I feel a kick under the sole of my left foot and it calls to mind Ayrton Senna. Legend has it that the great Formula 1 driver knew from the slightest feel of the car if even the most inconsequential nut or bolt was loose. I’m hardly cycling’s Ayrton Senna, but still, I’m certain — something doesn’t feel right. With each rotation of my left foot, I feel a bigger kick from the pedal; either the spindle of the pedal is damaged or the crank is working loose from the axle at the bottom bracket.

Five minutes later, on a quiet towpath and thankfully not a busy roundabout, there’s no more need for doubt or speculation: my crank clatters noisily to the floor. I’m a one-legged bicycle once more. For the second time in my life, I need to pedal one-legged to a bicycle shop. Last time this happened, I was in central Texas, making my way across the USA. A few hundred miles of one-legged pedalling later, I found a hotrod workshop with a willing welder, and before long everything

was back to working order.

>>> How to fix a puncture 

This time out, conveniently (under the circumstances) I’m in London, and the task should be somewhat less arduous. Nonetheless, I’ve good reason to be disappointed. The bicycle is new, only three days old to me, and a joy to ride. It’s one more of the refurbished frames that are coming to typify bicycle ownership in East London — as a way to save a few hundred pounds off the price of a new Fuji, Specialized or Bianchi. Despite the bike’s newness, I’m not completely surprised at the mishap. Why not? Because, well, let’s just say I met the mechanic who built it.

Throwaway society

My own relationship with bicycle repairs is a long one. I started fixing punctures with my grandfather when I was eight years old. Punctures aren’t exactly mechanics, but something about removing wheels and tyres helps demystify the barriers that many new cyclists never seem to quite overcome. It still amazes me how many people will pay good money for new tubes to be fitted for them, while at the same time throwing a perfectly good tube into a landfill site. It’s a mentality that would leave my grandfather even more troubled in his grave.

>>> Saddle Height: how to get it right, and why it’s so important 

From puncture-fixing, years of tinkering, jobs as a Saturday lad in Midlands bicycle shops, and more recently taking the industry-standard Cytech qualification, I’ve developed a fairly broad and useful knowledge of bicycle mechanics. I can replace bearings, do what it takes to remove a seized bottom bracket, set up gears and have trued and built wheels. None of this is to boast, and the reason it’s not at all a boast is because the truth is I actually see myself as a rather terrible mechanic. Certainly, my bicycle shop-owning friends think I’m a terrible mechanic. It takes me about twice as long as it should to do most of the tasks above, and I’m always glad to be in the presence of someone with three decades of oil ingrained in their fingertips, and an endless supply of working knowledge of bicycles stored safe between their ears.

As cycling culture continues to grow, the job of the bicycle mechanic — especially in cities — seems to take on an almost glamorous, rugged allure. I’m faced with the frankly terrifying prospect of speaking to practising mechanics who quite clearly know less about bicycles than I do. The good news is London’s Cycling Revolution™ has brought with it an endless number of new cyclists who know even less than me and even less than the new mechanics. As a result, most of us

can remain blissfully unaware of just how terribly de-skilled we’re all set to become.

Slowly, we have perhaps come to think of bicycles — like all our other commodities — as things to pick straight off the shelf, before riding them until the point at which we call them broken and then expect someone else to deal with them or — worse still — we buy a new one. I’ve heard contemporary uses of the word ‘broken’ that have consisted of nothing worse than tyres that need pumping up or a chain that needs oiling.

An anthropology of bicycle mechanics

In my understanding of things, a mechanic should be grizzly, sarcastic, tattooed and smell a little bit of stale cigarettes, possibly worse. He should be missing teeth, or at the very least have crooked teeth. He should not be particularly well-dressed or have a university degree, and — though there are definitely plenty of good female mechanics out there — the image of

a mechanic in my head is certainly

a male.

The modern London bicycle mechanic, on the other hand, is to be found with a full set of very white teeth, sporting a pristine set of tattoos on their forearms, none of which seem to have been acquired with a needle and while drunk. They tend to be wearing a clean set of well-fitting jeans, and are forever holding a spanner or other tool, as if to identify the fact that — despite all knowledge and appearances to the contrary — they are a mechanic who knows what they are doing. Even in this case, there is something quite tender in the young graduate who shuns the idea of careers for the love of the bicycle — it’d just be nice if they also remembered to tighten crank bolts.

>>> Cleats explained: How to set them up correctly 

Of course, there’s also a middle ground — people who know more about bikes than hair dye, but are also able to hold a conversation and manage manners. The availability of good mechanics, however, and the state of affairs in Britain’s workshops in general, means different things to different people. I know that some managers of large bicycle shops admit that the ideal, profitable business model relies on less savvy customers buying a new bicycle every two years. Cash trade-ins can offer an easy incentive to tempt people in to the next purchase, but — to me — nothing could be more at odds with the bond one builds over time with a good bicycle, and even the very idea of bicycles as efficient, reliable machines that can last a lifetime.

Certain large bike retailers now have fleets of vans that they use to drive bicycles out of the city and to faraway warehouses where their mechanics work.

In doing so, they remove the soul of the workshop from the bicycle shop. Because of the efficiencies of this mass model, some big shops will now charge a premium for the in-house, same-day repairs that many independents still offer as standard.

What is to be done?

We customers also have a role to play in this, because websites and large chains that now compete with independent shops rely on our purchases.

An increasing tendency in the bicycle trade is for customers to make their (often high-value) purchases of new bicycles and garb online or with the big bike chains. It’s only after that that may visit their local independent in need of adjustments, repairs or parts which the chain store may not offer so near to home or conveniently. These are mostly low cost services and that’s where the local shop loses out.

Independents are often the shops who will remove a seized seat tube, repair frames, hub gears and dynamo lights. The problem is that the independent bike shop relies on the bigger spends to help keep things ticking over while many of us, not surprisingly, shop for big ticket deals online and at big city bike superstores.

Sometimes, mechanics and shop owners can seem unfriendly, sometimes even rude. Deep down, though, most of these people have a heart of gold, in my experience; they simply love bicycles.

Many in the trade feel pressured by a market that is squeezing them, and are frustrated by customers who only visit with problems they’ve been faced with after buying a bike online or from a big bike shop that’s not on their doorstep.

Mechanics, new and old, are an important part of the cycling community and our bike shops. As with most things in life, you don’t realise what you’ve got until it’s gone. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

Bikefix, Lamb’s Conduit Street, London

Bikefix is one of my friends, or rather, I’m one of its friends. It’s odd to become friends with a bike shop — it being only a building full of bikes and tools — but anyone who’s spent enough time as a regular of the same shop will probably understand what I mean.

Bikefix is the place I go whenever I need anything doing to my bicycle, be it a new tyre or a frame that needs welding. I first visited to buy a bicycle for my sister, almost 10 years ago, and the owner has since become a good friend. I’ve watched the shop go through business ups and downs, always surviving because of a keen eye for innovative, original bicycles, and a commitment to repairs that is becoming increasingly hard to find.

Despite all that, it’s more than a bicycle shop. I’ve spent evenings in there, the shutters down, listening to music and drinking beers. When working on a documentary about young people and bicycles, Bikefix was the workshop that let me in to film.

It’s provided workshop space to frame-builders getting themselves back on their feet. Another friend of the shop was injured in a car crash and lost sight in one eye and now struggles to balance a bicycle without help. Friends from the shop will go out for rides with her, piloting her tandem. I’ll see people all around London and farther afield, and Bikefix is the thing we have in common — it’s a community.

There is another way!

Some people are better mechanics than others, but the best only get that way from the many hours of play and practise they put in in a workshop. By the same token, so too can even the least mechanically-minded improve their skills in the workshop — saving money and gaining satisfaction in doing so.

London School of Cycling

A stalwart of the cycling community, Patrick Field waits for enough people to enlist and then runs a workshop once his courses are full. These normally take place at Bikefix, every couple of months. Field is the grandfather of these courses in London and also a natural, patient and passionate teacher; he’ll take you from zero knowledge up to a point where you feel comfortable with all the basics of tyres, chains and brakes.

Knowledge is power

The well-known cafe-workshop, Look Mum No Hands! also now runs a course of its own.

Tool libraries

A shop or drop-in that stocks otherwise expensive tools costly to acquire but rarely used. Broken Spoke in Oxford runs such a scheme, as does the London Bike Kitchen in Hackney. Both organisations — and others like them around the country — will give you supervision and advice in how to use the tools correctly.

The internet

Whether a YouTube video or online article, the internet is chock-full of very helpful tips and clear guidance on how to perform even the simplest mechanics. The bible of online bicycle help is www.sheldonbrown.com — the site of Sheldon Brown, a US bicycle enthusiast who died in 2008, but not before amassing an invaluable and much-loved legacy of information.

Facts and stats

The total value of the UK bicycle market is £1.5bn including sales and repairs

In 2010: 2,500 was the number of bicycle shops in the UK 

3 Levels of Cytech accreditation. The third and highest level involves set-up of suspensions and hydraulic disc brakes 

10,000 hours is the fabled amount of practice it takes to become an expert of something, bicycle mechanics included.

Julian Sayarer is the author of Life Cycles, the story of his 2009 world record for a circumnavigation by bicycle, and an account of people and world politics by bicycle. 

Illustrations by Kevin Sharpe

Autumn can be a shock to unprepared riders trying to hold on to the joys of summer riding. From chilly mornings where the sun is slow to rise, to afternoons that can’t quite hold onto their heat when the evening draws in, it’s all too easy for clothing choices to go awry. This is even more apparent when Winter sets in, and poor clothing choices can ruin your ride.

The good news is that this problem can be easily solved, with a lightweight, stashable windproof jacket. This is a staple item for the cyclist's wardrobe. Something you’ll find yourself reaching for all year round, excluding only the very coldest or hottest months. A windbreaker jacket you can easily stow away should offer more protection than a gilet, be lightweight and (hopefully) breathable enough for when effort levels increase and the body starts to get warm.

Because we consider the windbreaker jacket such an important item, we’ve sourced 15 of the best jackets we could find. They start at around £30, and cover almost every price point up to the highest of £180. There should be something for every wallet.

What to look for

Protection

Of course, the number one job of a windbreaker jacket is to keep you warm when the temperature drops. All of these jackets are an improvement on no jacket at all, or a gilet, which will only protect your core. Another thing to take note of is the amount of breathability (mesh panels or vents) a jacket has. You don’t want to get too warm once your effort level rises.

Stowage potential

Autumn mornings can be rather chilly before the day warms up. In the opposite fashion, a balmy afternoon can lose its heat as the sun drops. Either way having a jacket that folds up tightly, and disappears into a rear jersey pocket can be a real bonus. Some of our test jackets disappear into the smallest pocket, making them ideal for changing conditions on long rides where your pockets may already be quite full.

Fit

The fit of all these jackets can be separated into two categories, race or casual (and we’ll point out which each one has if the isn’t obvious in the photos). Slim racer types will baulk at flappy arms on a baggy jacket, where as commuters, looking for something more practical may want a more roomy jacket to cover casual clothes.

