Russell, Jones & Walker

Dr matt brooks Cycling GP

a top gear about 90. What would be the easiest way to do this?

Tracy Short, Biggar

n Braking

Power modulators

Q

What is the purpose of power modulators? They are fitted to my Airnimal Joey and the rear brake is almost impossible to operate: no hand is strong enough to brake sufficiently. Is there any solution apart from removing the wretched thing?

Jim Allen

A

V-brakes were invented for mountain bikes: a sharper brake to overcome

the problems of dirty, wet and slippery rims. But they can be too sharp in clean conditions, going from just kissing the rim to full-on, wheel-grabbing power, with only a small amount of finger movement and force. In the jargon, they lack ‘modulation’.

So when bike manufacturers started fitting V-brakes also to road-going bikes there were a lot of accidents where riders used to normal (i.e. relatively ineffective) rim brakes went over the handlebars or skidded the back wheel and crashed. Power modulators were introduced to make the lever move further between kissing and grabbing the rim. This gives the rider a bit more finger movement, and time, to realise what’s happening and ease off the brake.

A skilled rider may not need this.

So remove the modulators, at the rear at least. The front one might still be good to keep.

But the power modulator is not the main cause of your problem:

if it were the lever would pull back against the handgrip. Your description, of the lever being too stiff to pull at all, points to friction between cable and outer casing.

Small wheeled, folding bikes often need long, tortuous cable runs and friction builds up around the 58 cycle december/january 2008-09

A

curves. So remove the cable, clean it and replace the outer casing, and your problem will be solved. (Edit: It turns out that it was a very old Joey.

Jim took the advice and now it’s as good as new!)

Chris Juden n Gearing

What to do with 10-speed?

Q

About a year ago I bought a new bike and asked for touring gears to be put on it. The builder fitted a Shimano 105 triple groupset. I have tried and tried to get used to these gears but have decided that they are not low enough for touring and want to change them. I would like to have a bottom gear of about 20 inches and

I’ve edited out the brand name of your bike, since the notion that all a tourist

needs is to put a triple on a racing bike seems to pervade the entire cycle trade! And the problems of reducing the gears on 10-speed so-called touring bikes have lately been filling my inbox. Trouble is that mountain bikes don’t do 10-speed, so the usual touring mix of mountain gears with road controls isn’t workable.

The least costly alteration is a smaller third ring than the usual 30T. Down to 24T will fit the crank’s 74mm bcd, but you’ll probably not be able to go that low without the chain fouling the bottom of the front mech cage. You can nevertheless ignore the stated ‘capacity = 22T’. Actual capacity depends on frame angles and fitting of the mech. Make sure it clears the outer ring by only 1 or 2mm. Then shift to little ring and mid cassette, press lightly on the 3 o’clock pedal and see what’s the biggest allen key you can poke in the cage, under the tensioned chain without touching

“Gadgets called Shift-Mate fit in the cables and will let 10-speed road controls work 9-speed mountain transmissions” it. Halve the millimetres and that’s how many teeth you can subtract from 30.

It’s likely that 28T or maybe 26T (made by TA or Stronglight) can be fitted. But even the biggest Shimano-compatible 10-speed cassette (an 11-28 made by Sram) will only get you down to a 27 or maybe 25in gear – assuming

n Health

TOE TROUBLE

Q

During a 100km ride in July in France, I suffered excruciating pain in the ends of both feet, through the toes. It was very hot (>40 degrees), but I had fluids. I had to stop and massage my feet until the pain eased. None of my cycling mates recognise the symptoms. Any idea what it is and how to prevent it?

Tom Carter, London

A

Painful feet can be due to numerous causes and I therefore recommend you see

your GP. If necessary, he or she can arrange further investigations or refer you to a podiatrist (foot specialist). Take your cycling shoes to any appointments.

One possible cause would be metatarsalgia – literally pain in the metatarsals, the bones which connect each toe to the foot. It is usually felt around the ball of the foot. Overuse, structural foot problems (including arch abnormalities, hammer toe, and bunion), stress fracture, arthritis, gout, diabetes and Morton’s neuroma (a condition affecting a nerve between the metatarsal bones) can all lead to metatarsalgia or forefoot pain.

Predisposing factors in cyclists include tight or badly-fitting shoes, poor cleat position and excessive climbing (putting more pressure on the ball of the foot). The heat and distance could contribute by causing the feet to swell therefore increasing pressure.

Adjusting your cleats might help. Try moving them very slightly backwards on the shoe.

Their position should allow your foot to be at its ‘natural’ angle. Your feet and legs should feel comfortable when clipped in, usually with the ball of your foot over the pedal. Finding the best position may take time and readjustment. Different insoles or socks (thinner if your shoe is tight, thicker if it is loose), padding or even a change of shoes can sometimes help (wider forefoot, pictured, is generally best). A podiatrist can arrange custom orthotics if necessary. Other treatment will depend on the cause so do see your doctor first.

Matt Brooks

27in/700C wheels.

Tracy wants lower, and the easiest way is to replace the whole transmission with the 9-speed mountain bike kit this bike should’ve had in the first place!

For example, a Deore XT chainset, cassette and front and rear mechs, operated by Tiagra (road 9-speed) bar-end shifters, leaving those STI controls to work the brakes only.

Depending upon which chainset and sprockets are chosen, bottom gear could be from 17 to 21in. Top will exceed 99in whatever.

A 9-speed cassette will not fit all Shimano 10-speed hubs, but 105 is okay. The only problem may be interference between the more bulky front mech and a rear mudguard, since unduly short chainstays are part of the same design philosophy that puts

10-speed on touring bikes! In that case a Tiagra front mech may be needed, which dictates the larger 26/36/48T ‘trekking’ chainset.

With an 11-34 cassette this will

provide a 21 to 118in range: crazily-high at the top, but low enough perhaps at the bottom?

That’s easy but expensive and swaps the convenience of dual controls for distant barends. To keep the shifting at your fingertips involves fitting gadgets called Shift-Mate in the cables that let 10-speed road controls work 9-speed mountain transmissions. See jtekengineering.com – you’ll want Shiftmate #2 and #7S (straight).

There was a UK importer but for now you must buy from the USA. I can’t suggest using a generally smaller chainset with the existing 10-speed front mech, as the news isn’t good from people who’ve tried that. It seems like the cage has been so heavily sculpted to manage such a narrow chain and huge (13T) outer–middle difference – the unacknowledged key factor in triple mech

Road triples won’t provide really low gears for laden touring. An MTB triple is required

december/january 2008-09 cycle

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performance – that it fouls up any other outer/middle configuration.

All this is about Shimano.

Campag 10-speed has similar limitations, but offers a 13-29 cassette and the option of a smaller triple (30/40/50T), so the front mech can be positioned lower, so it’s more likely you can swap the 30 for 24T, making a possible bottom gear of 22in. If that’s not low enough however, the ‘nuclear option’ of converting to a 9-speed mountain-bike transmission will also take out the rear hub! But with a bit of luck and jiggery-pokery (see ctc. org.uk/shimergo), the Ergopower shifters might still be usable.

Chris Juden n Components

Cranks for special needs

over to you Brake appreciation A very big thank you CJ, for reviewing Tektro cantilever brakes in the AugustSeptember issue of Cycle.

