London Cyclist Summer 2023

SUMMER 2023

ESSENTIAL SUMMER RIDES

CLIMATE SAFE STREETS CYCLE TOURISM IN LONDON CARGOBIKES & FREIGHT E-BIKE REVIEWS INCLUSIVE CYCLING CENTRE

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MAGAZINE OF

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SUMMER 2023

contents

News | Features | London | Travel | Ride Guide FEATURE > 20

RIDE 53

RIDE GUIDE In association with

RIDES

Summer is the perfect time to head out to north Kent and try this beautiful country ride. Charlie Codrington is your guide for the day.

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RAB YOUR bike and catch a train to Sevenoaks as you’re in for a treat! This engaging country adventure explores the woods and orchards of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in north Kent. Along this 20-mile route you’ll discover some real gems, including Knole House, a magnificent multi-turreted Jacobean mansion, and Ightham Mote, a romantic moated manor house with tranquil gardens nestling in a hidden valley. And if you love hidden valleys, there's also a secret and very private Japanese garden along the way.

The loop is a lovely combination of gravel bridleways and quiet country lanes, meandering through quaint villages.

When dry you can ride this route on most bikes, although we'd recommend all-terrain tyres. Take your time and make a day of it, ride at a gentle pace, stop and visit the sites, have a picnic or be willingly enticed into one of the gorgeous pubs.

KNOLE

KNOW-HOW FACTFILE DISTANCE: 32.5km (21 miles) ASCENT: 600m TERRAIN: 50% off-road SUITABLE FOR: Gravel or mountain bike. When dry, light hybrid and road/touring bikes with all-terrain tyres fine too.

NEAREST STATIONS: Sevenoaks (4 trains per hour)

We have partnered with mapping specialist Komoot to bring you free downloadable route maps.

Simply scan the QR code here to access the relevant page on your smartphone or tablet.

KNOLE KNOW-HOW

2 S'OAKS STN

KNOLE PARK 2.75km

3

5

4

FAIRLAWNE IGHTHAM MOTE 8.5km HOUSE 9.75km

IVY HATCH 23.5km

S'OAKS STN

BIKES 58

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BIKES

HOT TECH

NEW E-BIKES How does the range and build on a new electric folder fare on north London’s hills?

ESTARLI E20.8 PLAY ■ £1,850 ■ estarli.co.uk

Review: Tom Bogdanowicz

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T’S RARE to have a company co-founder drop off a test bike, but with Estarli designing and building its bikes in Berkhamsted a London delivery was easily arranged.

The E20.8 Play is a riff on its well-received E20.7 electric folder (4.7 out of 5 on Trustpilot), only bringing more off-road use to the fore. It uses the same, clever 7ah battery hidden in the seatpost, plus better quality 8-speed Shimano Altus gears, tougher Schwalbe tyres, hydraulic disc brakes, offroad pedals (non-folding) and can handle riders up to 130kg (whereas it’s 110kg for the E20.7). Front and rear lights are included, though rack and mudguards come as extras

(£50). Seat and bar adjustment fit people from 5ft to 6ft5in (we can confirm the 5ft extreme was fine).

Our first trip on the E20.8 took on the steepest hills we could find locally — straight up to Ally Pally, including directly up the final grass slope with a kerb hop at the top. On our regular bike we usually walk,

but this time it was a breeze thanks to the gearing and power-assist cranked up to 4 (it goes up to 5). We then cruised up and down off-road tracks and found handling to be very similar to an old-school rigid mountain bike with fat tyres. So it wasn’t the plush ride of a suspension bike, but easy to handle and ideal for a mix of roads, towpaths and moderate downhills.

We burned up two bars of power (out of 4) over four miles when powering up hills, then clocked up another seven miles in mixed use, consuming another 1.5 bars. Overtaking roadies uphill on what looks like a pedal-only shopper was fun.

A couple of days on tarmac took us across London in comfort, with

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PRODUCTS 62

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REVIEWS

#2

#5

#6

#7

INTERVIEW > 28

How the hidden wartime story of Italian cyclist Gino Bartali became a West End musical

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ESSENTIAL SUMMER RIDES, 14

LCC’s campaigning successes are your successes and I pay tribute to you all ASHOK SINHA, OPINION, PAGE 9

FEATURE > 34

Cycle tourism is booming, but what can be done to develop it further?

FEATURE > 42

#3

#4

We find out which boroughs are doing well, or badly, on Climate Safe Streets asks

Cargobikes are key to the future of freight delivery in a cleaner, healthier city

INCLUSIVE CYCLING, 48

At peak times, people cycling represent 40% of road traffic in the City of London CARLTON REID, OPINION, PAGE 12 LONDON CYCLIST Summer 2023 3

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CONTENTS | Summer 2023

Cover image: Izzy Romilly Location: East London, June 2023

EDITORIAL

Active travel off the pace W

ORK IN THE media and you’ll likely have a love-hate relationship with the humble press release. Occasionally they might herald an invite to a special event or launch, but most commonly it seems they’re “just letting you know” about some new fangled product which has zero relevance to your field of interest.

The most intriguing come with ‘embargoed’ in the subject line — like the latest notice from the National Audit Office, landing the day before this magazine headed to the printer.

The first line: “Government is not on track to meet its objectives to increase rates of cycling and walking, despite increased ambition in recent years.” Which clearly isn’t good news. But later on it emphasises that the recently established Active Travel England “has made good early progress in tackling long standing issues”. Which is much more positive. So it’s against this backdrop of mixed messaging that we delve into LCC’s latest Climate Safe Streets report (page 20), detailing which boroughs are leading from the front, which are stalling, and which haven’t got out of the blocks. Interesting reading with less than a year to go before the next mayoral election.

One final note. CEO Ashok leaves LCC this month, so on behalf of the London Cyclist team, we wish you well in your next role.

Happy cycling!

John Kitchiner Editor

LCC MEMBERS’ LEGAL HELPLINE Osbornes Law is the official legal partner of LCC, providing members with exclusive access to a legal helpline. If you’re involved in a collision or have a cycling-related legal issue, phone the Cycling Team at Osbornes for advice on 020 7681 8672.

LONDON CYCLIST Unit 206, The Record Hall, 16-16A Baldwin’s Gardens, London EC1N 7RJ n 020 7234 9310 n lcc.org.uk

EDITORIAL Editor: John Kitchiner (london.cyclist@lcc.org.uk) Design: Anita Razak Contributors: Simon Munk, Tom Bogdanowicz, Stewart Dring, Toby Zeidler, Rob Eves, Ashok Sinha, Sarah Strong, Carlton Reid, Richard Peace

ADVERTISING Allie Gill (allie.gill@lcc.org.uk)

SOCIAL MEDIA TWITTER: @london_cycling FACEBOOK: @LondonCyclingCampaign INSTAGRAM: @london_cycling_campaign Editorial, copyright, membership LCC is not aligned with any political party.

All views expressed in London Cyclist are those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the editor, nor do they necessarily reflect LCC policy. All material is copyrighted and may not be reproduced without the written permission of the editor. Editorial content is independent of advertising. All LCC membership offers and discounts are presented entirely at the discretion of the provider.

London Cyclist is published by LCC. CAMPAIGNS: lcc.org.uk/campaigns MEMBERSHIP: lcc.org.uk/membership TO DONATE: lcc.org.uk/donate LCC is a charitable limited company, reg no 1766411; charity no 1115789

London Cyclist is printed by Buxton Press on FSC carbon-balanced paper from responsible sources.

CBP0007421307115017

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Summer 2023

BIKES, SIGHTS AND CAR-FREE STREETS Sun shines as London’s cyclists take over the centre of the city for annual RideLondon and FreeCycle festival FreeCycle family fun: the closed roads bring cyclists out in their tens of thousands

Photo: Tom Bogdanowicz

traffic, allowing bikes of every type to take over the city and bring a carnival atmosphere to the streets — it’s a truly unique experience.

More than 25,000 amateur riders took on the sportive challenge this year, choosing from three distances: 30, 60 or 100 miles. Riding on roads that are closed to motor vehicles means you don’t need to keep stopping, making the long distance challenge far more enjoyable. As usual riders from Team LCC took on the 100-mile course to raise vital funds for LCC, which go towards helping us make London a truly world class cycling city.

Resplendent in their specially-made Bioracer jerseys, our riders made it round the tough circuit in blazing sunshine. Riding a ‘century’ is a comparable effort to running a marathon and for many this was their longest ever ride.

RideLondon is an unmissable event on the London cycling calendar — if you’ve never ridden it before, let 2024 be your year. n Join Team LCC at lcc.org.uk/fundraising-events.

Photo: Hiplok

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ONDON’S ANNUAL festival of cycling, RideLondon, took place on Sunday 28 May, with tens of thousands of families yet again enjoying the freedom of traffic-free routes as part of the FreeCycle.

LCC’s fantastic volunteers helped many of those families ride into the centre of town from every borough in London, with help from great organisations like Joy Riders, Cycle Sisters and the Crisp Street Cycle Hub. A first for this year was participants from our NHS project running their own ride — rehab patients from Barts Health NHS Trust cycled in from east London to join in the fun.

The RideLondon sportive was originally a legacy event set up after the 2012 Olympics and this has since combined with pre-existing mass family rides to form a vast festival of cycling, open to everyone. While the roadies head out to Essex and wind around the lanes there, the FreeCycle event closes off much of central London to motor 6

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NEWS

SAVE ON CYCLE INSURANCE WITH YELLOW JERSEY We’re pleased to announce a new partnership with Yellow Jersey insurance which means all LCC members can now take advantage of 20% off theft and travel insurance policies, rising to 30% on renewal.

There are three tiers of Yellow Jersey bicycle insurance to choose from and the ‘Essentials’ policy is likely to be suitable for most people cycling in and around London, providing cover if the worst happens and your bike is stolen (bikes do, of course, need to be locked up and secured with an approved lock). For those riding in sportives or racing, or travelling outside of the UK, upgrading to the ‘Performance’ or ‘Ultimate’ packages may be worth considering too.

Yellow Jersey is also supporting this year’s Urban Hill Climb with dedicated cycle parking, meaning anyone coming to watch or take part can leave their cycles safe and secure while they enjoy the day.

You can find out more at lcc.org.uk/cycleinsurance.

THE STATS

Active travel & physical activity

NEW CATEGORIES ANNOUNCED FOR NEXT URBAN HILL CLIMB

(Sport England survey, 2023)

3.2m This many more adults regularly used active travel in the year to Nov 2022 than previous year

20

%

Walking & cycling now accounts for this % of adult activity minutes

63.1

%

Over 6 in 10 adults achieve 150+ minutes of activity per week

1 in 5

Adults now choosing walking or cyling rather than car due to cost of living increases*

* Final statistic comes from Sport England’s Activity Check-in from Feb 2023 (sportengland.org)

Urban Hill Climb takes place annually on Swain’s Lane, Highgate. It’s one of the few places in London where hill-climb specialists can really test their mettle and is the only London entry in author Simon Warren’s 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs.

Organised and run by the LCC — and supported this year by Osbornes Law and Yellow Jersey insurance — Urban Hill Climb is a wonderful spectacle. The road is closed and a tunnel of noise from spectators gathers to cheer cyclists up the challenging gradient.

This September, for the first time at a UK hill-climb event, e-bikes will be allowed, opening the door for more people than ever to take part and enjoy this festival of cycling. The event has always attracted the fastest racers who post astonishing times, sometimes under 90 seconds. But many more people attend for the atmosphere and watching the action unfold on a beautiful traffic-free street.

The course runs alongside the world-famous Highgate Cemetery, as well as Waterlow Park.

The iconic high walls of the cemetery’s upper level make for the perfect backdrop at the toughest section of the climb — and help create that ‘wall of sound’ from the crowd.

Children, families, cargobikes, non-standard cycles, and bikes with pets on-board are all welcome and encouraged to sign up. The date to add to your calendar is 30 September, so we hope to see you there. n Entries for the 2023 event are now open. Book your place at lcc.org.uk/uhc.

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OPINION

Goodbye & good luck After more than a decade at the helm it’s time to step down, says Ashok Sinha — what a ride it’s been!