Fifteen of the best

Proviz Pack'it jacket  £32  www.provizsports.com

A fluro bargain at only thirty(ish) quid, the Proviz jacket has a very casual fit (in other words, rather large) and it was a bit too baggy for my liking. The good news though is that it’s obviously very visible, and it disappears into a rear pocket. The material did a good job at keeping us warm, although breathability wasn't great. For the price, it's well worth considering as a backup jacket to keep just in case the weather turns nasty before a commute home.

Summary: A baggy jacket that covers your basic protection needs at a bargain price.

Howies Dyfi Active Shell  £39  www.howies.co.uk

This is an excellent jacket that’s great for many outdoor activities. The cut manages to be casual in style but also well fitted leaving minimal material flapping. It was quite large once folded and it will all but fill up even the biggest rear pockets, but its practicality and versatility make up for that. Very comfortable and well made with a good mix of materials makes this jacket a real winner. 

Summary: An excellent jacket that would be a bargain at twice the price. Bravo Howies.

You can see a full review here: Howies Dyfli Active Shell 

Madison Pack it jacket  £40  www.madison.cc

Madison have become a lot more noticeable since sponsoring a UK pro-team, and since then some of their clothing has come along leaps and bounds, thanks in part to feedback from their professional riders. This bright yellow jacket may not be a very racy colour, but it’s undoubtedly a good choice for riding on gloomy days. The fit is casual, and it folds nicely into its own bag. Features are sparse, but there’s not much to dislike.

Summary: An easily visible commuting jacket that easily packs into its own mesh bag.

Specialized Windjacket Comp  £50  www.specialized.com

A thin material makes for an easily pocketed jacket from the American brand. The colour is an obvious bonus too, as is the price, which is quite competitive. The fit isn’t as slim as I expected though; it’s quite generous, with baggy arms ruining the appeal. The wind protection was about average, and breathability was okay too. An average jacket for an average price.

Summary: A generous fit ruins the racer appeal, but commuters will like the colour and price.

Endura Equipe compact shell jacket  £65  www.endurasport.com

Like Madison, Scottish brand Endura also sponsor a professional team. The relationship is a lot more visible here though, as this slimline jacket is definitely designed with the racer in mind. The long arms and rear end help cover you up when you’re down on the drops, and there are a variety of features to keep things interesting. Our favourites being the long comfortable cuffs and bonus rear pocket. It packs up pretty small too!

Summary: Good mix of fit and features make for a solid jacket at a reasonable price

Northwave Breeze Pro jacket  £70  www.i-ride.co.uk

The stiff 'Bag for Life' type feel of this jacket's material made it great in terms of wind protection.

The fit was a bit hit and miss, with a great long back and fairly snug body, but with a fairly flappy arm and worst of all, a very tight neck. The material lacked breathability when compared to some excellent competition too so as the effort increased, so did the amount of sweat collected.

Summary: There’s potential for great protection from this jacket but it’s let down by a poor fit.

Sportful Hot Pack 5 (male/female)  £75  www.c3products.com

Long arms with thumb loops and comfortable materials all round made this jacket a firm favourite of ours. It was tight across the shoulders though, so broader riders might benefit from sizing up. The real selling point is how tiny the jacket can be folded into its own rear pocket. Breathability was definitely good, helped by some clever side venting, and wind protection was great too, especially considering the small size it ultimately folds down to.

Summary: A well cut, slim fit jacket that disappears into even the smallest rear jersey pocket. Brilliant.

Pearl izumi Pro barrier lite  £80  www.madison.co.uk

The Pro Barrier Lite is simply a good all round jacket. The fit was good. Slim, but not overly so, and not baggy in the places where it can become annoying. The wind protection was good and its packed size was about right too. It lacks any real features to separate it from the competition though, so its pleasure comes from its simplicity, and it will suit riders looking for something that really just gets on with the job.

Summary: No nonsense jacket that gets on with keeping you warm, in lieu of other features.

Café Du Cycliste Madelaine Jacket  €120  www.cafeducyclist.com

In terms of quality this jacket was very hard to beat : the materials used are lovely. The fit is a slim 'racer' cut, and nigh on perfect with zero material flapping around and some nice touches like soft cuffs and a cinched in waist that adds to the tailored feel of the jacket. Best of all the wind protection and breathability were great too.

Summary: Smart and stylish in every sense, this jacket shone through as one of the best windbreaker jackets around.

You can see a full review here: Cafe du Cycliste Madelaine Jacket 

DHB Turbulence (male/female)  £37.99  www.wiggle.co.uk

Aptly named the 'Turbulence' jacket, it does a great job of keeping you warm on the windiest of days. The fit of the jacket is good too, walking the line between casual and slim. The breathability wasn’t the best though, which around the body is good, but falls short in the arms where there are no vents to exhaust the heat, and the thick, high neck is comfortable, but a slightly overkill on a thin autumn jacket.

Summary: A ‘nearly there’ product from DHB. A great jacket that could do with a few tweaks to make it perfect.

POC Essential Wind jacket  £125  www.2pure.co.uk

POC are known for producing some lovely bright products, and this Essential jacket, part of their AVIP collection (Attention, Visibility, Interaction and Protection) doesn't let the side down. The fit is race inspired, so its slim, and the materials used are quite satisfying, with good mesh side and underarm panels, although we expect that at this price point. A simple jacket that folds down small and does the job well, but it could be a marmite-type product thanks to the design.

Summary: Whether you love or hate the orange arms, there’s no denying this jacket works well.

Nalini Paraffina  £75.99  www.chickencycles.co.uk

Nalini are a stylish Italian company, which you might guess from looking at this jacket. It's almost entirely plain black with zero reflective material. The soft finish has a nice feel, although wind protection wasn't the best, and as it also lacks breathability, so a couple of vents wouldn't have gone amiss. The best part about the jacket, the fit, is also less than perfect, let down by sleeves that are slightly too short. A jacket with a lot of potential, but a lot missing too.

Summary: It could be a simple and stylish jacket, but practicality and fit are MIA here.

Rapha Classic Wind Jacket (male/female)  £180  www.rapha.cc

We've tested this jacket before against different competition, and we still love it now. Quality is something you're made to pay for with Rapha, and the price is relatively high, although our previous test jackets are still going strong, so we know it will last. The real attraction is its versatility. With the right baselayer it will keep you warm close to zero degrees, and with a summer jersey underneath, cool even up to fifteen.

Summary: Great materials really work, as shown here from Rapha’s expensive but quality offering.

Gore Power Active Shell Jacket (male/female)  £140  www.goreapparel.co.uk

Gore's Windstopper fabric is about the best material around for keeping you warm against the wind outside but dry from the inside. It's a very light jacket, with an extra breathable material used on the back and rear arms. We hardly noticed we were wearing it, which is always a great compliment to a jacket. Quality is well proven with Gore products so the higher cost is accounted for through many seasons of use. Size is good, and cut on the slimmer side, but not overly so.

Summary: Windstopper does what it says on the tin, and Gore strike gold again.

Lusso Skylon 2XS jacket  £40  www.Lusso-clothing.co.uk

All Lusso products are designed, tested and manufactured here in the UK, a claim not many other brands can make. It's pleasing to see then that the jacket is very nicely put together, with the visible stitching looking particularly neat and tidy. This jacket, the Skylon 2XS is about as simple as you can get, with no pockets or vents in sight, and the same thin material used all over. For the price, it’s hard to beat.

Summary: It almost makes you proud to be British, well done Lusso on a job well done.

Original article by Chris Catchpole 

What better way to commemorate the 40th anniversary of a tragedy than with a charity bike ride? More than 80 members of Bury St Edmunds Rugby Club are about to embark on a 320-mile marathon ride back to their Suffolk sports ground. The starting point is Ermenonville near Paris, site of a plane crash in March 1974 in which 18 members of the Club were killed.

Turkish Airlines Flight 981 came down in a forest shortly after taking off from the French capital, killing all 346 people on board. It remains the deadliest plane crash on French soil and the fourth worst in aviation history.

Members of Bury St Edmunds Rugby Club were on board, heading home after seeing England play France. Club chairman Gerry Lowden (pictured with fellow riders) would have been on the doomed flight, but couldn’t get time off work to make the trip. “I was second team captain and a number of those who perished were my team members,” he explained.

Several of those taking part in the four-day charity ride are relatives of those who died. They will be raising funds both for the Club’s charitable organisation, The Haberden Trust, and for St Nicholas Hospice in Bury St Edmunds.

We've teamed up with the Great Notts Bike Ride to offer one lucky reader two entries to the annual cycling event, plus an overnight stay, a three course meal and drinks for two people at Nottingham’s Lace Market Hotel.

Lace Market Hotel is located in Nottingham city centre claiming pride of place in the heart of Nottingham’s trendy and vibrant Lace Market area. Formerly a Georgian townhouse, the building has been refurbished to an exceptionally high standard, boasting 42 beautiful bedrooms, a newly refurbished restaurant, cocktail bar, and a quintessentially British gastro pub.

The Great Notts Bike Ride, which is now in its 32^nd year, takes place on Sunday 23 June this year and features three distances: 25 miles, 50 miles and the hugely popular 100 mile sportive, all of which take you through picturesque Nottinghamshire countryside. To find out more, go to www.cyclelivenottingham.co.uk

ENTER HERE!

This month we’ve teamed up with Corrèze Cycling Holidays to offer a road cycling holiday for two worth £1000, at its base in the western foothills of France’s Massif Central. Corrèze offers some of the most scenic and challenging cycling terrain to be found in France but is little known to British Cyclists.  The owners have put together a broad selection of well researched routes for all abilities of riders.  There are weekly trips either to the mountains of the Auvergne to do classic Tour de France climbs including Puy May and Superbesse, or to the Lot/ Dordogne valley taking routes around the beautiful Rocamadour and St Cere.

Accommodation is in a newly converted Barn with stylish en suiterooms for up to 11 people. As well as a stunning guest lounge there are extensive gardens with a private fishing lake and beautiful swimming pool. Secure bike storage & workshop, guided tours and a back-up crew bus all combine for the perfect holiday.

One lucky reader will win five nights accommodation, breakfast, afternoon tea and four evening meals for two people, plus transfers from either Limoges or Brive airports and two guided days cycling.

Enter now!

For further information & bookings call Sam and James Parry 0033 5 55 27 13 01 or visit www.correzecycling.com

Words Matt Lamy | Photos Jesse Wild

"I had a bike in my teens because I worked on a farm in the middle of Devon and I needed one, but I didn’t start cycling again until I was about 45,” Colin Knight, now 75, says. “My wife Bev and I had always been very active with swimming or walking, so we would probably go out cycling once a week, and we might do five miles or we might go up to 40 depending on the weather and how we felt. I’ve kept cycling ever since.”

Colin retired 14 years ago and didn’t slow down. But then Bev was diagnosed with bowel cancer eight years ago, and died in May 2009. Even now Colin finds it hard to talk about her death. “Bev was only 64 when she died and she was just as fit as I was, but cancer has no respect for things like that,” Colin says.