I have a Thorn XTC, which was originally set up with straight bars, the reason being I have a background in mountain biking and so was accustomed to these. However after three years of joyous riding, and given that my MTB was in need of a new set of levers and brakes, I decided to convert the Thorn XTC to drop bars.

I fitted the XTC with Shimano R550 cantilevers (a lowish profile design), which compared to V-brakes was like trying to stop an out of control elephant by pulling on its ears! I exaggerate, but only slightly. I had been looking for alternative brakes but found nothing that I thought would make a

Q

I am wondering if there is a company that makes crank arms with one side smaller than the other, because my left leg is 4cm shorter than my right and it is causing problems with my right knee. I ride with Rochdale Special Needs Cycle Club and they haven’t heard of any companies, so if there is one can you please let me know?

Andrew Whittaker, Rochdale

“You could fit a Highpath Swing Crank, by which the pedal might hang 4cm below the end of the right crank”

A

I am surprised that a club purporting to cater for special cycling needs has not heard of the Thorn cranks sold by sjscycles.co.uk (01278 441500) in lengths from 140mm to 175mm (including crossover sets for tandems) and the devices of particular benefit to riders with a variety of leg impairments that are manufactured by Chris Bell at highpath.co.uk (01470 570035).

Four centimetres is a big difference, more than can be

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accommodated by building up the pedal and enough to reduce power output significantly if the left crank were simply to be made that much shorter. Another idea would be to fit a Highpath Swing Crank, by which the pedal might hang 4cm below the end of the right crank, avoiding the excessive bending of that knee, which is currently causing problems, whilst allowing both legs to extend and develop full power.

Chris Juden

Childseat rain-cover n Family cycling Do you know of any waterproof covers suitable for rear/rack mounted child seats (Copilot Limo)? Rain-covers for the backpack child carrier/ rucksack type thing I use for walking are widely available but I can’t find anything like that for bike seats.

Cliff Webb, Builth Wells

Q

A

They do exist and are easy to find in countries were cycling is a common

noticeable improvement until your review of the CR520. I purchased a pair of similar CR720 brakes immediately from dotbike. com and for £40 had a bike which once again is a sheer pleasure to ride.

I have the ‘undulations’ of the Yorkshire Dales on the doorstep, where these brakes have proved to be very responsive, progressive and effective, giving any braking requirement from a gentle slowdown to a controlled prompt halt when travelling downhill at speed.

Once again, many thanks.

Paul Metcalfe, Leeds

means of transport, not merely a sport and fair-weather recreation!

One example, the Belleli childseat waterproof cover, nevertheless does appear to be available on this bikeforsaken island and may be found in some shops, where it meets the local need of such enlightened localities as Cambridge and York.

It’s not the sort of thing that would usually sell mail-order and yet I have discovered one source: discountbicycles.co.uk, tel: 020 7733 7755.

Chris Juden Dan Joyce adds: Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative, who also do mail order, stock not one but two capes for childseats: www. edinburghbicycle.com, tel: 0845 257 0808.

CONTACTING THE EXPERTS Each issue, Cycling Answers addresses a selection of questions that we receive. We regret that Cycle magazine cannot answer all unpublished queries.

Please note, however, that general and technical enquiries can also be made via the CTC Information Office, tel: 0844 736 8450, cycling@ctc.org.uk. And don’t forget that CTC operates a free-to-members advice line for personal injury claims, tel: 0844 736 8452.

Enquiries for possible publication should be sent to the Editor (see p80). Technical enquiries will get there quicker if they go direct to Technical Officer Chris Juden (same address as the Information Office).

Bike

Fixed asset The Pearson Touché is one of a small number of practical fixed-wheel bikes. Dan Joyce tested it

T

here’s more to fixedwheel bikes than fashion.

Looking past the track bikes and the bikes with tiny flat handlebars, fag-paper clearances and candycoloured rims, you can still find here and there a fixed-wheel bike that will function well as an all-weather commuter, a winter training bike, and a pedal-every-single-yard audax bike.

Pearson’s Touché, which has frame fitments and bigger clearances than most, is just such a bike.

The Surrey-based shop offers a pick-and-mix approach to its off-thepeg fixed-wheel bikes, which come in steel, aluminium and even carbon fibre. You can swap handlebars and tyres, and add mudguards, a rack or a hub dynamo. Our test bike was specified as a winter commuter.

Frame and fork The frame angles on the aluminiumtubed Touché are no different from any other fairly quick-handling road bike. The clearances are. There’s room under the carbon fork and the chain- and seat-stay braces for 28mm tyres or, as here, for 25mm tyres and mudguards with enough space between for grit to clatter through.

The front centres distance (bottom bracket to front hub) isn’t bad for a fixie either. There was no overlap between my size eights and the wheel.

They just brushed the mudguard.

I’d specify 165mm cranks to fix this.

As an added bonus, shorter cranks would give more pedal clearance in corners and they might be marginally easier to spin at high cadences.

Frame eyelets mean that full-length mudguards fit securely and without bodging. There are separate eyelets for a rear rack, and the chain-stays are long enough for you to use one with universal panniers without fear that you’ll clip your heels. The dropouts are reinforced with steel, which is no bad thing if you’ll be taking the rear wheel in and out a lot to turn it round.

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(If that’s you, adding chain tugs to the bike would make it easier to align the wheel, tension the chain and keep it taut. DMR chain tugs cost about £15.)

Equipment The bike’s double-sided hub means that you’ve got a choice of two gears, if you’re prepared to stop and get your hands dirty. Here both are the same: 71in. One’s fixed, the other free. For flat or gently rolling terrain – like London, for example – that size of gear is fine. You can wind it up to speed from a standing start at the lights without any trouble, yet riding fixed you won’t find your legs blurring like rotor blades on every descent. If it’s a bit lumpy where you live, then a lower gear – say, 65in – would be better. A 20T fixed or free sprocket would give this with the 48T chainring. If you can’t find one, 42×17 or 18 gives a similar gear.

The wheels are good for an off-thepeg fixie. Mavic Open Pro rims are lightweight but they’re reinforced at the spoke holes with eyelets, and the machined braking surface doesn’t

“Purists might disagree, and the law doesn’t require it when riding fixed, but the rear brake on the Touché is a bonus” (Right, top to bottom) In conjunction with the IQ Fly headlamp, the Shimano hub dynamo is ideal for commuting The Selle Italia Max Flite saddle is a comfortable perch, even at leg-blurring cadences Ultra Gatorskins resist punctures well for fast tyres, so long as you don’t run them soft or threadbare

have a nasty joint. Continental Ultra Gatorskins are what I use on my own winter bike, as they offer a good balance between rolling efficiency and puncture protection. Having a two-sided hub is a bonus at the back, while at the front you’ve got one of Shimano’s ‘sport’ hub dynamos. Drag is imperceptible and light output from the B&M IQ Fly headlight (which has a switch) is excellent. The hub could power a rear lamp but doesn’t here; you’ll need to add a battery lamp or a dynamo one plus wiring.

Purists might disagree, and the law doesn’t require it when you’re riding fixed, but having a rear brake on the Touché is bonus. You can stop much quicker, and fast descents and corners are less nervy. Back pressure on the pedals is a useful addition to a rear

tech spec

The Rivals Fixed wheel bikes are everywhere. Those with mudguard clearance and eyelets are much rarer.