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RARELY PLAN my columns in this august organ ahead of time, trusting that a pithy thought will pop out from some tenebrous corner of my mind at the moment of need. This issue’s column, however, writes itself.

In the dozen years that I have appeared in these pages (yes, it really is that long), I’ve covered politics, cycling/transport policy, climate change, air pollution, public health, lorry danger, justice and policing, diversity and inclusion, wellbeing, our obligations to future generations, urban design and quality of life, biodiversity and community resilience, jobs and economics, high street regeneration and much more besides.

However, the task of adding to (or re-exploring) these topics will now be for someone else, because I’ve decided to step down as CEO of LCC. This is therefore my last column so, as is traditional and right in such circumstances, I shall use it to offer some heartfelt thanks.

But first I’ll reflect on this: when I came into post, the best London’s decision-makers and transport authorities could offer to protect people cycling and achieve its potential in London were some strips of blue paint. Just as bad, the cycling advocacy movement was

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split between the ‘vehicularists’ (just get cars off the road or bypass them) and ‘segregationists’ (Dutch-style cycle lanes on main roads). Today, the Mayor, GLA and TfL, many boroughs, senior politicians of all stripes, other cities and national government are all committed to the ‘Go Dutch’ approach, and the movement is united behind it.

The high points It’s consequently not surprising that LCC’s Love London, Go Dutch campaign in 2012 represents a real high point (among many) of my time at LCC. London is most certainly still very far from being the city we want it to be, but all of us together have displayed enormous energy, creativity, endeavour, dedication, solidarity and clarity of purpose to achieve a fabulous amount over the last decade, building on that pivotal success.

Which is why my thank yous start with LCC’s volunteer activists, including those who

“LCC’s campaigning successes are your successes and I pay tribute to you all”

Ashok Sinha Chief Executive of London Cycling Campaign

have served as trustees. You have given your time freely, in sometimes difficult, occasionally hostile, situations to advance our cause. LCC’s campaigning successes are your successes and I pay tribute to you all. I would also like to thank people in other institutions who have lobbied and advocated internally in support of that cause, and played a vital role in helping to effect the changes we have seen on our streets. You know who you are.

Finally, I would like to thank my colleagues in the LCC staff team, past and present. LCC members are blessed to have the most extraordinary, super-committed, talented and lovely bunch of people in your — nay London’s — service. The phrase ‘a pleasure and a privilege’ may be hackneyed, but it’s apposite, because that’s exactly what it’s been to work with them. Plus, an inspiration and an education too.

So goodbye and good luck.

And, whether the reason you support LCC is to tackle the climate emergency, clean up our air, improve public health, civilise our streets, or simply make the roads safe enough for everyone from all areas to experience the joy of cycling, please keep doing so. I certainly shall.

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OPINION

Vintage vibes Joining an organised ride can be a great way to see the city, says Sarah Strong, the more off-beat the better

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E’RE LUCKY in London to have more than our fair share of fun and interesting cycle-related events, from the huge Ride London to various LCC-led local rides (see page 34). We also do ‘quirky’ pretty well too and perhaps none is quirkier than the annual Tweed Run. I’ve marshalled the ride several times now and did so again this spring, and much to my pleasure it’s an event which attracts a very diverse crowd, despite what some folks may imagine. There are those, sure, who are more accomplished at wearing vintage clothing rather than bike riding (especially by the end of the day when a few of the punters may have possibly imbibed one more G&T than is strictly prudent), but it is a wonderful advertisement for leisurely cycling.

You’d be hard pressed to find anyone wearing any technical sports clothing. Some go the whole hog — and look absolutely amazing. I remember marvelling at one woman’s victory rolls, not the sort of thing my hair would ever tolerate. There’s everything from Victorian outfits to modern suits made from Dashing Tweeds fabric (a Marylebone-based company that includes bike-friendly material with reflective thread in

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its repertoire). There’s always a plethora of vintage steel machines, original and reproduction, usually a handful of penny farthings, and I once saw a gent on a hobbyhorse who certainly didn’t work as hard as the lady who took part in her wheelchair a few years ago.

To see and be seen The route is usually between 10 to 15 miles long and inevitably takes in many of the prime sights of central London, often passing Westminster, Buckingham Palace or St Paul’s, and stopping at one of the parks for a mid-morning coffee and then again for lunch. There’s little in the way of gradient, but even small rises, such as the slope from The Mall up St James’s Street might tax the legs of someone riding an old fixed gear.

What I’ve noticed from being one of the guides is that being in an ‘event’ ride, particularly in vintage clobber, the reaction from drivers is generally one of curiosity and tolerance. There’s a chance of looking rather ridiculous if

“On the surface it might seem retro, but under that veneer it feels like a push back”

Sarah Strong is an LCC Trustee and advocate for cycling in mental wellbeing

you’re getting angry at someone waving, smiling, and riding a penny farthing. Passers-by enjoy the spectacle as well; yes, there’s definitely a significant element of ‘being seen’ with an event like this and attendees don’t generally mind if they are stopped for photos by intrigued and bemused tourists.

The whole day is great fun, though I’ve never taken part as a ‘customer’ as such. Most of the joy for me is meeting up annually with an eclectic group of cyclists and going on recce rides, during which we fine-tune the route, risk assess junctions, and generally focus on getting 1,000 people on bikes around central London in one piece to enjoy a bit of a party at the end. And it’s definitely best when it doesn’t rain — those attending about a decade back still recall the very, ahem, particular damp Tweed odour in the pub that night.

As with the recent LCC Women’s Freedom Ride across town, you absolutely feel the security of riding with a large number of other people. You can take up the space and own the road. On the surface it might seem very retro, but under that veneer it feels like a push back against the rush, the speed, and the impatience of the everyday traffic.

For me, that’s not such a bad thing.

Why not give it a go next year?

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OPINION

City of change The Square Mile has grasped the bull by its horns, says Carlton Reid, and now leads on active travel progress THE LIKELIHOOD that your average skateboarder is going to read our transport strategy is pretty slim,” joked one member of the City of London Corporation’s streets and walkways sub-committee meeting on 23 May. This is unfair to skateboarders, plenty of whom know the law backward and can often run (or skate?) rings around enforcement officers seeking to move them on.

Nevertheless, it’s true that most citizens don’t pay much attention to local authority transport strategies.

Until the bollards go in — and overnight many motorists suddenly become transport policy experts and staunch disability rights advocates. No bollards, no interest.

A week after the meeting, just 78 people had watched its YouTubearchived livestream where, among many mundane matters, it was clear that the committee members agreed that the current transport strategy should be revised. It will therefore go further on protecting, enabling and encouraging active forms of transport.

Committee members were invited to “note and discuss” the proposals from the City’s officers, and they did so. Some raised concerns, but these won’t derail the revised transport strategy,

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which is backed up with firm data and bolstered with hard-hitting background reports. A few (rightleaning) aldermen would like to saturate the City with cars again, but they’re in the minority and likely to remain so.

More changes ahead For all the arguments about the Corporation being an unaccountable medieval relic working beyond the authority of parliament, the authority in charge of the Square Mile has become phenomenally progressive over the last few years, on transport at least.

(Full disclosure: I am a freeman of the City of London). If you’ve trodden the bustling pavements or cycled its streets since the pandemic, you will have seen the changes already wrought.

Now the Corporation’s revised strategy seeks to reduce the number of motor vehicles in the City even further. When designing and managing its streets, the Corporation puts the needs of

“Our definition of essential... is walking, cycling, buses, freight and servicing trips”

Carlton Reid is a book author and leading transport journalist

people walking first. A statement in the document accepts that “delivering priority for people walking may result in delays or reduced capacity for other street users”. People come before cars, reaffirms the updated strategy, which will be published next year.

“Our definition of essential traffic,” it continues, “is walking, cycling, buses, freight and servicing trips with a destination in the City, and private and shared vehicles used by people with particular access needs.”

The City of London Corporation will be working with Transport for London (TfL) on an updated version of London’s congestion charge too, which will be designed to reduce motor traffic.

“Motor traffic reduction remains key,” states the City’s proposed strategy, adding that it plans to “improve the experience of riding cycles and scooters in the City.”

Great news as cyclists are the “single largest vehicular mode counted during peak times on City streets,” said a March report to the Corporation’s transportation committee. At peak times, people cycling represent 40% of road traffic in the City and 27% throughout the day.

Sure, the Square Mile is an outlier, but, wow, what an outlier!

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With so many great charity challenges, sportives and local guided rides every weekend throughout summer, Toby Zeidler suggests six not to miss

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EVENTS

ESSENTIAL SUMMER RIDES DUNWICH DYNAMO because some of the more extreme participants are on their way back to London (riding up to 400km in total).

Most of us mere mortals will stop at the beach for a much-needed breakfast, swim and a bus ride home.

Transport back to London is organised

by Southwark Cyclists, LCC’s local group in the borough. Advance tickets are sold to transport you and your bike home, and any excess cash goes to LCC to support safer cycling across London.

If you’ve never taken on a major cycling challenge well out of your comfort zone before, this is the one for you. It’s flat(ish), it’s friendly and the rewards are unparalleled. Just remember those spare lights! n Date: Saturday 1 July n southwarkcyclists.org.uk

Photos: James Medcraft, Thomas Woods

The Dunwich Dynamo or ‘Dun Run’ is a semi-legendary pilgrimage to the sea, starting at London Fields and ending at Dunwich beach on the Suffolk coast.

Started in the early 90s as an informal ride, today it’s described as ‘semi-organised’, a self-supported 200km challenge made all the more interesting by its one big twist. This is a night ride — starting from 8pm and

riding through the night aiming for sunrise at Dunwich.

While this may sound like an idea brewed up by a gang of masochistic road racers, it’s actually a ride more commonly taken on by the enthusiastic but casual amateur. Road bikes, hybrids, Dutch bikes, and everything in between, will be seen along the route. There’s usually a tandem or two, and some riders have even done it on Santander hire bikes.

There’s no set route and the guidance is not to assume anyone else knows where they’re going. What you’re sure to see is a glorious trail of red from the rear lights snaking ahead of you. Towards the end of the ride, you may start seeing riders flashing past you in the opposite direction and that’s

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CAMPAIGN

WHEN WREN RIDE Sir Christopher Wren remains one of the most renowned English architects in history, best known for the reconstruction of St Paul’s Cathedral.

2023 marks 300 years since his death, making this When Wren Ride that bit more special.

This is an all-abilities ride taking on 42km (26 miles) across London, visiting some of Wren’s greatest masterpieces along a stunningly green and mostly traffic-free route.

Starting at Hampton Court Palace, you’ll weave through Kingston, before passing through Richmond Park where

— thanks to the protected sightline created in 1710 — you can see directly across the city to St Paul’s. The route follows the Tamsin Trail to Roehampton Gate before next passing through Barnes Common.

Once at Putney, you’ll join the river and keep to its banks for much of the ride and you’ll be treated by a sudden flurry of Wrens as you pass through the City. The cobbled streets of Wapping take you back along the river, before passing through the dramatic juxtaposition of Canary Wharf. Cream teas await at the Old Royal Navy College

in Greenwich where the ride ends.

The only requirement for this ride, beyond having a functioning bike, is a love for history. You may have seen many of the buildings along the route before, but you’ll see them in a whole new light guided by regular London Cyclist contributor Charlie Codrington.

The ride is expected to take more than two hours — some older children or kids on tag-along cycles could find this an enjoyable exploration too. n Sunday 6 August n eventbrite.co.uk/e/when-wren-ridetickets-623484126807

LONDON TO BRIGHTON (ROAD)

If there was ever a classic sportive for Londoners, this would be it. Close to due south starting from Clapham Common and ending at the sea, this is a ride that can bring great rewards for every rider. It’s long enough to pose a real challenge to new cyclists and short enough to make

the ideal super-fast training day for any seasoned racer.

This is a ride that has its fair share of climbing — it’s far from mountainous, but the North and South Downs do throw up a few inclines, including the iconic Ditchling Beacon at the end of the route.