As a member of his parish church Colin received support from the local community, but one friend in particular felt he knew what would help most.

“Most people were telling Colin, do this, do that,” his cycling buddy Mike Jones — a youthful 62 year old — says. “But I just rang him up and said. ‘What are you doing? Get your arse in gear: I’m coming round in 20 minutes on me bike.’ And 20 minutes later we’d go out for a ride. It just lifted his mood.

“But we’d had an idea about cycle touring many years before that. We were cycling down the Camel Trail with a group of families — Colin’s wife Bev was with us — and Colin said it would be nice to do the Sustrans trail from Bristol back to Bodmin.

After Bev died I felt we had to do something. Having worked in nursing I know that the first anniversary of anybody’s death is always a very difficult and important time, so I said to Colin: ‘Why don’t we do that bike ride from Bristol back to Bodmin?’ He said ‘You’re serious?’ I said yes. That gave him something to focus on.”

Pedalling pals

So in May 2010 the pedalling pals covered 240 miles in five days, heading from Bristol to Bodmin via Barnstaple, and raising money for Hospice South-West and Cancer Research in the process. Deaths in Mike’s family in 2011 meant they didn’t take on a cycling challenge that year, but then last May they upped the ante and decided to take on an epic cycle tour, east to west across the country, from Norwich to Bodmin.

“We did 423 miles in six days,” Colin says. “I bought a Ridgeback Panorama touring bike for it, which I was very pleased with, and we must have had 30lb of kit loaded onto each bike. We stayed in Norwich for a couple of nights so we could look at the cathedral and see the city, then we set off.

“The first day was hard. It was partly my fault. I tried to work out a route on B roads because I thought that would be quieter, but we gave that up after the first day because we did 102 miles and with those heavily-laden bikes we ended up a bit numb.

“I remember we were riding up this slight hill with about seven miles to go until our planned finish on that first day. I said to Mike: ‘I think my age is kicking in Mike, I’m not going to be able to finish this.’ I don’t normally eat sweets but I had a Crunchie bar and a bottle of Lucozade on the bike so I decided to have them. It transformed me — I must have been bonking, isn’t that what they call it? I couldn’t believe what the sugary stuff did to me, almost immediately, and I finished the day without any trouble,” Colin says.

“We stayed at bed and breakfasts each night. That first night in Sandy, then Witney, Devizes, Wells, and then Tiverton. We did say we’d take seven days to get back to Bodmin but we actually did it in six. But that last section from Tiverton to Bodmin is very, very hilly, especially on the Devon side. Mike only lives about eight miles from my home, so as we were riding I said: ‘Leave your bike at my place and I’ll give you a lift home.’ But when we got back I was so tired I had to say, ‘I’m sorry Mike, I’m afraid I’m going to fall asleep driving.’ So he had to get a taxi,” Colin chuckles.

“Retrospectively, though, we enjoyed every minute of it.”

Endorphins and serotonin

For Mike the tour achieved everything he had wanted. “It was a really good ride. I enjoyed it and Colin enjoyed it as well. That was the important thing: to give him a boost around the anniversary of Bev’s death. So these rides always give him something to look forward to and to plan, and I feel that is very important. And of course we raised quite a bit of money for our respective charities.

“We came back with a sore bum and I think I lost a couple of pounds in weight, but it was great. Cycling gives you those endorphins and makes you feel well and it gets the old serotonin going a bit more as well. There have been people that I have known while I worked in the Health Service who I’ve said: ‘Give sport a go, give cycling a go.’ And they’ve gone out on their bikes and for some of them it’s been their saviour.

“As you get older you’re supposed to get wiser, but I don’t know. Colin and I have just got dafter. I think somebody must have forgotten to put the tablets in our cocoa sometimes! We just keep planning stupid things to do — cycling 250 miles aged 60 and 73 is one thing. But then we went and said, bugger it, we’re going to do an even longer one two years later! God knows what we’re going to do next.

I know Colin wants to do Wales, but we’re also thinking about doing the End-to-End. I’m not sure my wife will let me have that much time on the bike,” Mike laughs.

Can’t stop now

For now, Land’s End is safe, with Wales looking like Colin’s preferred option. “I always preface everything I say now with ‘If I’m still here’, but if I’m still here then in May I would like to catch the train to North Wales and cycle back,” Colin says. “Bev and I used to love North Wales. I do love the country and I’d love to come down through the border counties.

“The danger as you get older is you become more content and happy with your lot. I suppose that’s a good thing. But I still want to have a go at these big challenges each May. Here at home in Cornwall I try to ride 80 miles every week but I often do 100 or more. Cycling has helped me to live with my situation after my wife died. I thought when I started: ‘Should I be doing this at my age?’ But I just keep wanting to do more.”

The Book of Cycling According to Colin

“I think it helps if you have the right bike for the right job. If I’m just going out to do 30 or 40 miles I’ll take my Specialized Secteur but I would never do a long ride without my Ridgeback Panorama.

“I’ve got four bikes: the Secteur, the Panorama, a Genesis Vapour for the trails, and one I just keep for any friends who want to borrow it. I’ve done 5,000 miles on my Secteur in about 18 months, 1,000 on the Ridgeback and a load more on the Genesis. Obviously not everybody can buy a bike for everything that they want to do, but my bikes are about the only thing I spend any money on.

“Even as I have grown older I haven’t noticed my position on the bike changing. I think everybody gets a bit of a twinge in their back even when they are 40, so I occasionally get that but nothing else. The one major problem I have had was on the day to Witney during our last cycle tour. My leg played up terribly — so bad in fact I thought that I might have to get the train home and abandon our ride. But I bought Tubigrip, some ibuprofen and some ointment with the pharmacist’s advice and from then it wasn’t perfect but it got me home.

“I went to our local bike shop when we got back and they realised this problem had come about since I had started using clipless pedals. So they altered them slightly and it’s never come back. I think it was purely a case of adjusting my cleats.

“I have no other aches and pains to speak of. Obviously if I took myself now and compared my body with myself 50 years ago I would probably be quite depressed! But I haven’t got anything major to complain about at all.”

The Book of Cycling According to Mike

“If you want to keep cycling as you get older it’s simple: just do it. Make sure you get the correct bike for what you want to do. Then don’t overstrain yourself. For those who are coming back into cycling, just bed into it gently because you don’t want to go all out and do 50 miles on your first ride in 15 or 20 years. You’ll do more damage than you will do good.

“It’s not just about the cycling, it’s about diet, it’s about doing the right training all year round, get proper professional advice — like we do — and make sure you follow that professional advice. Go to a proper bike shop. We go to a great shop called Pavé Vélo in St Austell. They won’t just sell you a bike, they’ll ask you questions about what you want to do with it, and they’ll make sure the bike is set up properly. If the shop asks you the right questions, and you give them the right answers, then you’ll get the right bike.

“Oh and read Cycling Active! One of the things I did after reading CA was to go clipless. Whoah! Going clipless at 61 — that was a brown corduroy trouser job at first! But the benefits of it are just immense. It’s invaluable, especially on hills where you can push down and pull up and you know you are getting the full benefits. But again we took advice from Nick and Tom at Pavé Vélo who set our shoes and cleats up for us. It took a bit of getting used to, but I wouldn’t go back to flat pedals.”

Getting better with age

So, as you get older you have to make certain compromises with your cycling, right? Not according to our determined duo. “No, I don’t think so,” Colin says. “Pride is the only problem. I still like to get up the same hills in the same gears. I’ve managed it OK up until now.

“I just want to make the most of what I’ve got left. I do find with some people my age who don’t do what I do, their balance isn’t so good. If they’re walking over rough ground their balance isn’t there. I think cycling gives you confidence in your own physical wellbeing.

“It also allows me to be able to do a lot of work in my garden without getting tired. It just helps the whole of your life. It doesn’t have to be cycling — any kind of physical activity would give you many of those same benefits, but I think cycling is the best as it doesn’t wear your joints out. “There’s no need to make any compromises. Being retired I’ve got the time. The bike is always all ready to go so I can just head out when I want. I think it’s almost a golden age for cycling and I intend to carry on as long as I can,” Colin says.

“I went into our local bike shop the other day and the guy in there said to me ‘You think you’re old? A couple came in here the other evening, the husband was 86 and they had recently cycled over the Rockies.’ That shows you.”

Mike is similarly upbeat: “Cycling has actually improved me — seriously. I’ve never been unfit during my life because working in nursing I had seen old people who had to pop a load of pills and I didn’t want that. If I’m going to be an old duffer, I’m going to be a fit old duffer. I decided there and then that I was going to cycle long and hard.

“So my fitness and endurance have improved, and obviously all the exercise helps drops your blood pressure right down as well. Cycling has been really, really good for me in every way. It’s upped my stamina, upped my strength and I just feel great.”

Words by Matt Lamy

Entries for this year's Great Manchester Cycle opened yesterday, but you'd better be quick getting your name down because they're going like hot Eccles cakes.

Last year's inaugural event was a massive success with a staggering 7,000 cyclists taking part, and the 2013 version promises to be just as great.

The ride will take place on the closed roads of Manchester on Sunday June 30 June, starting and finishing at the Etihad Campus, home of Manchester City FC. This year's event will again feature three different distances - 13, 26 or 52 miles - designed to cater for all abilities, from club cyclists to families.

The closed road route will be slightly different, though, and in 2013 cyclists will now take over major trunk roads in Manchester and Trafford. The 13-mile loop will give participants the chance to see the city from a whole new perspective as they ride along roads normally off-limits to cyclists, including a stretch of Manchester's busiest motorway - the iconic Mancunian way.

Entry for each route will cost £20 for adults and £5 for youngsters. Children aged three to seven can take part for free.

External link

www.greatcycle.org

Words: Matt Lamy

From the Queen’s Jubilee to the Olympic Games, this summer won’t be short of patriotic opportunities, but we guarantee you won’t find a more wonderfully British day out on your bike than at Bike Blenheim Palace 2012.

For the first time ever the event will be running over two days with a 20km time trial, a new 40km off-road sportive and a Bike Polo tournament on the Saturday, while the Sunday brings the 60 or 100-mile Cycling Weekly-sponsored sportive, the famous Brompton World Championships, and the more leisurely 26.2-mile Breast Cancer Care ‘Pink Ribbonride’.

On both days there will be safe, car-free, family-friendly cycle routes through the Palace’s grounds, cycle skill courses for children, and a huge range of exhibitors and entertainment from bike businesses in the Event Village.

Bike Blenheim Palace runs from August 18-19. For the full range of entry prices and to register for any of the rides please visit the Bike Blenheim Palace website.

It’s worth getting into the habit of going through our ABC of pre-ride checks, even if your bike was in good condition when you last rode it.

These two-minute checks can help to prevent unwanted dramas or incidents that could delay you or cause an unexpected early end to your ride, be it group training, your daily commute or a ride with the kids.

And what’s more, by using these checks regularly you should be able to detect any potential problems before they develop into something worse, which could potentially hit your wallet hard too.