On-One Il Pompino From £500 Unusual steel road bike with track ends, big clearances, and fittings for mudguards, a rear rack, and cantilever or V-brakes.

Various à la carte build options available. www.on-one-shop.co.uk

Condor Tempo From £700 Good looking carbon-forked, steel-framed ‘fraudax’ bike from Condor’s extensive range of fixies. Comes with rack and mudguard eyelets and clearance for 28mm tyres. www.condorcycles.com

brake, particularly at low speeds, but it’s not a practical replacement.

The ride Is there an ineffable oneness between man and machine on a fixie? Well, you are literally chained to the rear wheel so there’s a togetherness in that sense, but it’s more a matter of staying focused and remembering to keep pedalling. If you don’t your legs will get jerked around, possibly kicking

Ridgeback Solo £599.99 Another carbon-forked, steel-framed fixie with the necessary fitments. New for 2009, it replaces the (identical?)

Genesis Skyline. Comes with SKS mudguards fitted. www.ridgeback.co.uk

you up off the saddle – and even off the bike if you’re very unlucky.

Because you are pedalling all the time, you’ll spin or strain depending on the wind and terrain. It makes every ride a workout, and so it’s best if your commute ends in the shower.

The courier bars on the test bike put your hands and wrists in a more comfortable position than a flat bar, while the TT levers mean that braking is at your fingertips. I found the last 3 inches of the bars redundant, however, and would saw them off there. Drop bars (an option) would be better still, not so much for town use but for fighting rural headwinds and for the better range of hand positions.

The shorter stem that I asked for meant that the bike fitted well. I liked the anatomic saddle too but switched the pedals for dual-sided SPDs.

Summary This is just the kind of reliable, simple bike I’d use if I had a flat or rolling commute that was around 6-15 miles long – one that was long enough to warrant changing into cycling gear, but short enough that a strong wind wouldn’t exhaust you. I’d spec different cranks and a different handlebar and add chain tugs, but as practical fixies go this one does most things right. Mudguards stop wet rides being miserable and the hub dynamo lighting is fantastic. Short of going custom or building a bike from parts, fraudax riders (see last issue for the definition) will struggle to find anything more suitable than this.

Bike

Pearson Touché

Price

£745 as tested. From £550

Weight

9.63kg (without pedals)

Size

54cm

Colours

blue or gunmetal grey

Sizes available

48, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60cm

Frame and Fork

Double-butted aluminium frame with steel-reinforced ‘track ends’ and mounts for two bottles, rear carrier rack and mudguard. Carbon fibre fork with aluminium steerer and mudguard eyelets.

Wheels

Continental Ultra Gatorskin 25-622 tyres on 15mm Mavic Open Pro aluminium rims, 32x3 1.8mm spokes on 120mm OLN Ambrosio flip-flop hub (rear) and Shimano DH3N71 hub dynamo (front)

Transmission

Wellgo M-17 flat/SPD pedals (not shown), FSA Vero 170mm cranks with 48T chainring, square-taper cartridge bottom bracket, KMC Z 1/8-inch chain, 18T fixed sprocket or 18T freewheel. 1-speed (2-speed with different sized sprockets), 71 inches

Braking

Tektro R536 57mm-reach sidepull brakes with ITM TT brake levers

Steering & Seating

Cork tape, 42cm aluminium courier bars, 8cm ITM Racer aluminium stem, FSA semiintegrated threadless headset, Selle Italia Max Flite anatomic saddle, Pearson carbon fibre seatpost

Accessories

SKS chromoplastic mudguards, Busch und Müller IQ Fly headlamp

Contact

www.pearsoncycles.co.uk tel: 020 8642 2095 654 554

73° 42 765

540

680 51

434

600

72°

120

622 170

275 25

57

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december/january 2008-09 cycle

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KIT Gear up!

Submit a review

A cross-section of cycling products selected and reviewed by CTC staff, specialist journalists and CTC members

Revolution Cargo Trailer £125 Reviewed by touring and commuting cyclist Michael Stenning

This is a budget copy of the venerable Bob Yak trailer. Whereas the Yaks were built from aircraft grade cromoly, the Revolution uses plain gauge hi-tensile steel – although this makes little

If you want to submit a review, write or email the editor – details on page 80 – for advice on how to go about it. Each one printed wins a short-sleeved CTC cycling jersey worth up to £39.99. You can choose either the modern or vintage design. To see the whole range, visit www.impsport.com and click ‘CTC’ in the ‘Shop by Range’ panel. To order by phone, call 01522 500505.

difference in terms of weight or performance. I was pleased to find the hitch less fragile compared with older Yaks and there’s the option of a fitting kit for bikes with solid axles.

Being a single wheel design and enjoying a low centre of gravity, it tracks well even heavily laden, entertaining moderate off-road excursions without much fuss. Designs of this kind can place greater stresses on the rear triangle but this shouldn’t be an issue on tourers or mountain bikes.

A flag and fluorescent bag are a real boon (the unit folds small enough to fit into the bag for easy storage) but while the material’s waterproof the seams aren’t – allowing water to get in in a downpour. Minor niggles aside it represents fantastic value for money and with basic care should give years troublefree service. It weighs 8kg and has a maximum payload of 35kg.

Info: from Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative, www.edinburghbicycle.com, tel: 0845 257 0808

Norville SRX1 Eyewear £80 approx.

Reviewed by Sheila Simpson, editor of Arrivée

I’m short sighted. When contact lenses began to impair map reading and roadside repair, I switched to specs. I first used Norville SRX1 prescription sports eyewear for

Eggbeater SL pedals £84.99 Reviewed by editor Dan Joyce

Muddy UK conditions can clog SPD shoe cleats off-road, making them difficult to engage with the pedals. That never happens with Eggbeaters thanks to the skeletal retention-bar design. Like Time ATACs, they go on working however claggy the conditions. They also offer a good degree of float, so your foot can easily find its favourite angle on the pedal. It takes only a light action to release the shoe from the pedal, which will benefit smaller, lighter riders, and the four-sided design means that

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audax rides last year. These are wrap-around frames with polycarbonate prescription lenses.

There is lens distortion, but my brain soon adjusts and eyes stay comfortable. The big advantage, compared with lenses worn inside the eyewear, is the lack of condensation.

Info: from Optical Express, enquiries@ opticalexpress.com, tel: 08702 202020

the pedal is always the right way up.

Minimalism means a low weight too.

These stainless steel Eggbeaters are ~20% lighter than Shimano XTR pedals.

Since there’s not much support for your shoes, it’s important to use ones with a comfortable, stiff sole. Those retention bars can dig into the sole, creating stress raisers that could cause cracks later. As a 67kg, wheels-on-the-ground rider, this isn’t a problem I’ve experienced. While you could use these pedals for touring (the twobolt cleat is the same size as an SPD cleat),

their strengths are their low weight and their mud-shedding abilities. Crosscountry mountain bikers and cyclocross riders have the most to gain.

There are no flats on the axles. You have to fit them with a 10mm allen key – so be sure to grease the threads.