The Beacon can be a tricky climb to get right: undulating and at points steep, it is easy to set off too quickly and struggle up the final stretches. The rewards, however, don’t disappoint. At the top you’re greeted by a stunning view towards the finish and an epic descent to get you there.

There’s refreshments at the end and Brighton has plenty to offer whether that’s pubs or a quick swim. Extra trains usually run to get you back home.

Team LCC still has a number of fundraising places available for the September event for £20 (that’s 65% cheaper than standard entry) and you’ll get one of our special Team LCC jerseys.

Join us there and you’ll be helping make London safer for cycling, as well as getting the chance to tick off a classic. n Sunday 10 September n lcc.org.uk/events/londonbrighton-2023

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EVENTS

GLAMOUR RIDE If your idea of dressing up for a bike ride doesn’t have to involve Lycra, look no further. Since 2005, the annual Glamour Ride has woven its merry way through London’s streets — it’s a casual leisure ride where the main attraction is the outfits and the experience.

There are only three instructions for participants: bring your most glamorous outfit, your most glamourous bike and your most glamorous attitude. Some dazzling outfits have featured over the years — could you blow everyone away this year with yours?

Starting in Mile End and passing along quiet streets and towpaths towards the City, the ride takes in landmarks like Shadwell Basin, St Paul’s and Tate Modern.

Expect a pace where everyone will be chatting and laughing, with plenty more of the same to follow at the traditional post-ride soirée on the Southbank.

The ride is organised by the Tower Hamlets Wheelers, LCC’s local group in the borough. The group is currently working tirelessly to defend high quality cycling infrastructure in their area that’s under threat from the new administration.

And the Glamour Ride is a real testament to why this fight to defend such safe spaces for cycling are so vital. By enabling people to safely ride their bikes, you not only reduce congestion and fight climate change, but also give people an invaluable means of socialising and relaxing in the great outdoors. Get you glad rags on! n Date TBC (usually early July) n towerhamletswheelers.org.uk

LONDON TO BRIGHTON OFF-ROAD

Photos: John Kitchiner, Tom Bogdanowicz

For the seasoned knobbly-tyred rider, this is an event that needs to be on your bucket list. It’s a longer and significantly more challenging route than the roadies face, starting from Walton-on-Thames in south-west London and ending at Hove Lawns. It covers 120km and there’s 1,295m of ascent to test your mettle.

There are several events to choose

from, the most popular of which is the British Heart Foundation’s September outing — Europe’s biggest charity mountain bike event. There’s also a brilliant night-time option by the same organisers (roughrideguide.co.uk).

Scaling the Surrey Hills and the South Downs, there is no lack of climbing along the way. Expect some technical terrain and, potentially, mud. It’s possible to do these rides on a gravel or cyclocross bike, although the vast majority tackle the course on a mountain bike; there’s plenty of lovely singletrack and dedicated trails, plus a handful of road sections. The best view awaits at the top of Truleigh Hill and your first glimpse of the sea.

There’s something immensely satisfying about riding to the coast, with the Channel on the horizon — and the thought of fish and chips, and a beer, on Hove Lawns is enough to keep anyone pushing through the inevitable fatigue. n Saturday 23 September n bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help

LONDON ORBITAL RIDE

The London Orbital Ride takes many forms, but the ‘official’ ride from Audax UK is a 310km loop around Greater London, with some generous extra space in between you and the M25 for a more scenic and lengthier lap.

There is no set date for this ride; you register and take on the challenge independently, starting anywhere along the loop and ticking off checkpoints or ‘controls’ as you go. There are multiple other routes too, including those that hug closer to the M25 and also an off-road and gravel route.

You might think a lap of Europe’s biggest city would be nothing but traffic jams and smog, but even the route close to the M25 is surprisingly quiet, green and pleasant. The full-length Audax ride takes in some incredible countryside and some stunning climbs through Kent, plus an excellent selection of lanes through Essex and Hertfordshire.

Looping the capital is no mean feat and seeing the entirety of London sat in the middle of your map is guaranteed to put a wide grin on your face... once you’re finished and well fed!

Stronger riders may ride to and from home to their start/ finish point, but this is by no means necessary, you can use a train. The Audax route also passes directly through St Albans and Windsor which are both easy to get to by train from central London. n Any time n audax.uk/event-details/7352

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TIME TO TAKE STOCK

Our new Climate Safe Streets report breaks down the progress made by each borough and the Mayor. Simon Munk looks at the detail...

J

UST OVER a year ago, during the run-up to the local council elections in London, our local groups asked every potential council leader to commit to a series of Climate Safe Streets asks — for delivery on walking, cycling and car-use reduction schemes. Fourteen of those who went on to become council leaders did so, with another two giving qualified statements of

support. Included in the list of those candidates who committed to the asks in their borough was Cllr Adam Hug, then opposition leader and now leader of Westminster Council.

May 2024 is not just one year on from the local elections, it also marks one year to go for Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, before he faces a public election again. Given that, it seemed sensible to see exactly how well our borough

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leaders and Mayor are doing on delivering streets safe for cycling and walking, and a London and boroughs where people can move about safely, healthily and happily without using a motor vehicle. Hence our new report: Climate Safe Streets: One Year On, One Year To Go. Sitting at that point, TfL’s funding is now at least somewhat stabilised and clearer in its deal with the government — and so borough funding for schemes is also clearer. New leaders have got their feet under the table and all leaders should now be at a point when they can assess what they want to do with the next few

years of their council, or what the priorities are.

This is a moment for borough activists to reinforce with council leaders that they did (nearly universally) declare a climate emergency, and that it’s time to act like climate is a crisis (indeed, that we won’t solve the cost of living crisis without reducing our voracious appetite for oil).

Similarly, it’s a moment for LCC to remind the Mayor that while he’s copping a lot of flack for ULEZ expansion right now, if he doesn’t get on with bolder, faster, better delivery, his climate commitment of a ‘net zero’ London by 2030 is looking increasingly untenable. While the boroughs have several years to take more action, he has to get a serious shift on in this last 12 months before the election to lay the groundwork to be nearly at a net zero capital by the end of his potential next and last term.

The full report is downloadable at lcc.org. uk/climate, but what does it say about London and your borough?

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MAYORAL DELIVERY The One Year On, One Year To Go report primarily looks at and uses data from prior to the pandemic to look at long-term trends and then separately looks at more recent delivery against the Climate Safe Streets asks we’ve made of each borough and the Mayor.

Some of that data is really only applicable at a London-wide level — and for that, and Mayoral action over his term so far, there is good news and bad news.

The bad news Sadiq’s commitment to a net zero London by 2030 looks off-track. London’s driven vehicle kilometres (km) figure was going up and up (according to DfT figures) prepandemic. Obviously, motor vehicle use dropped dramatically in the capital during the pandemic, but the 2021 figures show it rapidly recovering. However, even overall, the reduction in km driven in 2020 amounts to a less than 20% cut on the year before. Set that

against Sadiq’s experts who suggest we need to reduce road km driven by 27% by 2030, as well as electrifying a lot of motor vehicles, to reach that net zero goal.

Put another way, we need to reduce road km driven more than we saw during the worst year of the pandemic, on a permanent basis, to fulfil our climate obligations. But instead, we’re seeing car use going back towards prepandemic levels.

The progress on London’s mode share of private motor vehicles compared to other modes is at least not going in the wrong direction (unlike road km driven). Every year, the dial shifts slightly further away from private motor vehicles when it comes to looking at the proportion of journeys made by mode. But whether outer or inner London, private motor vehicle mode share was only dropping just over half a percent a year in the years preceding the pandemic on average.

That rate of progress would need to be significantly increased to get the Mayor to his Transport Strategy target of 20% of journeys done across London by private motor vehicles by 2041. And that target was set before the Mayor’s declaration of a climate crisis and target brought forward a net zero London by 2030. The implied, but never said, reality is we need to turn the dial a lot faster than 20% of journeys done by private motor vehicle by 2041.

But even 2041 isn’t currently on target.

This all is to a backdrop of TfL analysis that suggests a majority of motor vehicle journeys done in London could relatively easily be made by other modes. Most motor vehicle journeys are not ferrying tools, heavy goods or parcels from A to B to C to D; they’re single A to B journeys, with no passengers, light loads, short distances etc. So what can Sadiq do now, fast?

Simply, it’s reduce the amenity of motor vehicle use and massively boost how safe, comfortable, convenient and cheap other modes are.

Bus expansion, with Sadiq’s Superloop routes, is happening — but with limited roadspace and high congestion, bus expansion has a limit. Tube expansion, as the Elizabeth

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Line demonstrates, is not going to arrive quickly or cheaply. And walking already happens for the majority of trips it can easily be done for. So the trick has to be cycling — a mode that is cheap to expand and which can be expanded rapidly.

But for that, Sadiq needs to be willing to switch car lanes for cycle tracks much more boldly and faster than he has done so far. And he’s clearly facing increasing opposition to such an approach from inside TfL. ‘Bus gates’ as found on Stoke Newington Church Street, in the City at Bank and on Bishopsgate, and on more minor roads in Waltham Forest, are a clearly good answer, but one curiously not being picked up by TfL Buses.

So one thing Sadiq should prioritise is ensuring TfL is internally more coherent on

delivering to his Transport Strategy: that teams innovate and work together not against each other, as seems to be currently happening.

The good news The Mayor of London’s commitment to a ‘Vision Zero’ of eliminating serious and fatal collisions from London’s roads by 2041 is broadly on track. This is likely due to the rollout of 20mph zones, active travel schemes and the Met Police’s increasing speed enforcement (the Met is due to enforce one million speeding offences annually by 2024).

But we’re still worried on road safety rollout of much safer junction designs. Sadiq and TfL really need to get to grips with both temporary and trial changes at such locations, and finding other ways to deliver cheap changes if he is to increase the rate he is tackling the most dangerous junctions in London.

LCC’s overall recommendations from the report are that the Mayor must accelerate his programme, particularly ensuring ULEZ expansion set for August is not delayed or weakened, get bolder on the schemes and roads he has direct powers over, and solve the current siloed working inside TfL in favour of schemes that deliver for buses and active travel.

Boroughs taking action There is a clear gulf now in trajectory and action emerging between the boroughs taking action and those not, and broadly, it is more LONDON CYCLIST Summer 2023 23

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common for inner London boroughs to be taking action than outer, although there are exceptions in both directions.

The four boroughs taking most action to deliver Climate Safe Streets, and furthest along on delivery against their asks, are: Hackney, Camden, Waltham Forest and Lambeth.

Hackney has long led on delivery on reducing motor vehicle use — between 2010 and 2019, the mode share of private motor vehicle use in the borough dropped by 37% — the highest fall among London boroughs. And that delivery accelerated at the start of the pandemic.

It’s also worth noting Waltham Forest’s levels of delivery on active travel are particularly high for outer London, in part due to its ‘mini-Holland’ funding, an approach now being rolled out at a national level. It saw the proportion of journeys done by motor vehicles drop by 19% in the decade pre-pandemic, with much of the shift coming after the point the first mini-Holland schemes went in.

Boroughs failing to deliver Four boroughs are failing to deliver any real Climate Safe Streets for residents in their boroughs. At the bottom of the table of mode shift away from private motor vehicles prepandemic are: Tower Hamlets, Bromley, Hillingdon and Bexley.

Tower Hamlets is the only London borough where a higher proportion of journeys were being made using private motor vehicles before the pandemic than a decade ago (mode share rose by over 4%). The inner London borough has very low levels of car ownership, but did nothing to constrain car use prepandemic. And since the local elections, Tower Hamlets has elected a Mayor on a manifesto of ‘reopening roads’ by removing active travel and car restriction schemes.

So far, campaigners in Tower Hamlets have been working really hard, with support for our local group from LCC, alongside supportive interventions by the Mayor, Will Norman (the Walking & Cycling Commissioner), TfL, NHS experts on public health and even heads of local schools, to persuade returning Mayor Rahman to steer a course away from actively encouraging more car use and removing schemes that were enabling communities to walk and cycle more.

But we wait to see if Climate Safe Streets are something Rahman and his Aspire Party want to deliver or destroy.