A is for air

Always check tyre pressures before riding. For 700c tyres, between 90 and 110psi is a good guide. Towards the lower end if you are a light individual or conditions are wet, and towards the upper end for heavier riders or for dry, smooth roads.

Remove small pieces of flint that may have lodged in your tyre, as these could work their way through, causing a flat. Also, check wheel quick-releases to ensure they are fully tightened. Finally, hold the wheel and see if there is any noticeable side-to-side wobbling. This indicates a problem with your hubs and they may need adjusting. A spinning wheel should be smooth and quiet. Lack of smoothness, any wobbling or noise would indicate a potential problem that you should get checked out as soon as possible.

Top tip: Check for cuts in the tyre; they often contain flint and glass, which should be dug out. Too many cuts and the tyre’s had its day.

B is for brakes and bolts

Rubbing brake pads will wear themselves and your rim out prematurely. As a general rule your brakes should be fully applied by the time your brake lever is pulled halfway to the bars. Check your brake pads have sufficient life left in them for the duration and conditions of your ride — most modern pads have wear indicators to help you decide.

If your brake lever pulls in too far, you can easily adjust it back to an acceptable braking position using the barrel adjusters, either at the lever body, or on the caliper arm. Turning them outwards — anti-clockwise — will add tension to the cable, reducing the lever travel. A simple adjustment that requires no tools.

If your brake levers don’t spring back smoothly after you’ve pulled them you may have dirty or frayed cables or a problem with the brake caliper itself. Check the cables’ condition and lubricate them and the caliper’s pivots with light oil.

Finally, check the brake pads contact the rim at the same time to ensure even wear. A bit of trial and error will soon make it obvious how adding or removing tension centres the brake. Remember, ‘B’ is also for bolts. Check handlebar, stem, seatpost, cable clamps, plus mech and mech hanger bolts frequently to make sure they’re still firmly tightened. A torque wrench is ideal (and essential for carbon parts), but a standard set of Allen keys or multi-tool will do.

Top tip: Bottle cages often work themselves loose. Make sure the bolts are tight before you put your drink bottles in.

C is for chain and controls

Controls include your handlebars, stem, headset and gears. Check your stem and handlebars, especially where they meet, for signs of surface damage that goes beyond mere scratches. Apply the front brake fully and try to rock your bike back and forth. Any play or looseness indicates a loose or damaged headset and it will need adjusting.

Cranks also come under our ‘C’ check. By making them parallel with the ground and holding each one, see if you can push or pull them to the left or right (when looking from above) this will indicate wear in the bearing of your bottom bracket. After this, check your pedals for movement and make sure your chainrings aren’t bent.

Next check for smooth gear changes. Gear cables should be clean and without signs of corrosion and the pivot points on your derailleurs should move freely.

To start with, have a quick run through the gears. If the chain does not move up onto the next cog smoothly, or it rattles and skips between the two randomly, make small anti-clockwise turns of the barrel adjuster — increasing the cable’s tension — on your rear mech until the chain shifts correctly. Now make sure you can shift with precision up and down the cassette. Back-pedal and watch the chain pass through the rear derailleur. Skipping and hitching indicates a stiff link in your chain. Laterally flexing and lubing the chain across the stiff link may free it. You may need to use a chain tool.

Top tip: Take the time to turn your shoes over and check for worn cleats. If your foot comes loose when you’re climbing, it will hurt!

Tools for the job

Multi-tool: with Allen keys, flat and cross-headed screwdrivers and maybe a chain splitter.

Track pump: with a pressure gauge.

Chain tool: pocket-size or as part of multi-tool.

Chain lube: dry Teflon types are best for road bikes. Avoid ‘wet’ aerosol oils.

Disposable gloves: buy them in multi-packs to save money and use for oily jobs.

Bike stand: not essential but a stand makes check-ups and maintenance jobs much easier than leaning the bike against a wall or post.

Words: Matt Lamy

If you’ve spent winter rolling in the mud and you’re not quite ready for a return to smooth sportive asphalt, event organiser Southern Sportive has come up with a middle way – the CX Sportive.

The final cyclo-cross sportive of the current series will take place on March 10 in Duncton, West Sussex, with a choice of 40, 60 or 80-kilometre routes, all enjoying the best on and off-road South Downs scenery.

Entry costs £14 for the short route, £16 for the mid route and £17 for the full route. For that you’ll get feed stations, mechanical back-up and all the usual sportive support on course.

Contact: www.southernsportive.com

Words Matt Lamy; Photos Roo Fowler

You’ve had a crack at setting up your bike, but something doesn’t feel quite right. Perhaps you’re very short or very tall, or you’re a bit of a funny shape, or you simply want to get the most from your bike. In that case there’s one easy answer — go have yourself a professional bike fitting.

“It doesn’t matter whether you are a racing cyclist, a keen amateur, or even someone that just gets out for the occasional Saturday morning ride when time allows, nobody really wants to be working harder than they have to on their bike,” Henry Furniss, boss of bespoke bike manufacturer WyndyMilla explains.

To give the crew at WyndyMilla a proper test we’ve brought along two people at either end of the height charts: Carolyn — a 4ft 11in keen club cyclist and road rider — and Kevin, a 6ft 4in drop-bar commuter and mountain biker. They’re both keen to see how they can get the most from their off-the-shelf bikes.

“Essentially a good bike fit will be a compromise between three things: comfort, power and aerodynamics. Aerodynamics might apply more to competitive cyclists, but comfort and power is useful for every type of rider,” Henry says.

“There’s also a fourth element to appreciate — if we can get you in the perfect position on your bike we can help stave off injuries. Cycling is a non-impact sport, but that doesn’t mean the potential for injuries has disappeared. Think about how many times your legs rotate on a typical ride — thousands of times. Now, if the muscles are not moving in the correct directions you have the potential for some pretty big problems.”

We’re sold already, so Henry passes us onto Ben Hallam — former professional cyclist and Tour of Britain rider, and now a fully-fledged sports physiotherapist — who will take us through the bike-fitting procedure.

The process

From the start Ben explains that bike fitting, despite its name, isn’t just about the bike: it’s actually about how you interact with your bike. “My philosophy is that it should be a marriage of the bike and body. So if the body is out of balance and it has restrictions that are stopping it moving in a straight line, then you are capping performance and you will also be more susceptible to injury,” Ben says.

From theory to reality, and the first thing Ben needs to do is look at Carolyn and Kevin’s bodies. Cue a series of on-the-spot exercises to get them limbered up, then our guinea pigs are told to stop moving and stand straight. Ben chats to them about something else to get their minds off what they’re doing so that he can get a feel for their natural posture.

“As Carolyn stopped thinking about how she was standing she started putting a foot out and dropping her hip, so I started getting an idea of what problems she had,” Ben says. “I also had a look at the saddle on her bike to see how it was worn. Again that gives me a good indication of how she is moving when on the bike.”

Prodding and poking

It’s time to go to bed. Our subjects lie on their backs and Ben starts looking at each individual joint and each range of motion. “This is when I start picking up whether imbalances are muscular or structural,” he explains as he manipulates our two volunteers.

Back on their feet our subjects are asked to perform a range of exercises so Ben can get a feel for their core stability and how effectively they transfer their weight from one leg to the other. “Once I’ve done this I have a picture of what they look like on the bike,” Ben says. “If somebody is very balanced and has a lot of control in their hips I can be more aggressive with their position on the bike.”

With his research done it’s time to start the process of rectifying problems, starting at the feet and working upwards. “We begin with the pedal cleat, looking at the position fore and aft, to get the relationship between the pedal and the foot correct. If the cleat is too far forward you result in loading up the toes, which aren’t designed to produce power. If the cleats are too far back you load the arch of your feet, and they will end up collapsing. So I’m looking to load up the metatarsals. To go in even greater depth I would also look at control of the foot, and we could even prescribe a custom footbed to improve things.”

Moving up the body, Ben suggests a range of exercises and stretches for Carolyn to help open up the musculature around her hips. It turns out that rolling foam tubes and tennis balls on tight muscles and connective tissue is a particularly effective way to do this.

Fettle time

Finally it’s time to play with our subjects’ steeds. Ben gets Kevin and Carolyn cycling with their bikes on turbo-trainers. Using video analysis — filming the pedalling action from both sides — he is able to check the angle of the knee and to give our subjects useful feedback about their pedal stroke.

“With Kevin I showed him the slo-mo of his right and left legs side by side,” Ben says. “His left side is doing a pretty nice stroke, but his right side is toe down from the bottom of the revolution to right over the top. This means he’s not finishing his stroke underneath — it’s a lot more of an up-down pedal stroke. And secondly, with his toe pointing down, the rest of his leg is having to come a long way further up to get over the top of the pedal stroke.”

Ironically the final stage is the one most people think of first with bike-fitting — position in the saddle. In Carolyn’s case there are issues with just how much adjustment Ben is able to make. “In terms of reach we could just about get Kevin in the right position with the saddle jammed all the way backwards, but with Carolyn even with the saddle at its foremost point we still found we were about a centimetre off the optimum position — and that’s because Carolyn has a layback seatpost.

“At Carolyn’s front end she would also benefit from having narrower bars and we could also do with bringing her back a little bit, but she’s already on an 80mm stem and if we go any shorter there will be handling issues. Essentially, the top tube on her bike is too long.”

While Kevin’s reach is fine, saddle height is more of a problem. “Because Kevin’s seatpost isn’t long enough he could do with going to a bigger bike. But that would then have a longer top tube which would necessitate a shorter stem and we’d have the same story as Carolyn.

“In both Carolyn and Kevin’s cases the best option would be for them to have a custom-built bike to absolutely fit them perfectly. But even by maximising what they can do with the equipment available to them, they will find the bike is more comfortable, they’ll have better power output, and they will be less prone to injury.”

Carolyn — the verdict

“I really enjoyed the day — I thought it was really interesting,” Carolyn says. “I was surprised by just how uneven my pedal stroke turned out to be. Then the interesting thing wasn’t just that there are adjustments you can do to the bike to improve your position, but there are also exercises you can do to adjust yourself.

“We talked a lot about bio-mechanical work. I already knew I was quite lopsided and you can tell even from the shape of wear on my saddle that my right side is lower in many respects. My hips aren’t even and it affects my pedalling stroke. So Ben showed me a range of exercises to do to help me even myself up.

“From the fitting I’ve realised that for somebody as little as me it’s very hard to get a perfect fit with an off-the-shelf bike. You have to do a lot of changes and even then it seems there are limits to what you can do.”

Kevin — the verdict

“I definitely think it’s worthwhile having a proper bike-fit session,” Kevin says. “Just from seeing how much time and care Ben takes to do things, it’s far greater than people often take when sorting their bikes themselves. For instance, a lot of people I know just heedlessly stick their cleats on their shoes on and screw them in, but Ben lines them up perfectly for your feet.

“Other things Ben changed were my saddle height — he brought that up and said I could do with an even longer seatpost — and my handlebars, which came up too. I’ve done a lot of miles since the changes and the bike does feel more comfy. I used to have a few twinges in my knee from an old running injury and while I don’t know if this is the result of the bike-fitting or not, that does seem to be getting better too.”