Info: 263g per pair. Distributed by 2pure, www.2pure.co.uk, tel: 0844 811 2001

Endura Venturi eVENT 3/4s £99.99 Reviewed by expedition cyclist Cass Gilbert

Waterproof overtrousers add comfort for expedition touring, whether for heavy downpours, long mountain descents or simply sitting around camp. Trouble is, it’s all too easy to spend the day struggling into and out of them. Endura’s three-quarter length trousers are the perfect alternative. They keep your backside dry and your knees warm without cooking you on the first climb, so you can leave them on most of the day. The cut itself is loose with a low rise, so they easily fit over a pair of baggies. Features include two waterproof zips, reflective logos, reinforcement where the shorts rub the saddle and Velcro tabs to cinch in the ends. Although the use of eVENT’s breathable and waterproof material translates to a very high price tag, at least the quality is there – mine have lasted months of hard use without any signs of wear. My only minor gripe is the webbing belt, which is tricky to adjust. This aside, they’re great. I never go touring without them.

Info: Endura, tel: 01506 497749, www.endura.co.uk

Electron Backup 5 LED front and 6 LED rear safety lights £14.99 & £12.99 RRP Reviewed by CTC member Ken Reed

Electron warn that these lights should be used only as backup for legal lights.

Yet they give a better light than some LED lights that emit the four candela required by the regulations. They each give a very strong all-round light from their five/six LEDs, which can be seen a very long way away.

They are not intended to give any type of beam. They’re great for short journeys at night urban roads – e.g. riding home from the station or when nightfall catches you out. It is easy to attach them to the handlebars and seat tube and because of their lightness they fix firmly and do not come off. They attach to any round tube by an elastic tie and could even be attached to the hubs. They are each powered by two CR2032 watch type batteries and have three operating modes: constant, chase round, or quick flash. They last from 48 and 300 hours (depending on mode).

Info: distributed by Madison, www.ultimatepursuits.co.uk

Best of the rest

Cycling Southern France – Loire to Mediterranean £12.95 Reviewed by Mark Waters This paperback guide contains a wealth of information and plenty of maps, and thankfully avoids the pitfall of telling you how to go touring. It usefully grades everything so there’s little chance of you tackling something beyond your capabilities. If you’re planning a DIY tour in France next year, this guide will be a great help.

ISBN 978-1-901464-20-7

Che Guevera and the Mountain of Silver £9.99 Reviewed by Tim Jackson Anne Mustoe follows in part the journey that Che made on his motorcycle through Argentina, Chile and Bolivia. When travelling by bicycle, bus and train across the Andes and into Chile, the narrative is well written and compelling.

The second half of the book is her trip without her bike from Santiago into Bolivia two years later. It’s an odd break in the story and the lack of a bicycle detracts both from its appeal to cyclists and, it seems, from Anne’s mood.

ISBN 978 0 7535 1274 6.

Lockblocks bike flashlight holder £6.95 Reviewed by Sheila Simpson Cyclists often end up with an assortment of front lights, each with its own unique mount. The Lockblocks is two Velcro straps and a sticky rubber base that fits any bar and lots of different lamps.

I used it to hold a CatEye LE400 on the 1,000km Manche/Med CTC tour this year. It worked well. fenixtorch.co.uk, tel: 01460 242259

Foska tangent jacket £70 Reviewed by editor Dan Joyce

Utilitarian rather than jovial like its jerseys, Foska’s new winter jacket is a soft shell that doesn’t stand out on dim days but works fine

at night due to reflective piping on the arms.

It’s waterproof and windproof and, having a fleecy lining and no pit zips, very warm.

While it’s breathable, I found it too hot for hard rides. But over a shirt for shorter, chilly commutes it feels snug – and not too bikey.

Info: sizes S-XXL, 720g (M), from foska.com

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What’s On

DECEMBER/ JANUARY 2008-09

CTC’s calendar of National, Regional and Local events for all cyclists in the UK To submit your event for What’s On listings in Cycle and for the CTC website, send details to: Bob Kynaston (Events Co-ordinator), 14 Orchard Close, The Rutts, Bushey Heath, Herts WD23 1LW, tel/fax: 020 8950 2082,, e: westerley@westerley.plus.com. The deadline for February/March is 12th December .

Forms and advice are available on the website www.ctc.org.uk (follow the links: CTC Resources > Event Organisers > Getting your event listed by CTC) or from the CTC National Office: 0844 736 8450.

Events require completion of a CTC standard entry form (audax form for events under AUK rules). Under 18s must have their entry form signed by a parent or guardian. Contact the event organiser for an entry form.

DECEMBER Saturday 6th

Monmouthshire Meander 204km BR AUK. Cardiff Byways RCC. Start: Tongwynlais, 07.15. Contact: David Lewis, 1 Penygraig Road, Pontardawe, Swansea SA8 3BS, t: 01792 830992, e: David.

Lewis4@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk Sunday 7th

Cyclists’ Carol Service. Leicestershire and Rutland CTC. Venue: Ashby Folville, 13.30 (SK706120). Contact: Ray Clay, 109 Holywell Drive, Loughborough, Leics, LE11 3JX, t: 01509 261068, e: rayjohn@ clayr.freeserve.co.uk, www.lrctc.bravehost. com Winter Warmer 200km BR AUK. South Buckinghamshire CTC. Start: Great Kingshill, 08.00 (165/876979), £4.00.

Contact: John Capell, 9 New Road, Great Kingshill, Bucks HP15 6DR, t: 01494 715636, e: john.capell@btinternet.com Cyclists’ & Walkers’ Carol Service.

South West London CTC. Venue: St Peter’s Church, Walton on the Hill, Surrey, 14.30 (224551). Contact: Mike Morley, 26 Meadow Walk, Walton On The Hill, Surrey, KT20 7UG, t: 01737 816160, e: mmorley@toucansurf.com Saturday 13th

Discovery Ride at Kirtlebridge, 22m.

Glasgow CTC. Start: Kirtlebridge Village, 10.15 (NY238728), free. Contact: John Taylor, Monksmill, Castle Douglas, DG7 2NY, t: 01556 670395, e: Johnwtaylor@ care4free.net, www.dandgcycling.org

THURSDAY 1st

Mince Pie Ride to White Horse Hill, 25m. Oxfordshire CTC. Start: Market Place, Wantage, Oxon, 10.00 (SU398879).

Proceeds to Whizz Kidz. Contact: Steve Swanton, 6 Edington Place Grove, Wantage, OX12 0BX, t: 01235 764257, e: Rides@wantagectc.org.uk, www.wantagectc.org.uk

New Year’s Day Lunch. Chester and North Wales CTC. Venue: Maclean’s Pub, Pentre, 12.00 (OS 117/SJ323678).

Contact: Arthur Miller, 10 Hawthorn Avenue, Connahs Quay, Deeside, CH5 4TF, t: 01244 931261 New Year’s Day Lunch. Chester and North Wales CTC. Start: The Carden Arms, Tilston, 12.00 (OS 117/SJ458514).

Contact: Dave Hill, 8 Park Road, West Curzon Park, Chester, CH64 8BQ, t: 01244 681625

SUNDAY 21th

Meridan Carol Service. Birmingham and Midland CTC. Venue: Meridan Parish Church, 11.30. Meridan Village Hall for teas, 13.00. Contact: Harry Child, 75 Russel Bank Road, Sutton Coldfield, B74 4QR, t: 0121 353 5814, e: harrychild@ tiscali.co.uk Torbay Section Christmas Lunch.