The ‘mixed bag’ boroughs Twelve further boroughs are significantly behind on delivering schemes asked for by our Climate Safe Streets campaign (beyond the already-named bottom four). Of these, the LONDON CYCLIST Summer 2023 25

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London Cycling Campaign | Climate Safe Streets – One Year On, One Year To Go

London Cycling Campaign | Climate Safe Streets – One Year On, One

HISTORIC MODE SHARE SHIFT PRIVATE MOTOR VEHICLE MODE % CHANGE FROM 2010-14 TO 2016-2020 HACKNEY KENSINGTON & CHELSEA CAMDEN BRENT WALTHAM FOREST WANDSWORTH BARNET GREENWICH HOUNSLOW NEWHAM MERTON HAVERING HARROW WESTMINSTER KINGSTON UPON THAMES BARKING & DAGENHAM ISLINGTON LAMBETH INNER LONDON AVERAGE HAMMERSMITH & FULHAM SUTTON GREATER LONDON AVERAGE HARINGEY LEWISHAM EALING OUTER LONDON AVERAGE ENFIELD RICHMOND UPON THAMES BEXLEY HILLINGDON CROYDON BROMLEY REDBRIDGE SOUTHWARK TOWER HAMLETS

-40

-35

-30

-25

Inner London Boroughs

-20

-15

-10

Outer London Boroughs

-5

0

+5

Averages by area of London

The report doesn’t just track recent delivery on schemes but shows historic mode shift away from private motor vehicle use across the decade leading up to the Covid pandemic. During this period, inner London boroughs on average saw private motor vehicle journeys (as a proportion of all journeys) drop more than 10%, and outer London boroughs nearly 8%. Yet the scale of difference is huge — Hackney saw that proportion drop nearly 40%, while in Tower Hamlets (also in inner London) private motor vehicle use as a proportion of all journeys went up 4% — the only London borough to see a rise.

A few strange standouts are Kensington & Chelsea and Brent, both of which saw significant drops in the proportion of private motor traffic on their roads (nearly 24% and 20% respectively) despite their poor record on scheme delivery. Just imagine what these boroughs would be like if their leaders actually started delivering on active travel and motor vehicle use reductions? n View the report at lcc.org.uk/climate.

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leaders of both Greenwich and Kingston upon Thames councils both made full commitments There are asks also a few interesting boroughs have recently changed party to the campaign prior to the localthat council colour. Westminster and Barnet switching from blue to red seems to mean elections, but currently toarguably deliver more are forward progress, butfailing the same is true for Croydon, now delivering schemes having switched& from red to blue. on those commitments.

Barking Dagenham, Barnet, Brent, Croydon, Ealing, Hammersmith Below the boroughs delivering middling schemes at a middling pace are far too many boroughs essentially doing little to nothing while the planet burns & Fulham,and Harrow, Kensington & Chelsea, the collisions keep mounting up year after year. And below them still, realSutton villains of this Redbridgethe and arepiece. all significantly failing to deliver on Climate SafeoutStreets Kensington & Chelsea has ripped the only cycle track ever installed in the borough while individual councillors have undermined and attacked TfL schemes, but also failed to commit fully to our junctions schemes designed to save lives. Tower Hamlets has elected a Mayor on a— manifesto of opening to morecouncils motor traffic in a climate crisis. groups’ asks although allroads of these And Ealing and Harrow have both ripped out copious numbers of schemes have declared a climate on flimsy pretexts andemergency. then sat back to do next to nothing so far. Harrow have even joined Bexley, Bromley and Hillingdon (and Surrey County Council) in LCC’s report provides specific going so far as to sue the Mayor of London over his plans to expand the ULEZ scheme. Unsurprisingly, these four are some the least active on delivering recommendations to the leadership for ofeach change on issues around car use, climate and pollution (even to the extent London borough toout help get on track they’ve rolled somethem of the lowest numbers of on-street electric car charging points in London, as charity Possible reducing road transport emissions, and has pointed out). stressing their climate emergency declarations This exposes not only a Climate Safe Streets postcode lottery – with the and experience of people walking, cycling and wheeling in Waltham (in Londonemissions only Bexley and Bromley appear to Forest increasingly different from those doing so in Harrow, Tower Hamlets or Ealing, but more, the gaps in the Mayor of London’s power – if boroughs like have not declared an ‘emergency’).

Kensington & Chelsea and Harrow can thumb their nose at Sadiq, what chance Londonhis must beZero a postcode lottery for targetsnot on Net and Vision Zero? climate action or safe cycling and walking. We Regardless, if any council or Mayoral targets are to become a reality, this report is clear that we need a lot more Hackneys,Climate Camdens and Waltham Forests and need a lot more boroughs delivering that means Brent, Greenwich and Richmond really getting their skates on in Safe Streets Hackney and Waltham Forest thelike next three years. And it means those boroughs currently proposing to actions over ULEZ or sitting back and quietly delivering and fewer,launch like expensive Tower legal Hamlets and Bromley, nothing on climate emissions must now move in accord with the Mayor, the evidence and We have three years for every London council to really failing to deliver as London. our new report shows. start delivering. The clock is ticking.

Every London council and the Mayor must deliver more streets fit for cycling, walking and children playing — and faster — if we’re to help London escape the grip of car dependency and the cost of living crisis. Our new ‘One Year On, One Year To Go’ report highlights what needs to be done, for future generations, and to make London now a better city today.

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INTERVIEW

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TODD BUCHHOLZ Cycling legend Gino Bartali’s secret wartime past is a curious choice for a West End musical, but its co-writer believes it’s a story well worth hearing With apologies for being highly predictable — we’re confident this is always the first thing people ask you about Glory Ride — but as only the most ardent road cycling fans have likely heard of your protagonist, our kick-off has to be: why Bartali?

the only character who sings. His wife Adriana belts a powerful number called ‘Promises’, and actress Amy Di Bartolomeo shakes the rafters of the Charing Cross Theatre. Cardinal Dalla Costa (Niall Sheehy) wrestles achingly with his conscience in ‘800 Souls’. Your readers can listen to these songs online (see website) or, even better, come to the theatre.

During the 1930s, Gino Bartali was the most famous man in Italy after Mussolini. He’s still famous today. But Glory Ride isn’t really about winning the Tour de France twice and the Giro d’Italia three times. Sure, those races showed physical strength and mental toughness, but Glory Ride tells the story of Gino’s courage and character, the grit that really counts. Only after his death in 2000 did people discover that this man that they knew only through racing had saved hundreds of persecuted people, using his bicycle.

To help readers understand the leap made here, we should probably explain that you’ve spent most of your working life writing, speaking and consulting on economic and political affairs, having served as Director of Economic Policy in the George Bush Snr administration — so how, or why, did you make that jump to writing for theatre?

I can’t deny that it’s a leap. While the famous economist John Maynard Keynes counted box office receipts for the Cambridge Arts Theatre, he didn’t dare write a musical for it! I’ve spent a good part of my life telling stories. When I served the President, I needed to explain economic ideas in memorable ways, so that he could persuade the public and convince other politicians to come to his side. I’ve written a number of books, some of which include biographical stories, and also a novel about a boxer and a megalomaniac hedge fund chief (The Castro Gene). I guess I’m drawn to stories about athletes who are forced to take action outside the ring, beyond the playing field.

Which then prompts the obvious second question — why a musical?

You co-wrote Glory Ride with your daughter, Victoria — how did you divide the research and writing duties, and bring it all together? And where did you find the majority of the source material?

Photos: Marc Brenner

My daughter Victoria discovered the story for us. She was travelling in Tuscany, near Gino’s home, and read a few sentences in a guidebook. She called to tell

Interview: John Kitchiner

When people think of Italy, they often picture great music, passionate families and amazing food. Glory Ride is an emotional journey. Sometimes dialogue can’t adequately express fear, heartbreak or jubilation. Also, when Gino, played unforgettably by Josh St Clair, rides through the hills, he’s alone. There’s no-one to talk to in the mountains, except for God. But he can sing and the rhythm of the music helps reflect the pace of his rides. Gino’s not

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me this amazing story and then immediately began composing music. By the time she returned to our home in California, songs like ‘Glory’ and ‘Point of No Return’ were down on paper. We then started writing the script together and mapping out more music.

Sometimes we sat in a room together and literally wrote every line for a particular scene, other times we went off separately, each taking a shot. We’ve been working on this for years, and I still remember exactly where I was sitting when I wrote a certain line or when she came up with a lyric.

The source materials came from articles, vintage films, interviews, documentaries and books. We’ve travelled to Tuscany many times. We started learning Italian, and though neither would claim fluency we can order tasty meals at Florentine restaurants.

As you mentioned, Bartali won the Le Tour twice, the Giro three times, plus numerous classics and multi-stage races, but the aspects of his life you focus on, the war years, remained pretty much unknown until he died.

Did that hinder your research?

You’re right, Gino’s heroism was largely unknown. He never told anyone what he did and that’s what makes him so fascinating and honorable. He could have sat out the war, he could have accepted ribbons from Mussolini.

But instead he risked his life and his family’s by helping children to get away from the fascists and even hiding a Jewish family in his home.

Compare Gino’s quiet courage to so many people today who post on Instagram every single thing they do: if they cut into a chicken pot pie, they post it. As Gino said, some medals hang not on your jacket, but on your soul.

Wartime heroism: Josh St Clair as Bartali (yellow jersey), with the cast of Glory Ride

Cycling has been the subject of half-adozen stage productions in the UK over the last decade — with Maxine Peake’s Beryl our pick of the bunch — but no musicals of note. Were you worried that the drama at the core of Bartali’s story might be compromised or diminished by the addition of song?

We felt that adding songs would add passion and help the audience feel in their bones the danger and the stakes.

Also songs stay with you in a way that dialogue does not. In Glory Ride, one of the lead characters Giorgio Nico (Daniel Robinson, with Loris Scarpa), sings ‘They Can Call Me Silent’. It’s a song about quiet courage and some audience members tell us they get choked up and that it stays with them after they leave the theatre. There’s a lyric in the song about being an unassuming underdog: “They jeer and tease, but in my quiet corner I’m Hercules.” And music helps keep the pace of a show; a ballad where two lovers gaze into each other’s eyes obviously feels different from a militaristic march.

As Gino (Bartali) said, some medals hang not on your jacket, but on your soul

A few years back cycling writer Herbie Sykes said that Bartali [with compatriot Fausto Coppi] were potent figures because cycling was so popular and “because they stood up at

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Love and romance: Josh St Clair as Bartali, with Amy di Bartolomeo as Adriana

a time of great hardship, a time when Italians needed heroes”. And he believed that’s why there’s so much symbolism associated with them. Was that something you were aware of early on and keen to convey?

We learned how symbolic Gino and Coppi were for sportsmanship. There’s a classic photo of the two of them racing down a mountain, competing against each other, looking exhausted. But in the photo they hand a single bottle of water between each other. Some of my Italian friends think it’s one of the most poignant photos in the history of sport. In Gino’s case, he turned into a potent political symbol too. In 1948 Italy’s government was collapsing, one prominent leader was assassinated and the country was on the cusp of civil war. Gino started that year’s Tour de France badly and many commentators called on him to quit. But the prime minister called Gino and urged him to go on, to win so that Italians had one good thing to rally behind. Sure enough he won, uniting Italy and helping to prevent civil war. Again, Gino did not seek to play a political role, but when the challenge was thrust upon him, he pedalled harder.

A friend likened the comedic elements and your treatment of a serious subject like fascism to the way it’s handled in Taika Waititi’s film Jojo Rabbit, but that was produced many years after you wrote Glory Ride — did you have inspirations, writers or performers, that guided or shaped the way you pitched the tone?

The comedy comes because it’s really a story about a heist, about fooling the fascists. It’s about unlikely characters who had nothing in common — a world champion athlete, a Catholic cardinal, an accountant and a painter. They could have lived their lives without ever speaking to one another or understanding one

another. And yet now they have to figure out how to pull off one of the greatest cons of World War II.

Was there anything you felt was too sensitive to include? Or anything that you wished you’d been able to include but didn’t make the final cut?