Website: www.windymilla.com

Words: Matt Lamy; Photos: Chris Catchpole

Back in the July issue of Cycling Active our CAFE lead story was about a day spent catching bike thieves with the Transport for London/Metropolitan Police Service Cycle Task Force.

It was an exciting experience, but with four hours passing between decoy bike set-up and actual arrests it wasn’t all action.

However, it did provide a great opportunity for us to have a chat with the CTF’s boss Inspector Graham Horwood about bike security, particularly for city commuters.

So with Inspector Horwood’s help, here is the Cycling Active guide to keeping your bike for your legs only.

Record, register and mark

The first thing you have to do when it comes to your bike’s security might not have any obvious practical role in preventing it being stolen, but it greatly increases your chances of getting the machine back.

“What cyclists must do is make a note of their bike’s serial number, and also record any distinguishing marks unique to your machine. This really helps us when it comes to returning a bike to its owner,” Inspector Horwood says.

To find your bike’s serial number, turn your machine upside down and look around the bottom bracket or underneath the chainstay. Then, once you’ve noted this you should think about putting your bike on an online cycle registration website.

“You only have to provide minimal personal details, which we can use to check to see if a bike is stolen and

reunite it with its rightful owner,” Inspector Horwood says.

“In London we hold a marking and registering programme every Thursday [see page 94] as well as at special events. We register your bike details for you and if your bike is found having been lost or stolen, we know who to return it to.”

Pick your pitch

So you’ve got your bike’s details preserved somewhere, it’s registered and it’s been security marked. Now that you’ve taken the plunge to start riding it to work, the next questions is, where should you park up? The answer is simple: choose a secure purpose-built bike rack, made from thick steel, and secured in the ground with concrete.

The second aspect of picking your bike-parking place is to find somewhere public. If you leave your bike in what you think is a quiet backstreet you’re only doing the thief a favour — he’ll have more time to break your locks before anybody notices his furtive behaviour.

Even in a public place no bike is safe: the day I visited the CTF they placed two decoy bikes in a thriving part of Islington on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Sure enough, within a few hours a gang of young bike-thieving hoodlums had had a crack at taking one, using a very unimpressive pair of bolt cutters to slice through the name-brand flexible lock.

So, ideally, a guarded lock-up — the office car park, say — with CCTV coverage is the ultimate parking place. But don’t be complacent — even these aren’t perfect.

“We picked up one bike thief who had a massive crack cocaine habit. Because of that, he needed to steal high-value bikes to order. He wouldn’t touch a bike unless it had a retail value of at least £500,” Inspector Horwood tells us.

“The way he worked was interesting. He would get a call that a nice bike had been seen going into a building’s car park. Then he would dress smartly pretending to work there, nip past the guard — he’d walk in right behind a genuine member of staff — and quickly find the bike he needed. He believed he had about 15 seconds between sneaking past security and suspicions being aroused, but in that time he had often released the bike and was away.”

So think carefully about where you leave your bike on its own. And even then…

Lock it right

The issue of what bike lock to use is a pretty depressing consideration because, in the end, precious few are completely indestructible. However, using suitably hardy locks could dissuade a thief from trying to steal your bike if there is an easier target nearby. And even if he does attempt to swipe your pride and joy, you want your locks to delay him for as long as possible in the hope a passer-by will spot what is going on.

“The very cheapest cable locks will be beaten in a second with just a simple pair of wire cutters,” Inspector Horwood says. “And even if you go for a massively heavy-duty chain, like a motorbike lock, if he has enough time the thief will simply get an angle grinder to overpower it. In effect, all you can do with your lock is buy yourself enough time for somebody to spot the thief’s suspicious actions and hopefully call the police.”

If you can, use two locks, and spend as much as you can when buying them. Don’t worry about weight or how small they are to carry, base your lock-purchasing criteria on two things: how tough they are; and how easily they would put off a potential thief. Also, buy two different types of lock, so the thief can’t just use the same technique twice.

Use one lock with each wheel. So feed your first lock through the front wheel, through the main triangle of the bike frame, and then around the bike parking rack. Using your second lock completely independently, feed it through the rear wheel, through the rear triangle of the frame, and have that going through the parking rack too.

Make sure your locks are as tightly wrapped around your bike as possible, this restricts a thief’s ability to wiggle the locks into a position that will help him break them.

Report it

If your bike is stolen report it to the police straight away, if for no other reason than so justice can be done.

“We arrested one person with what we thought was a stolen bike. However it hadn’t been reported stolen and it wasn’t registered on an online database,” Inspector Horwood says. “In that case we couldn’t charge him with a crime because there was no victim.

“So we decided to leaflet every house in the area we thought the bike had been stolen from, asking residents if they had had a bike taken recently. Eventually we had a reply from a lady who said her previous neighbours had moved away but they had a daughter who had had her bike stolen. We got in touch with her and could then charge the thief.”

For those of you with rather more practical considerations, if you report your bike stolen there is also a fair real-world chance of the police finding it for you again. And if you suspect your bike is being offered for sale on a website then definitely contact the police, who will set about investigating it.

“If someone has found their stolen bike on a site like eBay or Gumtree they should contact the police as soon as they can,” Inspector Horwood says. “Then we need them to give us as many unique identifying details about the bike as they can, to make sure the one being sold really is theirs. Saying things like it’s got two bottle cage mounts and it’s blue isn’t really good enough! If we’re satisfied that it’s the same bike and the internet advert is suspect, we are delighted to follow it up. But please do not contact the seller at all — leave it to us.”

And that takes us back to the first point. No matter how good your lock is, you cannot guarantee that one day your bike won’t be stolen. However, if it is recorded, registered and marked, with the police’s help there is a fighting chance it hasn’t gone forever.

Simple advice

The Cycle Task Force has one simple piece of advice for all cyclists locking their bikes in a public place...

Make it as unattractive to thieves as you can. Whether that means slapping a sticker on it saying it’s been security marked and registered, taping over the decals or fitting the biggest, chunkiest lock available, do everything you can to discourage potential thieves.

Folding notes

In London one of the most commonly stolen styles of bike is the folding cycle. The reasons for this are manifold: by their nature they are easily transportable; the lack of a main frame triangle make them difficult to lock up; and some brands are highly sought-after, retaining a high price on the second-hand market.

The secret with folders is to do what they’re designed to do, and carry them with you as much as you can.

But it’s not all bad news, especially for Brompton riders. Because the West London company makes relatively few bikes, and each is sold to order, it has very good sales records. That means many Bromptons seized by police are often reunited with their owners.

Mark-and-register events

The Cycle Task Force holds regular security marking and registration events using the BikeRegister system. This involves branding the bike with an indelible stencil etching and placing a warning sticker on the frame as a deterrent. The bike and its owner are also then registered online.

Just turn up at a regular CTF session, listed below (all started in February 2011), and let the police do it all for you — and for free.

■ The first Thursday of every month from 7.45-10am at Duke of York Steps, The Mall SW1. On alternate months the time will change to 4-7pm.

■ The second Thursday of every month from 4-7pm at Blackfriars Bridge (south side), SE1.

On alternate months 7.45-10am.

■ The third Thursday of every month from 7.45-10am at Penton Street, junction with Pentonville Road, N1. On alternate months 4-7pm.

■ The fourth Thursday of every month from 4-7pm at Cable Street, junction with Dock Street E1. On alternate months 7.45-10am

Top tip

If you want to see exactly the right way to lock your bike, check out this YouTube video: http://bit.ly/ly8Upr. And for more bike security videos visit  www.youtube.com/metpoliceservice

Photos: www.sportivephoto.com

There are more UK sportive cycling events than ever before but don't hang around too long to enter because rides are already selling out if you have your heart set on a particular one. If you do miss out, you may be tempted to look a little further afield; and why not?

Don't forget to join one of the national cycling organisations, where there are insurance benefits and discounts and do think about joining a local cycling club or other group. Sign up with British Cycling if you're leaning towards sporty riding and racing or the excellent CTC if you're thinking along more leisurely lines. Both will steer you towards the right local club or group.

Abbreviations:  CF changing facilities,  ET electronic timing,  FS feed station,  ATC affiliated to charity,
EOL entry on the start line,  EM electronic mapping

JULY 2011

Saturday July 9

CUMBRIA

The Chris Walker Cycle Challenge

Keswick Rugby Union Football Club, Davidson Park, Keswick CA12 5EG

22/43/85 mile

£5/£6/£7

www.chriswalkercyclechallenge.com

CF/FS/ATC

SOUTH WALES

Iron Mountain Sportive

Bailey Park, Abergavenny, Gwent NP7 5TR

100 miles/50 miles/15 miles

www.touroftheblackmountains.com

CF/ET/EOL

Saturday July 9 – Sunday July 10

CUMBRIA & DURHAM

C2C Challenge

Chain Events, Co Durham DH8 8EX

140 miles

£75

www.chain-events.co.uk

FS

Sunday July 10

MANCHESTER-LANCASHIRE

Manchester to Blackpool

Manchester United Football Ground, Sir Matt Busby Way, Manchester, M16 0RA

60 miles

£18

www.bike-events.com

FS/ATC

HEREFORDSHIRE

The Kington Classic Sportive

The Old Vicarage, Lyonshall, Kington HR5 3LN

74 Miles

£20

www.kingtonlions.org

CF/FS/ATC

POWYS

The Devil Ride

The Pavilion, Brecon Leisure Centre, Penlan, Brecon

160/130/100 km

£26/£30/£35

www.cyclosportives.co.uk

CF/ET/FS

SOUTH WALES

Tour of the Black Mountains

Bailey Park, Abergavenny, Gwent NP7 5TR

120 miles/101 miles/63 miles

£30/£25/£18

www.touroftheblackmountains.com

ET/FS/CF

SURREY

Action Medical Research - Surrey 100

Mount Browne, The Ridge, Guildford GU3 1LH

100 km/100 mile

£25 and £25 sponsorship suggested EOL £50

www.action.org.uk/surrey100

CF/FS/EOL/ATC/EM

HAMPSHIRE

Wiggle Super Series - Mega Meon Sportive

South Downs College, College Rd, Waterlooville PO7 8AA

95 miles/72 miles/55 miles

£25/£20/£15 EOL £28/£23

www.ukcyclingevents.co.uk

CF/ET/FS/EOL/EM

Sunday July 17

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE - DERBYSHIRE

Beeston Challenge Ride

Bramcote Park Car Park, Coventry Lane, Nottinghamshire NG9 3JT

135/100/45 miles

£15/£7.50

www.beeston.cc

FS/EM

HAMPSHIRE

Big Wheel 17

Aldermaston Road, Basingstoke RG24 9NB

5/15/27/51 Miles

£16/£8 EOL £20/£10 (£42 EOL £60 Family/£30 EOL £40 Tandem) & Sponsorship

www.stmichaelshospice.org.uk/events

CF/FS/ATC/EOL

BERKSHIRE

Anthony Maynard Sportive

Theale Green School, Church Street, Theale RG7 5DA

119 km/110 km

£20

www.anthonymaynardsportive.org

CF/ET/FS/ATC/EM

ESSEX

London to Southend

Victoria Park, Tower Hamlets, London E9 5HT

52 miles

£20

www.bike-events.com

FS

SOMERSET
The Great Weston Ride
HQ Long Ashton Park and Ride, BS3 2HB

How far 56 miles

Entry £22.50
CA Says One of the friendliest events we rode last year with the achievable distance and seafront finish lending it a family atmosphere. The first third is merely lumpy before you have to tackle the steady climb to the top of the Mendips via Burrington Combe. The tops of the Mendip Hills are rolling with beautiful views especially where you tumble off the ridge for the descent to the final third across the Somerset Levels.