Devon CTC. Venue: Cockhaven Manor, Bishopsteignton, £15.00. Contact: Roy Gable, 10 Chartwell Close, Paignton, TQ3 3LT, t: 01803 665623, e: Roy@Gableres. co.uk Loughborough Section Mince Pie Run. Leicestershire and Rutland CTC. Start: Belton Village Hall nr. Shepshed,

BEGN

Beginners

Purple text DATC events

MEET

Meeting

m

Miles

k

Kilometres

Start Lists place (sometimes with OS grid reference), time, and (if applicable) entry fee

CTC national events

AUK Event validated by Audax UK. See www.audax.uk.net

DATC Event Codes

BP Brevet Populaire (audax event, usually under 200km)

(a) 25-79 (40-127km)

BR Brevet de Randonneur (audax of 200km and above)

(d) 200 miles-plus (321km+)

COMP

Competitive event

SOCL

Social event

OFF-ROAD Mountain bike/rough-stuff 70

cycle DECEMBER/JANUARY 2008/09

JANUARY

Sunday 14th

What’s On key Blue text

10.30 (SK445205). Contact: Brian Hinners, 45 Manor Farm Meadow, East Leake, Leics LE12 SLL, t: 01509 853038, www.lrctc.bravehost.com Winter Solstice 200km BR AUK. Peak Audax/Manchester CTC. Start: Bredbury near Stockport, 08.00 (SJ930915).

Contact: Mike Wigley, Higher Grange Farm, Millcroft Lane, Delph, Saddleworth, t: 01457 870421, e: mike@PeakAudax. co.uk, www.PeakAudax.co.uk A Whitegate Christmas 120km BP AUK. Peak Audax/Manchester CTC. Start: Bredbury near Stockport, 09.00 (SJ930915). Contact: Mike Wigley - as above.

(b) 80-119 miles (128-192km) (c) 120-199 miles (193-320km) (e) Map readings, tourist competitions, sports days, treasure hunts, hill climbs, freewheeling competition. (f) Off-road/rough stuff

Saturday 10th

CTC Cymru AGM. CTC Cymru. Venue: Cycle Museum, Llandrindod Wells, Powys, 11.00. Contact Dave Twiddy, t: 01544 370661, e: dmtw.llan@btinternet. com Discovery Ride at Ringford, 22m.

Glasgow CTC. Start: Ringford Village, 10.15 (NX688577), free. Contact: John Taylor, Monksmill, Castle Douglas, DG7 2NY, t: 01556 670395, e: Johnwtaylor@ care4free.net, www.dandgcycling.org Sunday 11th

100km Watership Down BP AUK, South Hampshire CTC. Start: : Jubilee Hall, Kings Worthy, Nr. Winchester.

Contact: Sue Coles 01962 864479 events@southhampshirectc.org.uk, www. southhampshirectc.org.uk. Turn to page 29 for more information.

Saturday 24th

CTC East Midlands Annual Regional Meeting. CTC East Midlands. Venue: 1.30pm at the International Community Centre, 61b Mansfield Road, Nottingham.

For details, contact John Allen, tel: 01530 243384, email john@allen-sub. freeserve.co.uk

FEBRUARY Saturday 14th

Discovery Ride at Castle Douglas.

Glasgow CTC. Start: Castle Douglas,

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY CTC national events in 2008

SERIES/YEAR-LONG EVENTS March-October: CTC Tourists’ Trophy Location: 400+ events nationally Organiser: Bob Kynaston, 0208 950 2082, www.ctc-competitions.org.uk.

Qualify for the Season Long competition by mixing 10 events from events covering all aspects of riding from 50km to overnight rides of 600km. A variety of fun events are also included, as are some off-road routes. t: 0208 950 2082 www.ctc-competitions.org.uk.

March-October: CTC Mille Miglia Location: Nationwide Organiser: Bob Kynaston, 0208 950 2082, www.ctc-competitions.org.uk.

Engraved Gold, Silver and Bronze medallions for completing 3000, 2000, 1000km in CTC Tourists’ Trophy events. t: 0208 950 2082 www.ctc-competitions.org.uk.

All year: British Cycle Quest Location: 402 locations nationwide Organiser: Mark Waters 01483 238305 www.ctc-competitions.org.uk.

Devise your own routes between predefined locations to answer 402 questions across the UK. Awards are available for visiting, 50, 100, 200, 300 and all 402 sites.

Market Hill Car Park, 10.15 (NX767626), free. Contact: John Taylor, Monksmill, Castle Douglas, DG7 2NY, t: 01556 670395, e: Johnwtaylor@care4free.net, www.dandgcycling.org

next summer West Kent CTC will add a 600k audax ride to its event list for 2009. This means that riders wishing to attain the coveted status of ‘Super Randonneur’ by riding events of 200, 300, 400 and 600 kilometres can now do so within the West Kent ‘Invicta’ series. Many of the organising team have PBP & LEL experience and as riders of events themselves they know what it is they want: not just a clear, understandable routesheet, but also good food and rest facilities. Details of this new 600k plus all other events hosted by West Kent CTC can be had by emailing wkctcevents@yahoo.co.uk.

prize draw

WIN!

Small ads How To Advertise In Cycle

Small adverts cost 50p per word.

Send your advert with a cheque made out to ‘Mongoose Media’ to: CTC Small Ads, Mongoose Media Ltd, Mongoose House, 2 Lonsdale Rd, London, NW6 6RD. The deadline for adverts for the February/March issue is 2nd January.

Free advertising is available online on the CTC forum: http:// forum.ctc.org.uk/ CYCLES

DAWES HORIZON, 1993. Ladies 19½” frame (501/531). Excellent condition, 21-speed, quality components. £130 ono. Tel: 01923 260484 GALAXY Used 2 weeks £500. 0115 9329134 LEMOND RENO RACER. Silver, triple, 54cm. 5 months old, little used. Cost £600 plus double sided SPDs & Conti Ultra Gatorskin 23s. £340ono. James. hollyman@harrislamb.com or 07789 178 570 RALEIGH TOURING 21½”. Gents 531, 18-speed. Photo. Don Kingston, 020 8549 3769, £190.

THORN DISCOVERY TANDEM. Top spec, superb tourer. Low geared.

Includes powered car racklift, £950. Tel: 01132583999 WANTED

80 GOING ON 60 YEAR OLD Widowed gent seeks female holiday companion.

Typical climber’s build. I’m looking for someone to share a bit of sun, some cycling, the odd walk and good conversation over a drink in the bar.

Tel: 07712 766 796 COLLECTOR REQUIRES LIGHTWEIGHT racing/touring cycles, frames and any components dating from 1935 to 1960.

Any condition, everything considered.

Cash paid. Will collect. Tel: 01952 883513 LONGSTAFF TOURING FRAME 20.5”21” centre to top measurement. Also TA Zephyr cranks, 165mm. Tel: 01752 561374 RALEIGH RANDONNEUR. Tel: Chris 07790 455346 or 01246 276448 STEEL TRACK & ROAD FRAMES. Various sizes and condition. Will collect. Lewin, tel: 07977 451 507

7 pairs of Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres Impregnable. Bombproof. Totally reliable. Puncture-free. Whenever anyone describes Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres, you’ll hear at least one of these descriptions. First tested by Cycle in 2003, they remain probably the most puncture-proof pneumatic tyres you can buy. If you want to avoid replacing an innertube at the roadside – described in our maintenance guide this issue – these are the tyres you need.