Audience members have asked if we could add more scenes about the Giro, or plumb deeper into Gino’s relationship with his father. Of course, we’d love to tell you even more, but it would take more time. So please call Hollywood producers and demand we write a 12-hour miniseries!

We understand that several cast members are not only Italian but also cyclists — was that the original intention or merely fortuitous, and did that help bring nuance to the performance?

Over one-third of our cast is Italian, and, of course, they bring not just a sense of authenticity, but during rehearsals they shared their family histories. I think the audience can feel both the joy and the anguish that come when Italian cast members act out scenes that their grandparents and great-grandparents may have lived through. And because Italy has so many regions and dialects, we all learned about the diversity within the country.

We have quite a few cyclists in the cast; some ride an hour to get to and from the show every day. Niall Sheehy has perfected a talent for gracefully swapping his sleek biking gear for a cardinal’s long, scarlet robe. Loris Scarpa, who plays Lorenzo and comes from Sardinia, rides a bike and plays the mandolin. Now that’s authenticity! n Glory Ride is playing at the Charing Cross Theatre until 29 July. Mon-Sat at 7.30pm, with matinees Thurs and Sat at 2.30pm. London Cyclist readers can get 10% off tickets using code ‘GRCMAG’ at gloryridemusical.com.

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

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I

With trips on the National Cycle Network contributing £2.5 billion to local economies through leisure and tourism each year, Tom Bogdanowicz explores the numbers may remember that when LCC launched its Love London Go Dutch campaign back in 2012 we chose to visually illustrate those iconic routes in order to show how London could be transformed and that struck a chord with decisionmakers. Today, the wide lanes in key locations make an instant impression on tourists and push them to that other key factor behind cycle tourism growth: shared hire bikes. In central and much of inner London at least, there is an abundance of bikes that you can easily hire with a bank card, whether it’s the Santander variety or the colourful Lime, Dott, Tier and Human Forest electric hire e-bikes and e-scooters.

The numbers It’s not just observation that shows the tourism-cycling connection.

The government says that in

2020 leisure cycling in England increased by 75%. If you look more closely at the TfL data on cycle use you’ll spot that the number of weekend bike trips has soared since the pandemic by up to 210% and shows few signs of declining.

We can’t tell what proportion of those extra trips are by Londoners on leisure trips or out-of-town tourists, but it’s obviously not cycle commuters (whose numbers fell during the pandemic before recovering after lockdown).

A statistic that reveals more about tourists on bikes is the use of the Santander hire bikes in central and inner London: that, according to TfL, increased by up to 220% on weekends in 2021 (approximately 40% of users are ‘casual’, ie non-members who use a credit card for hire) and 2022 was a record year for Santander bikes.

Lime, an LCC strategic partner

Photos: Tom Bogdanowicz

F YOU CYCLE through central London regularly you might have noticed the ever-growing numbers of tourists trying out two-wheeled sightseeing. This isn’t really surprising: cycling enthusiasts have long known that the best, and most efficient, way to see a large city like London is by bike. The recent LCC-led Women’s Freedom Ride took two hours, at a slow pace catering for children, penny farthings and pets, yet it was able to cover almost all the top London landmarks.

What’s changed radically in the past decade is that wide, protected cycle lanes have been built in exactly the places that tourists want to go: Tower of London, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, London Eye, Kensington Palace, Regent’s Park, Hyde Park, Olympic park, and more. Longstanding readers of London Cyclist

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like the Tour of Britain and Tour de France bring in money to the cities that host them: a TfL report estimated that the Tour de France generated £73m directly in the capital when it came to London in 2007, and a further £15m in Kent, plus £35m in publicity. The 2012 Olympics Games generated an estimated £14bn. and leading dockless e-bike and e-scooter operator, says trips on its e-bikes increased by 106% in 2021 to a record 2.4 million (and in April 2023 they recorded a 170% increase in new users). The firm attributes some of that growth to new cycle lanes. It said: “Improved infrastructure contributed directly to the increased popularity of Lime’s rental e-bikes, as Camden Council experienced a significant rise in the use of Lime’s e-bikes in 2021 following the launch of several cycle improvement schemes.”

Increased book sales too indicate that cycle tourism in the capital is surging. Cycling London (written by the author of this article with help from LCC members), maps and illustrates three dozen popular tourist and leisure routes in the capital. Demand for the fourth edition grew significantly during the pandemic. The book included two new tourist-oriented rides

which pass most of London’s icons and follow, almost exclusively, the new cycle infrastructure in the capital. A decade ago the popular Local Cycling Guide maps, created

by LCC and expanded by TfL to 14 separate maps, showed the potential of leisure cycling. More than two million were distributed, with those that covered the tourist routes in central London proving by far the most popular.

Economic benefits Tourism is a well-known money spinner. Visit Britain estimated that tourism was worth £33bn to London in 2019. Sustrans, which is behind the National Cycle Network (NCN), says that trips on the NCN “generate around £88 million for the UK economy through reduced road congestion and contribute £2.5 billion to local economies through leisure and tourism each year.” Tourist-oriented events

Guided rides While shared hire bikes and marked routes, like those along the Embankment, make independent cycle tourism a lot easier today, guided rides are still popular.

Thousands of positive Trustpilot reviews of the capital’s bicycle tour company trips indicate that their customers like the active travel format of enjoying London.

The significant growth in cycle trips, especially on weekends, has not, however, yet translated into income for the cycle tour operators who are still recovering from the slowdown in all tourism during the pandemic. The leading operator, the London Bike Tour Company, established for more than 30 years at Waterloo, was pleased to have 100 riders booked on the day we spoke, but says that post-Brexit, school groups have fallen in number, as visitors now have to

THE ULTIMATE TOURIST TRAIL >>>

Start: Tower of London & Tower Bridge

St Paul’s Cathedral

London Eye

Big Ben/Houses of Parliament

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CAMPAIGN

have passports rather than ID cards, and tour guides are harder to recruit because there’s far fewer students from Europe, who often took the jobs. The growth of online booking also eats in to operator income because of the large commissions involved.

Visit London, London’s primary tourism agency, says it “promotes cycle tourism heavily” and its website has several pages devoted to cycling, though they are not regularly updated. Both LCC and TfL promote the LCC member-inspired Freecycle/Ride London which attracts more than 50,000 riders to the annual event, bringing some 30 LCC-led rides into central London to enjoy a circular route of tourist hotspots.

Nonetheless TfL says: “We haven’t done paid marketing activity that specifically targets tourists for Santander Cycles.” Which could be a missed opportunity. Serco, which runs the Santander scheme, recently told UK local authorities that “peak season tourists can make a significant contribution to funding” (of cycle hire schemes).

London Planner The mass circulation (100k per month) ad-funded, free tourist guide called London Planner, has

Nelson’s column

ample information about pretty much everything aside from cycling. It currently allocates just 15 words to cycling — a link to Santander Cycle hire — and has no map of central cycle routes. The publisher has told London Cyclist that this oversight will be rectified; we’ll look out for the June issue.

Others may not have the media reach of TfL or London Planner, but are willing to plug the gap.

LCC routinely publishes enticing rides in this magazine, and on the website, and there are numerous books from Sustrans, and authors like Jack Thurston, about routes near the capital. When the Tour of Britain came to London in 2018, British Cycling promoted a joint riverboat/Santander Cycles ticket that enabled riders to see attractions from water and land, along with suggested bike routes.

LCC local groups have always run free guided rides open to all

Buckingham Palace

Hyde Park Corner & Wellington Arch

and readers will be pleased to hear that the popular ride directory on the LCC website has been resurrected (see links below) and is currently being re-populated with trip suggestions.

And finally there’s all of us — taking relatives for a cycle trip across London to see the sights can now be a pleasure not a challenge.

We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

USEFUL TOURISM LINKS BOOKS n Cycling London (4th edition) by Tom Bogdanowicz n Lost Lanes (Southern England) by Jack Thurston (routes in and around London VIDEOS n @londoncycleroutes on YouTube by Jon Stone ONLINE MAPPING n cyclescape.com (cyclist sourced) n komoot.com (cyclist sourced) n TfL Journey Planner n Routes ideas from LCC members (lcc.org.uk/routes) FREE GUIDED RIDES n General: lcc.org.uk/events-calendar n LCC local group rides: lcc.org.uk/ groups/lcc-local-groups (follow local group links to find ride calendars) LINK TO ‘ULTIMATE TOURIST TRAIL’ (ILLUSTRATED BELOW) n komoot.com/tour/1155678568

Serpentine Lake Finish: Kensington Palace

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WHAT YOU SHOULD DO AT THE SCENE OF A COLLISION

01 Get out of danger

02

Ring 999

03

Exchange details with the other party

04

Take pictures

05

Find witnesses and get their details

“Following a cycling incident, I contacted Osbornes Law. I was delighted with the care they showed, including their assistance with ancillary services such as physiotherapy.

I highly recommend this firm.”

06

Check for local CCTV

07

Get legal advice Osbornes Law is a trading style of Osbornes Solicitors LLP. We are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

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“Osbornes Law dealt with my cycling injury claim quickly, effectively and professionally. The support, contact and communication was excellent throughout.

I would highly recommend.”

Proud to be the legal partner of the LCC and their members We operate a free telephone advice line for LCC members who have been involved in a cycling crash or collision.

Our lawyers will advise you of your legal rights, the legal process and whether a legal claim can be brought.

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‘MOVING ON WITH MY LIFE’ One benefit of joining LCC is the support and advice you will receive from our legal partner, Osbornes Law, should you ever need it

I

The case was not straight forward, however, as the driver of the car claimed the lorry had crashed into him causing a concertina collision. To combat this claim, Andrew Middlehurst, a specialist cycling lawyer at Osbornes, obtained camera footage from a second cyclist which showed the car undertaking the lorry just prior to the collision. This evidence proved key in negotiations with the driver’s insurance company, during which it was made clear that any denial of liability on their part would be robustly argued.

Bringing a claim This is a reminder to always take pictures (if possible) of the collision scene and take down the details of any witnesses. With many cyclists recording their journeys with headcams, such footage is not as rare as it might at first seem and can assist your lawyer in establishing liability.

Image: BigStock

N RECENT MONTHS, Osbornes helped a cyclist who was in a crash, which involved both a lorry and a car. He was riding across a junction when a sports car undertook a lorry travelling behind him and collided with the rear of his bike; the force of the impact threw him to the ground, and he sustained a brain injury in addition to serious fractures to his face, collarbone, and skull.

After seeking the initial medical attention, the individual’s thoughts turned to finding a lawyer. He said: “The old saying that ‘it will never happen to me’, was certainly true in my case. I had been cycling in London for years and was incidentfree. After the initial shock of what has happened, I knew that I needed a lawyer and chose Osbornes because of the relationship with LCC and online reviews. The real deal-breaker was speaking to them and the confidence they instilled that they would be able to help.”

When bringing a legal claim, many of us think of the financial award or ‘compensation’, however the role of your lawyer is to also ensure that the injured party receives the best medical care, and that the financial settlement takes into account any on-going medical needs. This is why some cases can take years to settle and interim payments are made.

In this case, where there was a brain injury, extra care needed to be taken as the lasting consequences of a brain injury may not immediately present themselves. To better understand the long-term impact of the injuries sustained, Osbornes arranged for the cyclist to be examined by several medical experts to investigate the medium to long-term impacts of the injuries he had sustained. The result of instructing these medical experts and counsel was that Andrew was able to reach a settlement with the insurers of £50,000.

The cyclist said: “The work that Andrew and his team undertook of course ended up with a financial package, but gave me peace of mind to know that medically I was looked after, and this has allowed me to move on with my life.”

Osbornes Law has been the legal partner of LCC since 2014.

To contact its cycling team go to osborneslaw.com or call 020 3944 1334 040_osbornes.FINAL.indd 40

09/06/2023 15:49

ADVERTISING FEATURE

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OOKING FOR A reliable and efficient way to protect your bikes at home? Then the awardwinning Protect A Cycle (PAC) stores should be at the top of your tick list. Rigorously tested by the Loss Prevention Certification Board in August 2022, these metal stores have been proven to cope with the evolving tools and methods used by bicycle thieves.