www.greatwestonride.com

FS / ATC / EOL / EM

DEVON

2 Moors 100 Sportif

The Rugby Club, Victoria Park, Bideford, Devon

100 miles/100 km

£27

www.twomoors100.co.uk

CF/ET/FS

Tuesday July 20 - 24

LONDON TO PARIS

Action Medical Research - London to Paris

Various start points

300 miles

www.action.org.uk/L2P

FS/ATC

Saturday July 23

SCOTLAND

CycleOps Power Road Sportive - Scotland

Selkirk

80-100 miles/40-50 miles

£27

www.roadsportives.co.uk

CF/FS

ESSEX

Essex Castle

King's Head Meadow, Catchpool Rd. (off Cowdray Ave.) Colchester, Essex CO1 1YH

75/50/25 miles

£16/£8 Children

www.bike-events.com

FS/ATC

Sunday July 24

EIRE - MEATH

An Post Series- Heritage Cycle Tour of Meath

15/50/100/160 km

TBC

www.meathsports.ie

LANCASHIRE

Bill Bradley Memorial Sportive

Preston Arena

80 miles/40 miles

£7

www.southportcc.co.uk

CF/ATC

CHESHIRE

Cheshire Plains and Peaks Sportive

Broomfields Leisure Centre, Broomfields Road, Appleton, Warrington, Cheshire WA4 3AE

60/100 miles

£30

www.stroccos.org.uk

CF/FS/ATC

KENT

Downland Cycles Man of Kent Challenge

Downland Cycles, Malthouse Road, Canterbury CT2 7JA

100 km/100 miles

£25.00

www.downlandcycles.co.uk

CF/ET/FS/ATC

HAMPSHIRE

Wiggle Super Series - Wight Ferry Sportive

HQ Brockenhurst College, Lyndhurst Road, Brockenhurst SO42 7ZE

How far 100 miles/ 70 miles

Entry £37/ £32 EOL £40/£35

CA says Combining two of the UK’s areas of outstanding beauty along with a unique ferry trip gives a sportive an interesting twist. This three-part sportive starts from the iconic New Forest National Park with the route sweeping south through the forest passing picturesque villages and wild animals at the roadside before arriving at Lymington where your timing will stop. Cyclists will board the next ferry, cross the Solent and arrive on the Isle of Wight. Your time will start again as you continue the second part of your sportive around the sensational Isle of Wight. The route will head clockwise around the island and picks the quietest roads and coastline vistas. Once riders arrive back at Yarmouth, your time will stop and you’ll take the ferry back to the mainland. The final leg is a short ride back through the stunning forest to the finish. The shorter route still completes a lap of the Isle of Wight but has a shorter New Forest section.
www.ukcyclingevents.co.uk
CF/ET/FS/EOL/EM

LONDON TO CAMBRIDGE

London to Cambridge

Lee Valley Leisure Centre, Pickett's Lock, off Meridian Way, London N9 0AS

58 miles

£20

www.bike-events.com

FS/ATC

BEDFORDSHIRE
National Trust - Dunstable Downs

Dunstable Downs

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cycling

YORKSHIRE

Big G – Grimpeurs des Wolds

Details TBC

160km/100km/60km?

£20

www.eastyorkshireclassic.co.uk

CF/FS

Sunday July 31

LANCASHIRE

Action Medical Research - Cross Pennine 100

Roefield Leisure Centre, Edisford Road, Clitheroe BB7 3LA

100 km/100 miles

£25and £25 suggested sponsorship EOL £50

www.action.org.uk/crosspennine

CF/FS/EOL/ATC/EM

WILTSHIRE

Santini Sportive Series - Castle Combe

Castle Combe Racing Circuit SN14 7EY

100 miles / 50 miles / 25 miles

£30 / £26 / £22

www.santinisportive.co.uk
ET/FS/EOL/EM

AUGUST 2011

Saturday August 6

DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY

Galloway reCycle Sportive

Parish Church Hall, Kirkcudbright DG6 4BG

103/67 miles

£25

www.gallowayrecyclesportive.co.uk

CF/ET/FS/ATC

Sunday August 7

SOUTH WALES

Action Medical Research- Brecons 100

University of Wales, Caerleon Campus, Newport NP18 3QT

100 km/100 miles

£25 and £25 sponsorship suggested EOL £50

www.action.org.uk/brecons

CF/FS/EOL/ATC/EM

LANCASHIRE

Cottages 4you Pendle Predator (Previously Bowland Beast/ National CycloSportive/ Pendle Pedal)
Rolls Royce Sports Ground, Skipton Road, Barnoldswick

160 km/100 km

£28 EOL £30

www.pennineevents.co.uk

CF/ET/FS/EOL

CHESHIRE

Broken Spoke

The Catholic High School, Old Wrexham Road, Handbridge, Chester CH4 7HS

85 miles/55 miles

£20/£15

www.chsc.cheshire.sch.uk

CF/FS/EOL £25/£20/The Catholic High School

WARWICKSHIRE

The Great Shakespeare Ride

Stratford Manor Hotel. Warwick Road. Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 0PY

100 miles/ 100 km/ 20 miles

£20/ £15

www.theshakespearehospice.org.uk/thegreatshakespeareride

CF/ET/FS/ATC/EM

YORKSHIRE
Phil Liggett CTC Challenge Ride & Sportive

TBC Sheffield

100 km/150 km

£17/£27

www.ctc.org.uk/challengerides.co.uk

FS/ET

YORKSHIRE

Ryedale Rumble

Ampleforth College, Ampleforth, York YO62 4ER

110.6/70.7/48.6 miles

£27

www.ryedalerumble.co.uk

CF/ET/FS/ATC

SUFFOLK

Suffolk Coast

Glemham Hall, Little Glemham, Woodbridge IP13 0BT

35/60 miles

£17

www.bike-events.com

FS/ATC

ESSEX

Waterside Cycle Tour of the Dengie

Bradwell Waterside, Essex, CM0 7QX

42 km/122 km

£14/£17

www.dengieevents.co.uk

ET/FS/EM

Saturday 13th- 20th August

ENGLAND, IRELAND, SCOTLAND & WALES

Celtic Cycle Challenge
Irish Heart Foundation, 4 Clyde Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 or Barnardos, Christchurch Square, Dublin 8.
585 miles
€2,500 fundraising target, €150 to secure a place
www.celticcyclechallenge.ie
CF/FS/ATC/EM

Sunday August 14

WALES, ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, NORTHERN IRELAND

5 Nations Cycle

Millenium Stadium, Cardiff

600 miles

£99 and £1800 suggested sponsorship

www.5nationscycle.com

ATC

GLASGOW

Action Medical Research- Glasgow 100

Bishopton, Glasgow

100 km/100 miles

£25 and £25 suggested sponsorship £50

www.action.org.uk/get_involved/glasgow_100

FS/EOL/ATC/EM

YORKSHIRE

Action Medical Research - York 100

University of York, Heslington, York  YO10 5DD

100 km/ 100 miles

£25 and £25 sponsorship suggested EOL £50

www.action.org.uk/york100

CF/FS/EOL/ATC/EM

PEAK DISTRICT

Wiggle Tour of the Peak

TBC - Buxton

97 miles/65miles

TBC

www.kilotogo.com

ET/FS/EM

OXFORSHIRE
Woodcote Sunday Sportive

RATZ event field, Woodcote, Oxfordshire RG8

135km/ 100km/ 77km

£18/ £16/ £15

www.southernsportive.com

ET/FS/EM

Monday 15th- Sunday 21st August

UK, IRELAND

East to West

The Pier, Southend on sea

560 miles

£750 in sponsorship

www.ballsoutchallenge.org

CF/FS/ATC

Sunday August 21

SCOTLAND
Glasgow Bikeathon

Drumpellier Country Park, Coatbridge ML5 1RX

13/26 miles

£10/£5/£25 Family+Team EOL £20/£15

www.beatbloodcancers.org/event/glasgow-bikeathon

FS/EOL/ATC

EIRE - COUNTY CLARE

Sky Ride Etape Hibernia

County Clare, Ireland

82 miles

£54

www.etapehibernia.com

CF/ET/FS

WEST SUSSEX

The Burgess Hill RUMBLE

Oakmeeds Community College, Station Road, Burgess Hill RH15 9EA

95/65/43/23 miles

£25/£20/£10

www.srs-events.cc

CF/ET/FS/ATC/EM

IRELAND
Leinster Loop

(Date change from 11th Sept)

Old Grange, County Kildare, Ireland

120 km/80 km/57 km/10 km

www.leinsterloop.com

CF/FS/EOL/ATC/EM

HAMPSHIRE
New Forest Rattler

Moyles Court School, Ringwood, Hampshire BH24 3NF

47 miles/79 miles

£21
www.newforestrattler.co.uk
CF/ET/FS/EOL £23/Cystic Fibrosis Trust/EM

CHESHIRE
Steve Cummings Challenge Sportive

Ness Botanic Gardens, Ness, Neston, South Wirral, Cheshire CH64 4AY

35 miles/85 miles

£18/£25 EOL £24/£29

www.vitacycles.co.uk

FS/EOL/ATC/EM

SCOTTISH BORDERS

The Ken Laidlaw  Sportive

Hawick Rugby Club, Mansfield Road, Hawick TD9 8Aw

165km/83km

£27/£25/£24/£15

www.hamishdsmith.co.uk/cycling

OXFORDSHIRE

Bike Blenheim Palace

Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1PP

60/100 miles

£29

www.bikeblenheimpalace.com

ET/FS/ATC

WALES

The Prostate Cancer Welsh Tour Ride

Welshpool to Swansea

www.tourride.co.uk

CF/ET/FS/EOL

MIDLANDS

Two Counties Challenge Ride

Dunchurch Village Hall, CV22 6PN or Jacks Hill Café, Towcester NN12 8ET

100 km/60 km/16 km

£10 EOL £12

www.challengingtimes.org.uk

ATC

Sunday-August-28

BRISTOL/BATH/LONDON

Action Medical Research- Action 100

103 miles/ 115 miles

£25 and £25 sponsorship suggested EOL £50

www.action.org.uk/action100

CF/FS/EOL/ATC/EM

EIRE

Lap The Lough

The Upbeat Agency, Upbeat Office, Maghery Business Centre BT71 6PA

85 miles

£25-£30

www.lapthelough.org

FS/EM

EAST SUSSEX

London to Hastings

The Terraces, Crystal Palace Park, London SE19 2BB

70 miles

£19

www.bike-events.com

FS/ATC

EIRE

Sean Kelly Tour of Waterford

Dungarvan Sports Centre, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford

50/90/160 km

€40/€20/€10

www.theseankellytour.com

CF/FS/ATC

Monday-August-29

KENT

Kent Air Ambulance

The Iron Rooms, Boughton Aluph Village Hall, Ashford TN25 4HP

100/30 km

£10/£5 EOL £15/£7.50
www.medwayvelo.org.uk/kaa
EOL/EM/ATC

BEDFORDSHIRE

MacBike @ Millbrook

Millbrook Proving Ground, Bedford, MK45 2JQ

100K Road/Mountain Bike Challenge and Fun Circuit

£35 Children under 16 free

www.macbike.org.uk

ATC

Sunday August 31- September 4

LONDON TO BRUSSELS
Action Medical Research- 3 Cities Cycle Challenge

317 miles

www.action.org.uk

FS/ATC

SEPTEMBER 2011

Saturday September 3

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Bealach Mor

Kinlochewe Village Hall

90 miles

£37

www.handsonevents.co.uk

ET/FS

Sunday September 4

ESSEX

Action Medical Research - Essex 100

Danbury Outdoors, Well Lane, Danbury, Essex CM3 4AB

100 km/ 100 mile

£25 and £25 sponsorship suggested £50

www.action.org/essex100

CF/FS/EOL/ATC/EM

HAMPSHIRE

Action Medical Research - Winchester 100

Sparsholt College, Westley Lane, Sparsholt, Winchester SO21 2NF

100 km/ 100 miles

£25 and £25 sponsorship suggested EOL £50

www.action.org.uk/winchester

FS/EOL/ATC/EM

YORKSHIRE
King of the Pennines

Airville School, Gargrave Road, Skipton

BD23 1UQ

101/48 miles

£30/£5

www.evanscycles.com/kOTP

ET/FS/ATC/EM

SURREY / WINDSOR

London to Windsor

Richmond Green (off Kew Rd) Richmond, Surrey TW9 1LX

29/37 miles

£19

www.bike-events.com

FS/ATC

MANCHESTER

Manchester 100

Wythenshawe Park, Manchester M23 0AB

100 miles/100 km

£19

www.bike-events.com

FS/ATC

NORTH CUMBRIA

The Cumberland Challenge

William Howard School, Longtown Road, Brampton, North Cumbria

105 miles/ 57 miles

£25

www.thecumberlandchallenge.co.uk

SCOTLAND

The Prostate Cancer Scottish Tour Ride

Peebles to Dumfries

www.tourride.co.uk

CF/ET/FS/EOL

SURREY
The Redhill YMCA Sportive
Reigate & Redhill YMCA, Princes Road, Redhill RH1 6JJ
40/100/150 km
£20/£25 EOL £25/£30
http://redhillcc.co.uk/content/redhill-ymca-sportive-4th-september-2011
CF/ET/FS/EOL/ATC/EM

WEST SUSSEX
The Worthing 125
The Steyning Centre, Fletcher’s Croft, Steyning BN44 3XZ
125 km/125 miles
£24
www.worthingexcelsior.co.uk
ET/FS/EM

Saturday September 10

EIRE

An Post Series - Rebe Tour of Cork

10/50/80/150 km

www.corkrebeltour.ie

LONDON TO BRIGHTON

Action Medical Research - The Independent London2Brighton Ride

56 miles

£25 and £25 suggested sponsorship EOL £50

www.action.org.uk/london2brighton

FS/EOL/ATC/EM

SCOTLAND

Cairngorm Challenge

Hike and Bike

Cairngorm National Park, Aviemore

Gold 25km hike/75km bike Silver 20km hike/55km bike Bronze 15km Hike/35km bike

£60 and £400 suggested sponsorship

www.barnardos.org.uk/cairngormchallenge.htm

ATC/EM

CAMBRIDGESHIRE

Wiggle Super Series - Night Rider

Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire

70 miles/100 miles

£20/ £25 EOL £28/ £23

www.ukcyclingevents.co.uk

CF/ET/FS/EOL/EM

Sunday September 11

NORTHERN IRELAND

Action Medical Research - Finn MacColl 100

Belfast to Coleraine

100 miles

£25 and £100 suggested sponsorship EOL £50

www.action.org.uk/finn_maccool

CF/FS/EOL/ATC/EM

SURREY / HAMPSHIRE
BHF London to Southampton

The Stockyard, Bushy Park, Hampton Court Road, Hampton, Middlesex TW12 2EJ

82 miles

£20 and £50 suggested sponsorship

www.bhf.org.uk/mbhevents

FS/BHF

GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Castle 2 Castle

Berkeley Castle, Berkeley GL13 9BQ

42/21/10 miles

£10/£20 for family £50/£90 suggested sponsorship

www.stroke.org.uk/castle2castle

ATC

BEDFORDSHIRE

Cycletta South

Whipsnade Zoo, Bedfordshire

40 km

£45

www.cycletta.co.uk

CF/ET/FS

CAMBRIDGESHIRE

National Trust - Wimpole

Wimpole Estate

100/50/25 km

£20/£28

www.opencycling.com/wimpole

ET/FS/ATC

KENT

The Circuit of Kent

Sevenoaks Prep School, Godden Green, Sevenoaks TN15 0JU

130 km/80 km

£30

www.kentcyclosportive.co.uk

CF/ET/FS

WARWICKSHIRE

Shakespeare 100

Stratford-upon-Avon Park and Ride CV37 0RE

100 km/100 miles

£24 EOL £30

www.shakespeare100.org.uk

CF/FS/EOL/ATC/EM

HAMPSHIRE

Southern Sportive

Churchers College, Ramshill, Petersfield, GU31 4AS

155 km/112 km/71 km

£26/ £25/ £24

www.southernsportive.com

CF/ET/FS/EM

POWYS

Trans Cambrian Cyclo Sportive

Smithfield, North Street, Rhayader LD6 5BU

87 miles

£20

www.clivepowell-mtb.co.uk

ET/FS

DEVON

The Black Rat Challenge - North Devon

Lobb Fields Camping and Caravan Site, Saunton Road, Braunton EX33 1HG

100 km/100 miles

£25

www.blackratcycle.co.uk

CF/ET/FS

CUMBRIA

The Cumbrian

Dallam School, Milnthorpe, Cumbria LA7 7DD

91 miles/55 miles

£25

www.sportivebike.com

CF/FS

WARWICKSHIRE

MacRide

Stratford Park and Ride, CV37 0RE

60 miles/25 miles

£10/£5 EOL £15

www.macride.org.uk

EOL/ATC

SCOTLAND

Pedal for Scotland

Glasgow Green

51/100/9 miles

£22/£30/FREE

www.pedalforscotland.org/index.htm

CF/ET/FS/ATC

WILTSHIRE

Wessex 50/100

The Guildhall, Market Place, Salisbury SP1 1JH

100/ 50/ 20 mile routes

£19/ £5 Children’s entry and 20 mile route

www.bike-events.com

FS

Thursday 15th - Sunday 18th September

LONDON TO AMSTERDAM

Amsterdam 300

£149 sponsorship total: £1,000
www.amsterdam300.com

Saturday-September-17

SURREY
Surrey Legs of Steel: Dave Aitchison Challenge Ride

Box Hill National Trust Park, Nr Dorking, Surrey

81km/46km

£25

www.fulontri.com

ET/FS/ATC- Dave Atchison Fund

LANCASHIRE / YORKSHIRE
Tour of the Pennines

Radclyffe Athletics Centre, Hunt Lane, Chadderton OL9 OLS

100km/60km

£25 EOL £30

www.torelli.co.uk or http://www.tourofthepennines2011.blogspot.com

CF/ET/FS/EOL/ATC-Land of Smiles

Saturday September 17 - Sunday September 18

LANCASHIRE
BHF Manchester to Blackpool Night Ride

60 miles

www.bhf.org.uk/mbhevents

ATC

Sunday September 18

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

Action Medical Research- Action Arrows 100

Waddesdon Manor, Waddesdon, Near Aylesbury HP18 0JH

100 km/ 100 miles

£25 and £25 sponsorship suggested EOL £50

www.action.org.uk/arrow

FS/EOL/ATC/EM

SOMERSET

Cheddar Cyclosportive

Sharpham Road Playing Fields, Sharpham Road, Cheddar BS27 3DR

160 km/100 km

£23

www.cheddarcyclosportive.co.uk

CF/ET/FS

BERKSHIRE
CTC Cycle Champions- Women Only

Theale, Reading

30/50/80 km

£10

www.ctc.org.uk/challengerides

CF/ET/FS/EOL

NORTH YORKSHIRE

Evans Ride It - Thirsk

Sutton Bank National Park Centre, Thirsk, YO7 2EH

15/ 30/ 60/ 90 miles

£11 EOL £13.50

www.evanscycles.com/ride-it

ET/FS/EOL/EM

NEW FOREST

New Forest Ride

Brockenhurst Sixth Form College, Lyndhurst Road, Brockenhurst SO42 7ZE

17/34/44 miles

£17

www.bike-events.com

FS/ATC

HAMPSHIRE

OrchidCycle

Brockenhurst College, Lyndhurst Road, Brockenhurst SO42 7ZE

17/31/44 miles

£16 EOL £19

www.orchid-cancer.org.uk

EOL/ATC

HAMPSHIRE

Southdowns Challenge

Southwick D Day Memorial Hall, Priory Road, Southwick, Hampshire PO17 6EU

80 miles/ 50 miles

£23 EOL £25

www.southdowns-challenge.co.uk

FS/EOL/EM

CUMBRIA

The Jennings Rivers Ride

Fitz Park, Station Street, Keswick CA12 5HH

85/36/8.6 miles

£25/£10

www.cumbriafoundation.org

ET/FS/ATC

KENT

The Cyclefit Fondo - Tour of the Marshes

Folkestone Racecourse, Stone Street, Westenhanger, Hythe CT21 4HX

150 km/100 km

£25

www.cyclefitevents.com

FS/ET

LONDON

The Prostate Cancer London Tour Ride (Family Ride)

www.tourride.co.uk

CF/ET/FS/EOL

Wednesday 21st- Sunday 25th September

LONDON TO PARIS

London to Paris

300 miles

EVENT FULL

www.clicsargent.org.uk/challenges

Saturday September 24

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Ullapool Mor and Ullapool Beag

Ullapool, Ross-shire

130miles/ 65miles

£37

www.handsonevents.co.uk

ET/FS

DEVON

Tour of Dartmoor

River Dart Country Park, Ashburton TQ13 7NP

102 miles/82 miles

£27/£21

www.tourofdartmoor.com

CF/ET/FS/EOL/ATC/EM

Sunday September 25

CUMBRIA

Action Medical Research - Lake District 100

Keswick

100 miles

£25 and £25 suggested sponsorship EOL £50

www.action.org.uk/lakedistrict

FS/EOL/ATC/EM

NORTH YORKSHIRE

Arthur Metcalfe Memorial Ride

Galtres Centre, Market Place, Easingwold  Y061 3AD

25/50/75 miles

£10/£8

www.jjhardy.co.uk

CF

WEST SUSSEX

Brighton 50/100

Preston Park, Brighton BN1 (off A23)