The secret to their toughness is a thick layer of springy ‘SmartGuard’ rubber under the tread. Sharp objects that stick in the tyre get forced out rather than in, and it takes something extreme to get right through and cause a puncture. Yet while the Marathon Plus is heavier than some tyres, the elasticity of the SmartGuard rubber means that it rolls surprisingly well. The sidewalls have a dynamo track and a reflective strip.

Chances are that whatever tyres your commuter or tourer uses, there will be a Marathon Plus to fit. It comes in these sizes: 35-349, 35-355, 35-406, 47-406, 47-507, 35-559, 47-559, 37-590, 42-590, 25-622, 28-622, 32-622, 37-622, 40-622, 47-622, and 40-635. Thanks to Bohle UK, we’ve got seven pairs – worth nearly £60 per pair – to give away.

For more information about the wide range of Schwalbe tyres, visit www.schwalbe.co.uk or call 01952 602680.

BITS

BACK COPIES OF ‘CYCLETOURING’ MAGAZINE. Complete set from January 1970 to the present day. Tel: 01727 850399 POLKADOT CYCLES. Polka Dot Cycles for bespoke handbuilt wheels, www.polkadotcycles.com. To discuss requirements call 0161 434 3183/07887 780629 or email: polka. cycles@hotmail.com CLUBS

FELLOWSHIP OF CYCLING OLD TIMERS The club for nostalgic cyclists, brought together by FN a quarterly of over 100 pages containing letters and articles from members, technical and cycling related queries, the only advertising being members sales and wants and some from old time magazines, together with members and Paterson sketches. Social activities organized by members. For membership details and a sample copy send £1.00 (stamps ok) to J Tallet, 50 Kiln Lane, Oxford or see our website www.fcot.co.uk, email fcot. uk@virgin.net ROUGH-STUFF FELLOWSHIP For cyclists who enjoy riding byways and tracks. Regular rides and events covering the best of offroad Britain. For a free sample of our magazine send A5 SAE to John Kemp, 1 Beechfield Road, Hadfield, Glossop, Derbyshire SK13 2BW Tel: 01457 852090 or visit our website www.rsf.org.uk

HOW TO ENTER Complete the coupon below, or a photocopy, and send it to: Schwalbe Prize Draw, CTC, Parklands, Railton Rd, Guildford, GU2 9JX. Name: Membership no.: Address:

Daytime telephone: Email: Preferred tyre size: I do not wish to receive product information or offers from Schwalbe.

I do not wish my details to be passed on to any third party.

Left: Matt Hodges

Whether it’s mince pie runs or Boxing Day Rides, lots of local CTC groups will still be out over the winter

CTC prize draw rules 1. This is a prize draw open to CTC members only. One entry per person.

2. Entries must be received by 31st December 2008.

3. The draw will be made on 7th January 2009.

4. The winner will be notified by post, telephone or email and may be required to take part in publicity.

5. There are seven prizes, as described, donated by Schwalbe. There are no cash alternatives.

6. Employees of CTC, James Pembroke Publishing, Schwalbe, Bohle UK and their agents cannot enter.

7. Entry coupons will become property of the Bohle UK after the draw, unless indicated otherwise on the coupon.

you win!

Congratulations to Mr P T Sutton of Chippenham, Wiltshire, who wins the On-One Il Pompino fixed-wheel road bike that was the prize draw in the OctoberNovember issue.

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2008/09 cycle

71

member benefits Benefit Highlight

www.easyfundraising.org.uk/ctc

Your CTC membership CTC membership includes a wide range of exclusive benefits for all cyclists, including:

1

Free third party insurance if you have an accident anywhere (except the USA and Canada) and a claim is made against you. Call the CTC Accident Line on 0844 736 8452.

2 3 4 5

Campaigning for cycling on local and national issues.

An award-winning bi-monthly cycling magazine, Cycle.

Great discounts on cycling products and services.

An informative weekly e-newsletter. Call the Membership Department on 0844 736 8451 or email membership@ctc.org.uk to register.

6

Access to over 200 CTC groups and hundreds

of local and national events.

See www.ctc.org.uk or Cycle magazine for details.

7

Touring information and advice on any nontechnical aspect of cycling.

Call the Information Team on 0844 736 8450 or email cycling@ctc.org.uk

8

Technical advice from CTC’s world-renowned expert.

Call 0844 736 8450 or email technical@ctc.org.uk with your queries.

9

Access to a wide range of CTC led cycling holidays.

Call 0845 045 1121 or see www.cyclingholidays.org

10

Cycling related claims advice from CTC’s experienced legal team. Call 0844 736 8452.

Membership Rates Adult (18 & over)

£36

Bike to work (Adult plus Cycle Rescue)

£52

Family (Two adults & any children 17 or under at the same address)

£58.50

Save money on your Christmas shopping and raise funds for CTC at the same time! www.easyfundraising.org.uk/ctc is a fundraising website featuring over 600 wellknown retailers including Argos, Amazon, Next, John Lewis, Vodaphone, M&S, Boots, Debenhams, ebay and many more, including ethical and green outlets. When you shop online via this site, you can save on the cost of your shopping with exclusive special offers and discounts plus you’ll automatically generate a cash donation to CTC of up to 15%. With a vast range of products and services to choose from including books, CDs, clothing, tickets for shows and events, utilities and many, many more, what could be better with the festive season just around the corner? easyfundraising costs you nothing and you can raise over £100 for CTC simply by registering on the Free Funds section for free trials and exclusive offers. Surf the web with easysearch and you could raise a further £20 a year for CTC. You can also make sure you get the best deal around with Price Checker, which allows you to compare instantly thousands of products and prices from easyfundraising retailers.

Register for free today at www.easyfundraising.org.uk/ctc to take advantage of this great member benefit!

Offers to CTC Members on Products and Services Leisure

• 1 0% discount on bikes and accessories at the CTC Shop www.ctc.org.uk 0844 736 8459

• C TC Holidays & Tours in the UK and across the world for cyclists of all abilities www.cyclingholidays.org • 1 0% discount on the premier road 0845 045 1121 racing channel Cycling TV www.cycling.tv • 1 0% discount with SeaFrance Ferries.

• 1 5% discount on clothing and camping www.seafrance.com 0871 663 2559 equipment at Cotswold Outdoor Quote CTCDAY for day returns or CTC www.cotswoldoutdoor.com 0870 442 for any duration fares. CTC membership 7755. Quote C2061 to place an order. cards must be shown at check-in.