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08/06/2023 19:53

OF

THE

FUTURE FREIGHT Stewart Dring looks at how cargobikes are finally becoming the first choice for organisations seeking cleaner, greener transport

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ARGOBIKES AND e-cargobikes are becoming an increasingly common sight in London and cities across the world, and here at LCC we have long promoted them as an alternative to vans and trucks. Alongside being a useful delivery tool for business, they offer so many positives. For delivery staff there’s the health benefits of cycling: better physical health, wellbeing and connection

to the neighbourhoods they work in. Plus cargobikes are better for road safety as they present a lower risk to people walking and cycling than motorised transport.

They are also an important tool in decarbonisation and improving air quality. Reducing emissions from freight is essential if London’s roads are to be zero carbon by 2030.

Transport for London states that 90% of all goods in London are moved around by road and that road freight is a major source of nitrogen dioxide emissions. Any reduction in this improves air quality and the health of Londoners.

E5 Bakehouse in Hackney was one of the pioneers in using cargobikes some 10 years ago. They invested in their own bikes so they could take advantage of the borough’s cycling infrastructure and didn’t need to worry about parking for drop-offs and pickups. And that was before they mostly became electric.

But if cargobikes sound brilliant, why don’t we see even more of them? Well hopefully that’s about to change. There have been huge advances in battery and motor technology recently, and a whole new range of e-cargobikes coming onto the market. And with more customers wanting to choose greener options for delivery, businesses are being encouraged far more to adopt low carbon options.

The slow change can be seen in real life too. If you stand by a busy junction in zone one you’ll see an array of different bikes carrying goods — hot food and groceries delivered by food delivery riders, PedalMe cargobikes carrying everything from flowers to

IN THE CITY

“The City of London has ambitious plans to shift freight out of large vehicles onto cargobikes to help improve road safety and air quality. Its 2019 Transport Strategy commits to “enable more deliveries within the Square Mile to be made by cargo cycles, on foot and by small electric vehicles”, as part of its proposal to “reduce the number of motorised freight vehicles in the Square Mile by 15% by 2030 and by 30% by 2044”.

“The City was one of the first local authorities in London to approve a last-mile logistics hub using e-cargobikes in 2020. The Amazon hub is now located just outside the City in Hackney, but it is no doubt helping to reduce vehicle journeys in the Square Mile. The original ambition for this hub was to replace 85 vehicle journeys a day, or 23,000 per year.

“Another tactic for reducing lorries and vans is consolidation centres: a number of different suppliers deliver goods to one centre, rather than each delivering to individual addresses. Fewer vehicles are then needed for the last mile of delivery. This is also written into the City Transport Strategy, for instance mandating the use of consolidation centres in planning consents, including for 22 Bishopgate.

“In March LCC staff attended the National Cargobike Summit, hosted by the City of London at Guildhall, to coincide with the launch of TfL’s Cargobike Action Plan.”

Clare Rogers is LCC’s campaigner for the City of London LONDON CYCLIST Summer 2023 43

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Photos: Zedify, Babboe, Beryl, Amazon

THE VIEW FROM BA

“The future of freight is low carbon, maybe even zero emissions. That means the role of the bicycle is intrinsic to the future of freight movements across our towns, cities and rural areas too. So, the Bicycle Association is backing the cargobike strategy announced by TfL. It is wholly supportive of the moves by the City of London to make it harder for vans to be used across the Square Mile.

“We are really pleased to see organisations like Lipton Rogers embrace the concept of consolidation hubs, not just in 22 Bishopsgate but in future developments like Blackfriars, and it is brilliant to see developers like British Land seeking to redevelop car parks into consolidation hubs. Bikes, particularly cargobikes are key to this transition.

It’s our job to share best practice and join the dots between manufacturers, suppliers, shops and maintenance of bikes and cargobike operators. We also need to educate building managers, commercial real estate agents and occupiers that cargobikes have a role to play in connecting spaces.

“Right now, our focus is to professionalise the cargobike logistics sector, enabling operators, riders, other road users, the public, employers and respective stakeholders to trust and support the use of cargobikes as a safe, compliant and sustainable tool for use in logistics and transport. If we can do that, then doors to receptions and loading bays will open and cargobikes will be key to the movement of freight services.”

Andrew Brown, Bicycle Association

empty beer kegs, and even recycling being collected on the streets of Southwark.

The City of London is one of the local authorities at the forefront of encouraging business cargobike use and it is easy to see how they could further reduce traffic in the Square Mile.

What about TfL? The Mayor and Transport for London are getting in on the act too, recently launching London’s first ‘Cargo Bike Action Plan’. They want to promote and enable the growth of cargobikes used for ‘lastmile’ freight and servicing trips.

TfL estimates that up to 17% of van kilometres in central London could be replaced by cargobikes by 2030.

Will Norman, Walking and Cycling Commissioner, said: “Cargobikes are no longer a niche concept, and they can be real gamechangers when it comes to delivering freight and servicing trips. Not only do they provide environmental benefits by not contributing to air pollution, they also make journeys more efficient, and present a much lower risk

of danger to people walking and cycling than vans and HGVs.” It’s great seeing best practice among business being encouraged and lots of new case studies from councils, larger organisations, building or estate managers, and Business Improvement Districts.

Obviously one key thing to make sure is that cargobikes can actually deliver to premises and that low carbon transport is prioritised in the procurement process.

But there does need to be the infrastructure in place to allow for real growth. Cargobikes need wider lanes as they are wider than standard cycles; they also need bigger turning circles and to fit through spaces between bollards and security barriers. So we need more lanes built with this mode shift in mind, and more roadspace allocated to cycling overall to allow everyday riders and cargobikes to move around London together.

We need to ensure there is protection and space for all cyclists, so that slower, less confident cyclists, or those using nonstandard cycles, are not put off by faster, larger cargobikes.

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If the cycling infrastructure is not suitable for cargobikes then traffic speeds and volumes on roads need to be reduced, so riders can operate safely. If they need to use pavements for deliveries, then clearly this should not be at the expense of pedestrians either.

Access issues Another challenge is access to buildings and large estates. Some business estate owners do not allow any cargobike access and others will not let cargobikes use the loading bays. This is something we’re campaigning on with the Bicycle Association and others.

Once that is solved then the future should look rosier for London’s freight revolution.

Large companies are already getting on board. Amazon is investing in e-cargobike trials across the country (there’s been some in the City), as well as a new Amazon cargobike hub opening in Wembley — which shows that it’s not just central London where the commercial argument stacks up.

And it is not all about huge corporations — all across London

small traders and local businesses are wanting to use cargobikes more. We have a project with the London Borough of Lewisham, loaning out cargobikes for businesses to try. We have helped a coffee roastery, a food charity and a brewery, among others, as part of this trial. Many other councils are running similar programmes. Storage is one issue

that keeps cropping up, or we hear that cargobikes are only needed occasionally by some businesses, so a few boroughs are exploring a local cargobike share scheme.

Bike brand Beryl has been wise to this issue and has started to offer e-cargobike hires. CEO and co-founder, Phil Ellis, said: “What we have learned from running the hire schemes in London is that they can be incredibly useful to many people, from businesses and tradesmen to families and individuals. They’re also cost effective, removing the expenses associated with private vehicle ownership such as fuel, storage, tax, MOT and maintenance.”

This is a great start for cargobike freight in London, but we do need more if we’re to meet our net zero targets. If you have a local cargobike project then let us know, we’d love to showcase the work of those helping to reduce motor traffic.

THE AMAZON STORY

“Last year, we were delighted to launch our first UK micromobility hub in central London. The combination of e-cargobikes and walkers directly replaced thousands of traditional van trips on London’s roads, alleviating city centre traffic congestion and improving air quality. We expanded this last November with the launch of three further micromobility delivery hubs in

Manchester and London. E-cargobikes and walkers from these hubs are expected to make more than two million deliveries a year to communities across the UK. We look forward to rolling out further micromobility hubs over the coming months.

“Amazon is moving towards more sustainable deliveries and it recently announced a £300 million investment in decarbonising the company’s UK transportation network. New delivery hubs based in London’s Wembley and Southwark will also more than triple the e-cargobike fleet making deliveries to Amazon’s customers across the capital.”

Nicola Fyfe, Director, Head of Amazon Logistics UK LONDON CYCLIST Summer 2023 45

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Urban Hill Climb 2023

Supported by

Places now open

Urban Hill Climb 2023 will take place on the 30th of September this year, bigger and better than ever! We’re introducing new e-bike categories, new prizes and an all new expo area!

This is a family friendly event. Whether you’re racing for the best possible time or cruising up the slopes waving to the fans we can’t wait to see you on the day.

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S CYCLING FOR ALL

OCIAL ENTERPRISE Bikeworks is challenging perceptions of who can cycle and addressing the inequalities that are still experienced

by Londoners in accessing cycling. Its new Inclusive Cycling Centre is delivering a one-stop shop experience for adapted and specialist cycles, sharing knowledge and advice on the right cycle to purchase, gained from 17 years’ experience as an inclusive cycling organisation.

In partnership with the London Legacy Development Corporation and London Marathon Foundation, the Inclusive Cycling Centre is situated on the world-famous Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and will showcase cycles from trusted brands such as Van Raam and TomCat. People can trial the cycles using the beautiful off-road spaces of the park, or by joining an All Ability Club, where

London’s first Inclusive Cycling Centre has opened at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, as Zoe Portlock explains 48

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COMMUNITY TRAVEL

happiness and health benefits of cycling, and to achieve this we provide free-to-access activities while sharing our knowledge on purchasing the right cycle.”

Reaching out Bikeworks engages 3,200 Disabled Londoners and carers through weekly All Ability Clubs across six park locations. Designed for people with learning, physical and/ or sensory disabilities and health conditions, and their carers, who attend on a regular basis to enjoy cycling on a range of adapted cycles. Last year 14,000 free-toaccess sessions were delivered.

Mark is a regular club visitor and his own story is testament to the positive impact accessing cycling has had: “Bikeworks has become a very important part of my life. I was a keen tricyclist throughout my childhood. It gave me independence. I learnt to drive and moved away to college, so cycling became just a fond memory.

Since 2012 I’ve been cycling with Bikeworks nearly every week. I’m now walking better than I’ve done in years and have made some really good friends. I’ve even learnt to ride on two wheels, although I’m still more comfortable on three.”

For cyclists like Megan, who has dyspraxia and finds it difficult to ride a two-wheel bike, her goal

has been to cycle with her dad who is a cycle enthusiast. For carers and families, being able to enjoy an activity together is not always possible, making cycling even more impactful.

The evolving Bikeworks project also includes a ‘side-by-side cycle service’ that addresses loneliness and isolation, and a rehabilitation programme launching later in 2023.

Instrumental in supporting the vision of the Inclusive Cycling Centre is the London Legacy Development Corporation and the London Marathon Foundation’s Active Spaces Fund. Speaking at the launch this spring, Paul Brickell, director of regeneration and community, commented: “Bikeworks does such great work in making sure everyone can have access to cycling. We are particularly proud to support this new Centre for Excellence focused on inclusive cycling.”

USEFUL CONTACTS n Bikeworks Retail Shop retail.bikeworks.org.uk n All Ability Clubs bikeworks.org.uk/all-ability/ all-ability n Side-by-Side Cycle Service bikeworks.org.uk/cycle-taxi-service n For more information bikeworks.org.uk

Photos: Bikeworks

trained cycle instructors support riders with the individual fit of a cycle and share advice.

Co-founders and co-CEOs, Jim Blakemore and Zoe Portlock, created Bikeworks to tackle barriers to participation, developing a programme of cycling to connect the most excluded people to the legacy of the London 2012 games. For them, the opening of the centre has been part of the vision as they continue to disrupt perceptions of who can cycle, and the difference cycling makes in people’s lives.