Insurance • C ycle insurance for theft or damage www.cyclecover.co.uk 0844 736 8457

• 2 5% off new YHA memberships www.yha.org.uk 01629 592700

• C ycle Rescue for assistance in case of theft, vandalism or irreparable breakdown of your bike www.ctc.org. uk/rescue 0800 212 810

• £ 10 off return tickets on the European Bike Express www.bike-express.co.uk 01430 422111 • E xclusive healthcare plans and a free 24 hour medical advice line from CS Healthcare www.cshealthcare.co.uk/ctc 0800 917 4325. Quote CTC166

Junior (17 & under or full-time student under 26)

£12

Senior (65 & over) or Unwaged

£22.50

Senior 5-Year

£90 (1 year free)

• 3 months’ free car breakdown cover for new members of ETA, the ethical and carbon-neutral rescue service www.eta.co.uk/ctc 0800 212 810

Adult 5-Year

£144 (1 year free)

Travel

Join now on 0844 736 8451 or visit www.ctc.org.uk 78

cycle DECEMBER/JANUARY 2008-09

breaks, holidays and annual cover www.cyclecover.co.uk 0844 736 8458

• C TC Travel insurance for cycling short

Health

• £ 50 saving on selected ranges of glasses from Vision Express 0115 988 2121

ctc contacts

HOW TO CONTACT CTC CTC Services CTC Membership Contact Trina Hatschek or Philip Parkins with any queries regarding CTC membership (9am to 5pm) PO Box 416, Twickenham, TW1 9GD t: 0844 736 8451 f: 0844 736 8455 e: membership@ctc.org.uk CTC national Office (Touring, technical & all general enquiries) CTC, Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford, GU2 9JX t: 0844 736 8450 f: 0844 736 8454 e: cycling@ctc.org.uk Cycle Magazine Editor Cycle, PO Box 313, Scarborough YO12 6WZ e: editor@ctc.org.uk York CYCLE show secretary t: 0844 736 8456 e: yorkcycleshow@ctc.org.uk w: www.yorkcycleshow.co.uk

CTC Mail Order Shop PO Box 868, Crawley, RH10 9WW t: 0844 736 8459 f: 0870 164 4039 e: info@ctcshop.com w: www.ctcshop.com CTC Press Office CTC, Parklands, Railton Road, Guildford, GU2 9JX t: 0844 736 8453 f: 0844 736 8454 e: publicity@ctc.org.uk Right to Ride Campaigners To find your local RtR campaigner, see www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault. aspx?TabID=4526 or t: 01483 238323 e: righttoride@ctc.org.uk‑ CTC Cyclecover insurance Cycle, t: 0844 736 8457 Travel, t: 0844 736 8458 Cycle rescue, t: 0800 212 810 w: www.cyclecover.co.uk

Accident Claims Advice CTC Accident Line, 6th Floor Brazennose House, Manchester, M2 5AS t: 0844 736 8452 CTC Cycling Holidays 32 Hawthorn Walk, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 7HP t: 0191 273 8042 e: info@cyclingholidays.org w: www.cyclingholidays.org CTC Cymru Dave Twiddy t: 01544 370666 e: dmtw.llan@btinternet.com CTC Scotland Mike Harrison t: 0131 448 0930 e: Secretary@CTCScotland.org.uk w: www.CTCScotland.org.uk CTC National council Jon Snow, President Pat Strauss, Vice President: 01531 631731, pat.strauss@ctc.org.uk David Robinson, North West, Chair of Council: 01244 319550,

david.robinson@ctc.org.uk John Meudell, South East, Vice Chair: 01306 640264, john.meudell@ctc.org.uk Peter Mathison, West Mids: 01743 363293, peter.mathison@ctc.org.uk Allan Luxton, Yorkshire & the Humber: 0113 262 2328, allan.luxton@ctc.org.uk Jill Kieran, East of England: 01258 821233, jill.kieran@ctc.org.uk Jim Brown, East of England: 01438 354505, jim.brown@ctc.org.uk Julian James, South West: 01202 682599, julian.james@ctc.org.uk Arthur Spurr, Yorkshire & the Humber: 01482 640450, arthur.spurr@ctc.org.uk John Cutler, East Midlands: 01604 845709, john.cutler@ctc.org.uk Simon Legg, London: 020 8674 6246, simon.legg@ctc.org.uk Norman Hayes, South West: 01386 701044, norman.hayes@ctc.org.uk Tim Jackson, North East: 01748 821343, tim.jackson@ctc.org.uk

Barry Jordan, South East: 01795 429061, barry.jordan@ctc.org.uk Richard Bates, South East: 01444 452092, richard.bates@ctc.org.uk Peter Hayman, Scotland: 0141 552 4336, peter.hayman@ctc.org.uk Barry Flood, Ireland: 028 2564 4082, barry.flood@ctc.org.uk Peter Brake, Wales: 01646 661396, peter.brake@ctc.org.uk David Butler, North West: 0161 432 4611, david.butler@ctc.org.uk David Cox, West Midlands: 0121 458 7527, david.cox@ctc.org.uk Council also comprises Honorary Consulting Solicitor Shivaji Shiva, three Officers (Director, Secretary, Financial Advisor) and co-optees.

Complaints If you have complaints about any aspect of CTC activities, contact the service provider first. To take the issue further or get a copy of CTC’s complaints procedure, write to The Director at CTC National Office.

CTC local group contacts For details of rides & events in your area, contact the secretary of your CTC local group Bedfordshire Veronica Brown 01234 344922, www.ctc-bedfordshire.co.uk Birmingham & Midland John Evans 0121 308 1306, mary.judith@blueyonder.co.uk http://freespace.virgin.net/jimi.gee/ bctc/index.htm Brighton & Hove Robert Davidson 01273 884756, robert-davidson@ntlworld.com Bristol Nick Copley 01453 751 455, ngcopley@aol.com, www.ctcwest.org.uk Buckinghamshire, South Jane Crombie 01494 815642, sb.sec@southbuckscycling.org.uk, www.southbuckscycling.org.uk Cambridgeshire Peter Rowell 01954 210692, secretary@ctc-cambridge.org.uk, www.ctc-cambridge.org.uk Ceredigion Ted Evans 01239 682 776, eduardoevans@lineone.net Chester & North Wales Glennys Hammond 01829 751364, Secretary@ ChesterAndNorthWalesCTC.org.uk, www.ChesterAndNorthWalesCTC. org.uk Cornwall Martyn Aldis 01326 378305, secretary@ctccornwall.org. uk, ctccornwall.org.uk Coventry & Warwickshire Bob Tinley 024 7654 2676, bob@coventryctc.org.uk www.coventryctc.org.uk Derby Ian Hill 01283 223 581, hilly.swad@btopenworld.com, www.derbyctc.org.uk Devon Nicole Pethybridge 01752 80

691866, www.ctcdevon.co.uk Durham Dales Les Buist 01388 720 887, les_buist4@hotmail.com, www.bishopaucklandcycling.org.uk Essex Brian Taylor 01277 657867, leshurrell@tiscali.co.uk Falkirk Denis Callaghan 01324 636935 Fife & Kinross Lorraine Brown, fifeda.sec@tesco.net, http://www.total-cycling.co.uk/fifeda Glasgow John Davies davies@waitrose.com Grampian Sheila Rusbridge 01224 639 012, sheilarusbridge@waitrose.com, www.ctcgrampian.org.uk Hampshire, North Andrew Heaton andrew.heaton@ uk.thalesgroup.com, www.nhampshirectc.org.uk Hampshire, South Mike Etheridge, southhampshire@ southhampshirectc.org.uk, www.southhampshirectc.org.uk Hereford & Worcester Derek Skinner 01299 896 820, derek@skinnerderek.wanadoo.co.uk Hertfordshire Brian Jackson 01920 438 561, fullmasher@freeuk.com, www.ctcherts.org.uk Highland Steve Carroll 01862 871136, biker_carroll@hotmail.com Hull & East Riding Neil Dean 01482 447966, neil@najdean.karoo.co.uk Kent, East Dave Dumain ddumain@tiscali.co.uk, www.eastkentctc.org.uk Kent, South Roger Burchett 01303 267969