“Promoting cycling for everyone is at the heart of what we do at Bikeworks. No one should be left out from experiencing the joy and freedom and health benefits it brings. Adapted cycles are a considerable investment, so it’s essential people receive a tailored face-to-face service from an experienced team, including the opportunity to try,” said Jim. “Research tells us that disabled people are twice as likely to be physically inactive and over 30% of disabled people who do not cycle would also like to give it a go. At Bikeworks we believe this to be an even higher statistic, more so if you’re struggling with money or live in an inner-city environment,” added Zoe. “We believe everyone deserves to enjoy the freedom,

LONDON CYCLIST Summer 2023 49

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London Cycling Campaign members get 20% off Bicycle and Travel Insurance lcc.org.uk/cycle-insurance/

The policy cover is underwritten by Allianz and the scheme is managed by Yellow Jersey.

Yellow Jersey is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) no. 307249

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Ride Guide | RIDES | ADVICE | BIKES | PRODUCTS | CULTURE |

RIDES

ADVICE

BIKES

PRODUCTS

KNOLE, KENT 53

BIKE BUYING 56

ESTARLI E-BIKE 58

ON-BIKE BAGS 62 LONDON CYCLIST Summer 2023 51

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In association with

RIDES

Summer is the perfect time to head out to north Kent and try this beautiful country ride. Charlie Codrington is your guide for the day.

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RAB YOUR bike and catch a train to Sevenoaks as you’re in for a treat! This engaging country adventure explores the woods and orchards of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in north Kent. Along this 20-mile route you’ll discover some real gems, including Knole House, a magnificent multi-turreted Jacobean mansion, and Ightham Mote, a romantic moated manor house with tranquil gardens nestling in a hidden valley. And if you love hidden valleys, there's also a secret and very private Japanese garden along the way.

The loop is a lovely combination of gravel bridleways and quiet country lanes, meandering through quaint villages.

When dry you can ride this route on most bikes, although we'd recommend all-terrain tyres. Take your time and make a day of it, ride at a gentle pace, stop and visit the sites, have a picnic or be willingly enticed into one of the gorgeous pubs.

KNOLE

KNOW-HOW FACTFILE DISTANCE: 32.5km (21 miles) ASCENT: 600m TERRAIN: 50% off-road SUITABLE FOR: Gravel or mountain bike. When dry, light hybrid and road/touring bikes with all-terrain tyres fine too.

NEAREST STATIONS: Sevenoaks (4 trains per hour)

We have partnered with mapping specialist Komoot to bring you free downloadable route maps.

Simply scan the QR code here to access the relevant page on your smartphone or tablet.

KNOLE KNOW-HOW

2 S'OAKS STN

KNOLE PARK 2.75km

3

4

FAIRLAWNE IGHTHAM MOTE 8.5km HOUSE 9.75km

5 IVY HATCH 23.5km

S'OAKS STN

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Ride Guide KNOLE KNOW-HOW S/F: If you haven’t taken your bike on a train before, ignore what you read in the press, railways and bikes are a perfect match in the south-east. Sevenoaks is a prime example: four trains an hour from London, no need to pre-book you or your bike, just turn up and go, leave the car at home.

Leave Sevenoaks station and turn sharp right to follow Granville Road climbing into the town centre, a remarkably pretty mediaeval town packed with cafés and coffee shops. Continue along the High Street to the modest gates of Knole Park, where for some reason cyclists aren’t charged to enter, so overtake the inevitable line of cars riding through the gates into the Deer Park.

3 IGHTHAM MOTE As you leave the woods, the views of the Weald open up and the track morphs into a gravel farm track

4 FAIRLAWNE HOUSE Take care as you cross the busy Tonbridge road into the immaculate Fairlawne House. As you ride up the drive, peek over the hedge into the private Japanese garden before following the stern sign pointing to the bridleway. The path leads through the open parkland and down a proper avenue to the back gates of the estate.

Plaxtol sounds like a type of medical cream for itches, but it’s one of the quaint villages that’s turned its back on the 21st century. If you can, pass the Papermakers Arms, on your way through to Plaxtol Spout; Old Soar Manor, a peaceful Knight’s house dating from 1290 is a half-mile off the route and worth the excursion.

Prepare for a steady climb along a cart track through the orchards, take it gently and eventually you’ll end up in Mereworth Woods, a large area of bike-friendly ancient woodland well worth another trip to explore. The route borders an area that’s recently been coppiced, a traditional form of woodland maintenance that produces open swathes of woodland abounding in wild flowers.

You’re rewarded with a couple of miles of fast flowing fireroads that lead

FIND, PLAN AND SHARE YOUR ADVENTURES WITH KOMOOT Turn your next ride into an adventure with Komoot. Get inspired by tapping into shared community knowledge and recommendations, then bring your own adventures to life with the easy route planner.

New users can receive a Komoot Region Bundle of offline maps (worth £8.99). Visit komoot.com/g and enter the code ‘LCC’ to choose your free Region Bundle.’ [Valid for new Komoot users only, redeemable until 31/1/2024].

you out of the woods to join the quiet country lanes through Couch and the orchards of the Bourne Valley.

5 IVY HATCH Ivy Hatch, a picture postcard village, is home to the Plough Inn, a gastro pub whose head chef Freddie Innes is a veteran of Masterchef.

Prepare yourself for the final gravel onslaught, a climb to Raspit Hill, where you may have to push your bike over the steps at the base of the hill, but it’s worth the effort as the views over the Weald are stunning. Again, the sunken nature of the bridleway tells you that this is a very ancient way (there's also an easier path a few yards to the left).

Follow the ridgeline until the path turns sharp left before descending steeply. Take care as the path becomes moderately gullied and rocky. At the bottom, join the lane into Seal, before joining the busy A25 back into Sevenoaks.

Photos: Charlie Codrington

2 KNOLE HOUSE Knole House is packed with history: from the 1400s an Archbishop's palace, then grabbed by Henry VIII, before passing to the then powerful Sackville family. Take the time to visit, it has treasures, literary history, stories about passionate risqué affairs and, of course, the obligatory ghost. There’s also a fascinating exhibition on conservation.

As an aside, bravo to the National Trust and the Sackville family for allowing cyclists to roam pretty freely around the park; explore a great network of paved roads and tracks, and you may even see the albino deer.

Follow the Greensand Way through the woods towards Ightham Mote — note that while the bridleway follows the ancient sunken road over Wilmot Hill, there’s a drier, easier route running a few yards parallel to the left.

descending into Ightham Mote’s ‘hidden valley’. Look out for the beautiful farmyard at the bottom of the hill before you cross the lane to ride through the gates to the manor house itself.

The house does not disappoint, it’s bewitchingly beautiful, sitting peacefully in its moat. And the stable café is bike-friendly too.

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In association with

S F

2

Simply scan the QR code here to access the relevant ride guide and map on a smartphone or tablet.

3

5

4

CUT-OUT AND KEEP

KNOLE KNOW-HOW

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ADVICE

MY FIRST...

MOUNTAIN BIKE There’s so many different kinds of mountain bike (mtb), from dedicated downhill, enduro and jump bikes, to more trail/cross-country (XC) bikes. It’s the latter the majority use and that new riders should consider, as they can handle just about anything: road or off-road, easy gravel trails or more technical terrain. Cube’s Acid hardtail (£1,199) is a great example of what to look out for...

1. FRAME There’s two main types of mtb: ‘full suspension’ (with suspension front and rear for the very bumpiest trails) and ‘hardtail’ (with suspension at the front only). A good hardtail can do everything that a modern gravel bike can and more, from the daily commute to off-road bikepacking — their enduring popularity lies in that allround versatility.

As with road bikes, topend mtbs are made from carbon, but titanium, steel

and aluminium frames are common too. Mid-priced hardtails, like the Acid, tend to use aluminium as it’s tough and, thanks to manufacturing advances, reasonably light.

Mountain bike geometry has undergone a revolution in recent years, with the designers’ mantra being ‘longer and slacker’. So modern mtbs now have considerably longer reach

Drop and roll: lower the saddle right down for steep chutes; even an inch or two can help on bumpy undulating trails

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6 Single minded: one chainring simplifies the transmission and sheds mud more easily, with an 11-50t cassette providing all the gears you’ll need

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H FOR MORE INFO ON THE ACID AND ENTIRE BIKE RANGE GO TO CUBE.EU H

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

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measurements and far slacker head angles than their predecessors — both these bring greater control and stability to the fore, particularly welcome on tough descents.

Plenty of ‘standover’ height and clearance for chunky tyres are also hallmarks of today’s mtb.

2. MOUNTS/BOSSES Hardtails should have mounts for two bottle cages and space for a framebag (see page 62). And ideally there will also be mounts for a rack and mudguards — the Acid has mounts for Cube’s own semi-integrated carrier (2b).

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3. SUSPENSION FORK Suspension is the defining characteristic of an mtb and how much

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‘travel’ (the amount the fork compresses/extends) you need or want depends on the type of riding you’ll be doing. For general recreational trails 100mm is ideal, as on the Rockshox Judy Silver here.

Some bikes have coil springs inside the fork but, more commonly, they use air and pressure is set using a small shock pump. A bonus feature of the Acid’s fork is that it has a ‘lockout’ feature (3b), remotely controlled by a switch on the bars, that firms up the suspension for road sections or fireroad climbs.

4. FAT TYRES 2.3in to 2.5in width tyres are usually specced, with prominent lugs on the edge to aid cornering stability and widely-spaced knobbles to help shed mud. Smaller knobbles are generally faster and best in drier conditions.

5. BIG WHEELS Most hardtails now use 29in wheels, though 27.5in are used on smaller frame sizes, with rims often 25-30mm wide to best suit those fat tyres. 32 spokes provide extra strength (racers opt for 28 or even 24).

6. LOW GEARS A single chainring, with 32 or 34 teeth, is de rigueur; the days of the front derailleur are long gone, so you’ll only find one gear shifter on the bars. Meanwhile cassettes just keep getting bigger, with dinner plate-sized inner rings (50t pictured) to cope with steep uphills.

7. DISC BRAKES Hydraulic disc brakes are now found on even cheap bikes and offer incredible ‘one finger’ stopping power even in awful weather conditions.

Note the bigger disc rotors too — usually 180mm front and 160mm rear.

8. WIDE BARS Compared to narrow (400460mm) road bike bars, mtb bars can seem monstrous (700-800mm is normal). But the added steering control they provide, especially on jarring, rugged terrain, really does inspire confidence.

9. SEATPOST Many hardtails come with a standard seatpost and a quick-release seatpost collar, allowing you to drop the saddle for steep chutes or long challenging descents.

Upgrading to a ‘dropper’ seatpost when your skills improve allows you to do that as you ride (the Acid has integral routing for cables).

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BIKES

HOT TECH

NEW E-BIKES How does the range and build on a new electric folder fare on north London’s hills?

ESTARLI E20.8 PLAY n £1,850 n estarli.co.uk

Review: Tom Bogdanowicz

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T’S RARE to have a company co-founder drop off a test bike, but with Estarli designing and building its bikes in Berkhamsted a London delivery was easily arranged.

The E20.8 Play is a riff on its well-received E20.7 electric folder (4.7 out of 5 on Trustpilot), only bringing more off-road use to the fore. It uses the same, clever 7ah battery hidden in the seatpost, plus better quality 8-speed Shimano Altus gears, tougher Schwalbe tyres, hydraulic disc brakes, offroad pedals (non-folding) and can handle riders up to 130kg (whereas it’s 110kg for the E20.7). Front and rear lights are included, though rack and mudguards come as extras

(£50). Seat and bar adjustment fit people from 5ft to 6ft5in (we can confirm the 5ft extreme was fine).

Our first trip on the E20.8 took on the steepest hills we could find locally — straight up to Ally Pally, including directly up the final grass slope with a kerb hop at the top. On our regular bike we usually walk,

but this time it was a breeze thanks to the gearing and power-assist cranked up to 4 (it goes up to 5). We then cruised up and down off-road tracks and found handling to be very similar to an old-school rigid mountain bike with fat tyres. So it wasn’t the plush ride of a suspension bike, but easy to handle and ideal for a mix of roads, towpaths and moderate downhills.

We burned up two bars of power (out of 4) over four miles when powering up hills, then clocked up another seven miles in mixed use, consuming another 1.5 bars. Overtaking roadies uphill on what looks like a pedal-only shopper was fun.