cycle december/january 2008-09

Kent, West Martin Gill 01732 453 823, mgill@mgill.screaming.net, www.westkentctc.org.uk Lancashire, East Fred Higson 01282 692117, www.pendlelife.co.uk/bandpctc, graham.shutt@holroyd.com Lancashire, North Tony Stott 01254 232 537, www.blackburnanddistrictctc.org.uk Lancashire, North West Alan Hawkins 01253 402929 Lancaster & Cumbria Mike Hutchinson 01524 36061, www.ctclancaster.org.uk mikehutchinson@fastmail.fm Leicestershire & Rutland Ray Clay 01509 261 068, rayjohn@clayr.freeserve.co.uk, www.lrctc.bravehost.com Lincolnshire Andrew Townhill 01522 878 690, a.townhill@ntlworld.com, www.beehive.thisislincolnshire. co.uk/cycletouring London, Central Nick Bloom 020 8365 3806, nick@nickbloom.co.uk London, South West Pete Barnard 0208 549 8950, pete_barnard@tiscali.co.uk, www.cyclingswlondon.org.uk London, West Gill Lambley 020 8840 0418, j.hutchins@care4free. net, www.westlondonctc.org.uk Lothians Mike Bonar 0131 441 7573, secretary@ctclothians.org.uk www.ctclothians.org.uk Manchester Mike Wigley 01457 870421, mike@peakaudax.co.uk www.cyclingmanchester.org.uk

Merseyside Steven Gilmartin, sgilmartin@email.com, www.merseysidectc.co.uk Norfolk Andrew Mills 01603 402645, amills@fsmail.net, www.norfolkda.co.uk Northamptonshire & North Bucks Max Scott 01536 712 507 maxscott@trivelo.freeserve.co.uk, www.da.ctc-northampton.org.uk Northern Ireland William Montgomery 028 9145 7822, william@worcesterberry.com, www.worcesterberry.com/ctc Northumbria Heather Evans 0191 273 8042, heatherevans.ctc@virgin.net, www.tynesidectc.org.uk and www.cyclesunderland.org.uk Nottinghamshire Terry Scott 0115 986 3214, terrydpscott@hotmail.com, www.nottsctc.org.uk Oxfordshire Eve Thornton 01235 527 628, secretary@oxonctc.org.uk, www.oxonctc.org.uk Portsmouth Carole Russell 02392 259238, carolearussell@yahoo. co.uk, www.ctcportsmouth.hampshire.org.uk Reading David Roberts 0118 986 2763, secretary@readingctc.co.uk, www.readingctc.co.uk Shropshire & Mid Wales Rob Jones 01743 790513, Robert.jones@freeuk.com, www.cycleshropshire.org.uk Staffordshire, South Malcolm Costley, 01902 733821, malcolmcostley@hotmail.com, www.chasecycling.co.uk

Suffolk Keith Halton 01473 716771, keith.halton@btinternet.com, http:// www.greenlivingcentre.org.uk/ctc Surrey, East Roger Chambers 01737 643212, http//www.eastsurreyctc.co.uk/ Surrey, West Jeff Banks 01483 772616, jeffbanks6@btinternet.com, www.westsurreyctcda.org.uk Sussex, East David Rix 01273 512357, cycling@eastsussexctc.org.uk, www.eastsussexctc.org.uk Sussex, West Edwin Jones 01243 267 746, ejones@cycletouring. freeserve.co.uk, www.ctcwestsussex.org.uk Swansea & West Wales Martin Brain 01792 207800, martin.brain3@ntlworld.com http://beehive.thisissouthwales. co.uk Tayside Pat Harrow 01575 574 082, cycling@supanet.com, www.ctctayside.org.uk Teesside David Bell 01642 485 637, david.bell@osoeze.com, www.communigate.co.uk/ne/ctctsda Wessex Peter Loakes 01305 263272, peter_loakes@yahoo.com, www.wessexctc.org Yorkshire, North Yvonne Skelton 01423 888326, yvonneskelton_ dasec@hotmail.co.uk www.amkirby.co.uk/nyda.htm Yorks, South & North Derbyshire Theresa Miall 01709 368 500, www.syndda.org.uk Yorkshire, West John Radford 01484 851 480, johnradford@ talktalk.net

Remembering Rajasthan CTC Cycling Holidays are run by cyclists for cyclists.

Tour leader Neil Wheadon discusses his Indian tour

M

mm, India: images of curries, elephants and saris. In November last year, 11 CTC members set out to discover the western state of Rajasthan. Equipped with a local guide, back-up bus and mobile catering crew we acclimatised in Dehli before heading west and into the desert. Our itinerary was to explore the golden triangle of Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur and the places in between – the bits that the tourist buses never see.

So, what was a typical day in Rajasthan? Having breakfasted on toast and omlettes we’d set out into the sun and sand along tarmac roads, dodge a few camels and wave at numerous locals. At about 10:30, I’d find a chai stop, pull over by the roadside and we’d watch while fragrant thick tea was stewed over a kerosene flame as we drew another crowd of smiling villagers.

On again, and we’d spy a flash of orange, where the mobile catering team had erected a canopy, always in a shady spot close to water.

We’d be served a selection of mild curries from steaming pots. As the afternoon beckoned, schools would finish and we’d cycle with children on heavy bikes loaded down with textbooks, before settling into a maharajah’s palace for the night.

We saw the impressive fort at Jodphur, the Amber Palace at Jaipur and the beauty that is Udaipur.

But it was the impromptu cricket match at the school, the wall-ofdeath riders wearing sandals at the Pushkar camel fair, and managing to persuade our Indian guide to cycle 20 miles (which he loved) that are the real memories.

Over 40 voluntary leaders are available to take you to places near and far. It’s Yunnan province in China for me next year. I can’t wait.

The End to End together Bob Nolan is deaf and going blind. He rode the End to End for charity with wife Louise

I

have Ushers Syndrome, a condition resulting in my being born deaf and slowly going blind. Despite not having cycled for nearly 25 years, I’ve just ridden over 1,000 miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats on a tandem with my deaf wife, Louise, to raise funds for Deafblind Scotland.

Learning to ride the tandem wasn’t easy and of course we could

82

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not hear each other. Fitting a mirror to the handlebars enabled us to communicate by lipreading.

After departing Land’s End on 31st May in glorious sunshine, we soon found getting up to a cooked breakfast and cycling somewhere new every day became very addictive. The camaraderie with our two deaf friends who accompanied us, and the support team, was priceless. We experienced much spontaneous generosity from strangers, just when muscles were aching, which boosted our morale.

Friends organised large welcome parties for us en route.

Whilst Devon, Cornwall and Cumbria had everything, including

NEXT ISSUE Dropping through your letterbox in two months: Adventure tourers Roughstuff bikes on test Down the Danube Long-distance European cycleways

murderous hills, and the gentler English counties from Somerset through to Cheshire were lovely, the mountains and lochs of Scotland were spectacular, with the fivemile downhill through Glen Coe a highlight. Arriving in John O’Groats after 16 days on the road was overwhelming. But it marks just the beginning of more exciting times to come in the saddle for us both.

For more information, visit www. bobstandemride.zoomshare.com

Off-road ready CTC mountain bike training Dealing with bad drivers What you can do – and what CTC is doing Cycle wants your Travellers’ Tales. Write or email the editor – details on page 80 – to find out what’s required.