A couple of days on tarmac took us across London in comfort, with

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REVIEWS

the odd incline for good measure, seemingly no different to a standard hybrid. Using mostly power level 2 we averaged 20 miles for four bars of battery, with an extra three miles on ‘empty’. That’s as well because pedalling a 19.5kg bike without power-assist is hard work. The 50km range cited by the maker is optimistic, however at around 32km (using power level 2) it’s more than adequate for mid-length rides.

The componentry, whether gears or brakes, is quality stuff as is the finish. The Samsung motor in the rear wheel was consistent across modes, and predictable, which really helps on off-road ascents.

What we don’t yet have (the bike was the second off the line) is

the price of new batteries. The co-founder estimated £150 for refill of the seatpost with cells, and £250 for new seatpost and pack — well below the price of rivals, with the added benefit of recycling.

And finally let’s not forget that this is a folder. The fold is quick and simple (though the two halves don’t clip together like the E20.7), and being a folder, it has a convenient step-through frame.

FACTFILE nC hoice of colourways available. nT he seatpost, which contains the battery, can be removed for charging.

And an anti-theft seatpost collar costs an extra £30. nA tool kit is supplied with the bike. nR echarging takes 3 to 4 hours. nY ou can wheel the folded bike by holding the extended seatpost. nT he handlebars can be adjusted up and down by 6in.

VERDICT + The E20.8 offers an excellent ride for a folder, especially off-road, and considering the kit, it’s reasonable value. The downside of ruggedness is increased weight and a shorter range, so if you live up a staircase you may wish to consider its stablemate, the E20.7. This doesn’t offer off-road credentials, but takes £500 off the price and 2kg off the weight .

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BIKES

HOT TECH

NEW E-BIKES A lightweight and efficient ‘all road’ machine from a valuefor-money Asian brand FIIDO E-GRAVEL C21 n £1,599 n fiido.com

Review: Richard Peace

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HOUGH THE C21 is billed as a ‘gravel style’ e-bike, in reality it’s a typical commuter with capabilities to tackle easier off-road paths — and at £1,599 it promises good value.

The pedal assistance comes from a MiVice rear hub motor — we’ve tested this before on the Tenways CGO600 and rated its smooth, purposeful, torque-sensing power delivery and here again it was impressive, feeling like a set-up from a significantly pricier e-bike.

The Fiido has a conventional diamond-profile frame, with dropped seatstays, and it weighs in at a respectable 18kg. We even managed to shoehorn an oldschool pannier rack on the back,

despite the pretty wide 145mm rear dropouts (Fiido offers its own rack too, at extra cost). Three sizes are available, spanning riders from 5ft 2in to 6ft 4in, and there’s also a step-through frame that, oddly, only comes in the smallest size.

The stem (pictured below) cleverly integrates a crisp colour

display that shows your speed, power level and remaining battery levels. These ‘bar chart’ indicators can be notoriously inaccurate, however this one proved an exception and reliable. It’s a very sleek solution but it does mean you can’t swap stems to shorten or lengthen your riding position;

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adjusting the saddle position or handlebar choice is the only option.

The rest of the spec proved functionally solid too, with the Tektro disc brakes complemented by nine-speed L-Twoo derailleur gearing; this budget far-eastern combo shifted reliably once indexed properly. Unfortunately there is an overly large front chainring — at 52-teeth we only ended up using the bottom three gears. Thankfully it’s an easy swap (and about £25) to something more suitable.

The 208Wh, non-removable battery is fully enclosed in the downtube; it’s small and the fact it can’t be removed on a daily basis for charging might seem like a big weakness. But a tested range of

around 30 hilly miles made this a phenomenally efficient bike. As it’s light, many people will be able to carry it inside to charge anyway.

Fiido says a range extender is in the pipeline for longer rides.

The direct sales model won’t be for everyone as it does mean fairly extensive home assembly is

required, but there’s clear written instructions and videos to help, and nothing’s too taxing.

Notwithstanding the strange overgearing, this was a fast, smooth ride, one that easily climbed some 15% gradients. For daily commutes, including towpaths and cobbles, it’s likely all most people really need.

VERDICT

FACTFILE

+ The Fiido offers a very bike-like ride and is a serious rival to similar, pricier e-bikes powered by the likes of Mahle’s hub motor system. + Gearing

will be too high for most riders — swap the chainring to cure this.

nQ uiet and super-efficient torquesensing rear hub motor is a highlight. nC omes with LED lighting, mudguards and kickstand, though a rear rack is an optional extra. n A Fiido app can be used to track the usual cycling metrics, plus it pairs with smartwatches so you can monitor heart rate and other data.

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FRAME/TOPTUBE BAGS While large bar bags and seatpacks are great for multi-day rides, a clever combo of smaller bags allows you to ditch the rucksack for shorter trips

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IDING WITHOUT a rucksack — or without spares, snacks and phone stuffed in a multitude of pockets — always feels good.

Even more so in the warmer months. Stick a waterbottle or two on your frame and all you need for most days out can be carried in a mix of smaller onbike bags. Here’s a few ideas...

#1 ORTLIEB FRAME PACK RC SMALL/FUEL PACK

n Framebag capacity: 4L n Toptube bag capacity: 1L Two spanking new products, each with unique features. Like Ortlieb’s panniers, the framebag has a rolltop closure, kept watertight by rubberised clips on the main straps; it’s long enough for a full-size pump or even tent poles. Meanwhile the toptube bag has a snazzy magnetic cover and either bolts directly to a frame or uses (slightly fiddly) rubber straps. n ortlieb.com; £106 (frame), £57.50 (toptube)

#2 CUBE ACID PRO 1

#5 PASSPORT BIKEPACKING

#3 EVOC FRAMEPACK WP/

#6 PRO DISCOVER

n Framebag capacity: 1L n Toptube bag capacity: 1L The smallest pairing on test, but often that’s all you need — and both have proven extremely water resistant.

While the framebag has moveable Velcro straps and room for spare tube, inflator, tool and snacks, the toptube bag is the real star, with fixed straps and room for a windproof, battery pack, wallet and more. Plus there’s a clear window on top so you can follow mapping apps on your phone. n cube.eu; £50 (frame), £30 (toptube)

TOPTUBE PACK WP

n Framebag capacity: 1.5L n Toptube bag capacity: 0.8L Fully waterproof, with welded seams, the bigger framebag capacity allowed us to stow all our bike spares plus jacket, charger and cables here, with phone, compact camera and wallet in its smaller sibling. Velcro strap mounting. n evocsports.com; £69.99 (frame), £34.99 (toptube)

#4 OXFORD AQUA EVO

n Framebag capacity: 4L n Toptube bag capacity: 1.5L Lightweight, waterproof and fitted via a mix of Velcro and buckle straps, this was our value pick and first choice for longer trips or overnighters. With careful packing we squeezed all our bike spares in the framebag (including a proper pump), and a tech tee, underwear and socks. Top marks! n oxfordproducts.com; £39.99 (frame), £19.99 (toptube)

n Framebag capacity: 2.1L n Toptube bag capacity: 1.8L Despite being super slimline this framebag still swallowed our bike spares, windproof and lunchtime bagel; the top and bottom are made from durable tarpaulin, with a flouro inner fabric for faff-free rummaging. The toptube bag is almost as voluminous and needed to be cinched tight to stop wobbling, but the touchscreen phone compartment is an added bonus. n ison-distribution.com; £34.99 (frame), £24.99 (toptube)

n Framebag capacity: 2.7L n Toptube bag capacity: 0.75L Like other ‘half-length’ models this Pro framebag allows you to easily access waterbottles; it also holds your riding basics and a decent lunch. The set’s waterproof, but seams aren’t sealed.

The smaller bag is minimal, though that outer bungee has been really useful for gripping a damp jacket or banana. n freewheel.co.uk; £49.99 (frame), £34.99 (toptube)

#7 RESTRAP FRAMEBAG SMALL/TOPTUBE BAG

n Framebag capacity: 2.5L n Toptube bag capacity: 0.8L Hand-crafted in Yorkshire, we found this set to be incredibly versatile across a range of bikes. We particularly love the extra wide, frame-protecting straps, innovative headtube clip and neat phone/GPS cable routing. n restrap.com; £59.99 (frame), £39.99 (toptube)

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REVIEWS

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Introduce a friend to LCC membership: they’ll support our work campaigning for safer cycling in London, and you’ll both receive a free Lezyne Pressure Drive hand pump. Compact, dependable and ready when you need it most.

NEW-MEMBER BENEFITS • Free third-party insurance cover • Discounted theft insurance cover • Free cycling legal advice • Discounts with over a hundred bike shops & top cycling retailers • Subscription to London Cyclist magazine • Free Lezyne Pressure Drive hand pump HOW TO CLAIM Visit lcc.org.uk/pumps or use the QR code opposite:

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ICONIC BIKES

2018

Mueller-Korenek’s KHS Nothing’s ever dull in the world of cycling land speed records, explains John Kitchiner, neither the rider nor the ride. But which is craziest?

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The frame was built entirely from carbon fibre, with an extra triangle added behind the rear wheel, creating a very long (over 2m) but very stable machine. Rims, spokes and tyres were sourced from vintage drag motorcycles and paired with modified Profile hubs. But things got truly Heath Robinson with a compound drivetrain comprising two chainrings, two cogs and a shed load of chain; with a monster 62:12 gear ratio, when doubled that meant that Mueller-Korenek would travel about 40m for a single pedal rotation. Just mind-blowing numbers.

Tucked in and towed behind a 1,000-horsepower dragster pace car (with special wind-beating fairing fitted), driven by professional racing driver Shea Holbrook, Mueller-Korenek cast off the rope at the designated time and clocked a new best time near the very end of her run — 296km/h (183.9mph)!

She’d smashed the previous high and remains the first and only woman in history to hold the motor-paced world record.

Incidentally there’s also an indoor speed record, set in 1995

by Bruce Bursford — a frankly terrifying 334.6km/h (207.9mph) — using the facilities and special ‘rollers’ at the Malcolm Campbell building at Brooklands Museum in Surrey.

Illustration: David Sparshott

HE HISTORY OF cycling speed records is long and varied. From Charles ‘Mile a Minute’ Murphy’s 1899 ‘motor-paced’ record (he hit 60mph by drafting a train, having covered the track in plywood sheets) to Eric Barone’s downhill, unpaced, record of 227km/h (141.5mph) set on the snowy slopes of the French Alps. Not to mention Ilona Peltier’s unpaced benchmark of 126.5km/h (78.6mph) on a recumbent as recently as 2019.

No matter the category variant or niche, two things remain constant: the pilot in question has more than a few screws loose and the attempt involves some kind of equally crazy ‘frankenbike’. Compared to Graeme Obree’s ‘Old Faithful’ — with wheel bearings made from old washing machine parts (see London Cyclist, Autumn 2018) and on which he set a World hour record — these speeder bikes push engineering in a whole different direction.

You naturally need wide open spaces for such public displays of lunacy and on 16 September 2018, the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah played host to America’s Denise MullerKorenek and her unique, custom KHS bike.

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OXFORD BIKE WORKS A BIKE FOR LIFE, A BIKE FOR YOUR LIFESTYLE

Bike Pictured: Model 1 Cargo (Custom Step-through) Panniers: OBW Cargo Panniers

THE MODEL 1 CARGO Built here in our workshop in the UK • 60kg carrying capacity so that’s the weekly shop taken care of • Our no-nonsense low-tech brakes, transmission and steel frame mean we can offer the best guarantees in the business • All bikes are sold with a full fitting - either virtual, or in person at our Oxfordshire studio • If you want dynamo lights, kickstands, special tyres, fancy frame colour or something unusual, no problem • Prices starting at £1699 OXFORD BIKE WORKS CARGO PANNIERS Can carry 15kg each • Sturdy, waterproof, shock absorbing and they don’t sag when half full • Proven Rixen and Kaul fixings • Lockable • Light mounts • £64 each

www.oxfordbikeworks.co.uk For more details, test ride or fitting call 01235 831992 Where to find us: Station Yard, Steventon, Oxfordshire. OX13 6RX (Near Didcot Parkway)

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