100/50 miles

£18

www.bike-events.com

FS/ATC

BURGESS HILL

Burgess Hill Autumn Classic Cyclosportive

Burgess Hill town centre

103/85/63/34 miles

£26

www.srs-events.cc

ET/FS/ATC

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

Cycle for Cynthia

The Friends of Cynthia Spencer Hospice, Manfield Health Campus, Kettering Road, Northampton NN3 6NP

50/25/5 miles

£10/5/25 families After Sept 11 £15/7.50/30 families

www.cycle4cynthia.co.uk

FS/ATC

ESSEX

Essex Roads Autumn Leaves

Hannikins Farm, Rosebay Avenue, Billericay CM12 0SY

150 km

£15/ £20

www.essexroadscyclingclub.com

CF/ET/FS/EM

SURREY

Ibbo’s Cake Quest

Walton on the Hill Community Centre, Breech lane, Tadworth KT20 7SN

150/110/60 km

£20

www.ibbocakequest.com

STAFFORDSHIRE
Prostate Cancer Tour ride

Stoke On Trent

140km/80km

£30/£35

www.tourride.co.uk

FS/CF

LONDON

Ride Around London

Herne Hill Velodrome

115/60/25 miles

£28 and £50 suggested sponsorship

www.accesssport.org.uk/ride-around-london

RUTLAND

The Wiggle Rut

Catmose College, Oakham

101 miles/74 miles

TBC

www.kilotogo.com

CF/ET/FS/EM

OCTOBER 2011

Sunday October 2

BATH / NORTH EAST SOMERSET

BHF Bath to Bournemouth

Royal Avenue, Bath, BA1 2NR

80 miles

£20/£10

www.bhf.org.uk/mbhevents

FS/ATC

NORFOLK / CAMBRIDGESHIRE
Cambridge to Norwich Bike Ride

Midsummer Common, Victoria Avenue, Cambridge CB2

77 miles

£18

www.bike-events.com

CF/FS/ATC

HAMPSHIRE
Wiggle Super Series- The New Forest 100 Sportive

Brockenhurst College, Lyndhurst Road, Brockenhurst, Hampshire. SO42 7ZE

102/66/44 miles

£25/ £20/ £15 EOL £28/ £23

www.ukcyclingevents.co.uk

CF/ET/FS/EOL/EM

POWYS
Autumn Epic

Knighton Community Centre, Powys LD7 1DS

155 km/130 km

£26/£30/£35

www.cyclosportives.co.uk

CF/ET/FS/EM

DEVON
National Trust - Dartmoor Atlantic Challenge

Parke Estate

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cycling

Saturday-October-8

The Brighton Cyclosportive

Madeira Drive, Brighton

119/103/74/55 miles

www.srs-events.cc

ET/FS/ATC

Sunday-October-9

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
Brickhills Challenge

Harley Hall, Milton Keynes MK7

100 km

£10 EOL £15

www.racetimingsystems.com

CF/ET/EOL/ATC/EM

Etape Cymru

Tetrapak, Bedwell Rd, Wrexham Industrial Estate, Wrexham, LL13 0UT

100 miles

£65 or £53 Britsh Cycling member/non

www.etape-cymru.co.uk

ET/FS/ATC

LANCASHIRE
Lancashire Loop Cycle Challenge

Cockerham Village Hall, Main Street, Cockerham, Lancashire, LA2 0DZ

100/50/18 miles

£18

www.medequip4kids.org.uk

CF/FS/EOL £20

National Trust- Sizergh Castle

Lake District

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cycling

Sunday-October-16

ESSEX

Evans Ride It – Epping

St John’s C OF E VC School, Tower Road, Epping, Essex CM16 5EN

12/30/60/90 miles

£7.50/£12.50 EOL £10/£15

www.evanscycles.com/ride-it

ET/FS/EOL/EM

WILTSHIRE
Severn Bridge Sportive

Castle Combe Motor Racing Circuit, Castle Combe, Chippenham SN14 7EY

105/170 km

£24

www.severnbridgesportive.co.uk

CF/ET/FS/EM

WORCESTERSHIRE
Worcester CTC Challenge Ride & Sportive

Worcester Racecourse WR1 3EJ

100 km/150 km

£17/£27

www.ctc.org.uk/challengerides.co.uk

FS/ET

CORNWALL
Lands End 100
St Ives Leisure Centre, Trenwith Burrows, St Ives, TR26 1HB
100 miles/100 kilometres
£20/£15
www.cornwall.gov.uk/sportsevents
EOL/FS/ET/EM

Sunday-October-23

WEST SUSSEX
Wiggle Super Series- The South Downs 100 Sportive

Chichester College, West Gate Fields, PO19 1SB

102/70/45 miles

£25/ £20/ £15 EOL £28/ £23/ £18

www.ukcyclingevents.co.uk

CF/ET/FS/EOL/EM

Sunday October 29

SHROPSHIRE
Wiggle Wild Edric

HQ SPARC Centre Brampton Road, Bishop's Castle, Shropshire. SY9 5AY
How far 98/59 miles

Entry £24/£26

CA says With some slight modifications to the 2010 route, Wiggle Wild Edric takes you on a historical ride around Shropshire and the Welsh Marches. The ride takes you to the top of the most rewarding hills with some breathtaking views over Shropshire and Wales with exciting and rewarding descents to enjoy. Between climbs, the roads are made for quiet bike cruising or fast riding along well maintained and traffic free roads. There are mountains to climb and hidden valleys to explore in Shropshire - the secret county. This years Wiggle Wild Edric is a sportive for everyone but it's still one of the toughest and most fulfilling challenges around. Not only will your legs be challenged but your whole mind, body and soul too.

CF / ET / FS / ATC / EM
www.kilotogo.com

Sunday October 30

HERTFORDSHIRE

Emitremmus Desrever
Costello's Café, Fairlands Valley Park, Stevenage SG2 0BL
101 km
£6 EOL £8
www.emitremmus.org.uk
CF/FS/EOL/EM

STAFFORDSHIRE

Evans Ride It- Cannock Chase

Tackeroo Campsite, Penkridge Bank Road, Rugeley WS15 2UA

12/30/60/90 miles

£7.50/£12.50

www.evanscycles.com/ride-it

ET/FS/EOL £10/£15/EM

SOMERSET

The Exmoor Beast
Butlins Minehead, Somerset
100 miles/100 km
£27
www.exmoorbeast.org
CF/ET/FS

NOVEMBER 2011

Sunday November 6

KENT

Downland Cycles Autumn Challenge

Downland Cycles, Malthouse Road, Canterbury CT2 7JA

100 km/100 miles

£25

www.downlandcycles.co.uk

CF/ET/FS/ATC

HAMPSHIRE

Wiggle Super Series- Devils Punch Bowl Sportive

Hollycombe Steam Collection, Iron Hill, Liphook GU30 7LP

75 miles/ 50miles

£25/ £20 EOL £28/ £23

www.ukcyclingevents.co.uk

CF/ET/FS/EOL/EM

Saturday-November-12

NORTH YORKSHIRE

Colomba Chemo Classic

Richmond Cricket Club, Hurgill Road, Richmond DL10 4AR

65 miles

£15

www.colombachemoclassic.org.uk

Sunday-November-20

GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Winter Mini-Sportive Series (event 2 of 6)

Performance Cycles, Unit 1-2 Butts Courtyard, Poulton, Cirencester GL7 5HY

100 km/ 60 km

£6

www.minisportiveseries.co.uk

Sunday-November-27

WEST SUSSEX

Evans Ride It! Gatwick

Camino Park, James Watt Way, Crawley RH10 9TZ

15/30/50/70 miles

£7.50/£12.50

www.evanscycles.com/ride-it

ET/FS/EOL £10/£15/EM

DECEMBER 2011

Sunday December 4

ISLE OF WIGHT
Wiggle Wight Winter Sportive

Yarmouth Primary School, Mill Lane, Yarmouth PO41 0RA

62/43 miles

£16/£21/£28/£33

www.ukcyclingevents.co.uk

CF/ET/FS/EOL surcharge £3

Sunday-December-18

GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Winter Mini-Sportive Series (event 3 of 6)

Performance Cycles, Unit 1-2 Butts Courtyard, Poulton, Cirencester GL7 5HY

100 km/ 60 km

£6

www.minisportiveseries.co.uk

23rd June 2011 Words: Nick Rearden

The legendary Silverstone Grand Prix race track in Northamptonshire will be thrown open to cyclists for an hour on Saturday evening at 7pm.

Celebrating the start of National Motorsport Week on Saturday 25 June 2011, most of the day at Silverstone will be devoted to MGLive and the MG Car Club with live music, family friendly entertainment and a children's funfair.

But from 6pm, all cyclists will be able to gain free access to the event via the main entrance and from 7pm to 8pm, the noisy vehicles will give way to a free-for-all on bicycles to round off the day.

Apart from the obvious racers, organisers are keen to welcome family riders and also to join the MG Party that's going on as well.

Although there is no charge for entry, cyclists are encouraged to donate £2 per rider to Help For Heroes to support Armed Forces Weekend which also starts Saturday.

Details: www.silverstone.co.uk

19th April 2011 Words: Nick Rearden

London cycling café Look Mum No Hands is hosting the launch party for the latest edition of Mission Malawi. If you're up for a challenge pop along this Thursday from 6.30pm for a free Malawian gin & tonic, music and a nibble or two.

For Mission Malawi you could be riding over 400Km of African dirt roads through spectacular scenery and raising money for HIV and AIDS work in Malawi. One of the things that sets this charity challenge apart is that participants get to meet the people affected by HIV/AIDS that the work is helping.

This will be the fifth running of Mission Malawi having been started in 2004 by Les Pratt. He didn't fancy the slightly more well-worn charity cycling routes but specifically wanted to raise money for HIV & AID work. As nothing fitted the bill at the time, Les set up the cycle challenge across Malawi himself with the first ride attracting 9 riders and the second, 36.

Mission Malawi 2012 takes place between the 12-23 May. To find out more visit the Action Aid website and check out the two films below from the 2006 edition of the ride.

Mission Malawi 2012 launch party

400km. 10 days. A challenge like no other.

Thursday 21 April 2011

From 6.30 – 10.00 pm

Look Mum No Hands

49 Old Street

London EC1V 9HX

21st February 2011   Words: Nick Rearden   Poster: Zoë Barker   Photo: Oleg Skrinda

The third annual Tweed Run will be held in London on 9 April and you're going to need to be both quick and styling a vintage machine if you want to take part.

You're best bet is to get there with a camera because the previous two events have been a feast for the eyes with well-turned-out ladies and gents sporting the tastiest selection of vintage machines you'll ever see riding in one place.

The ride itself will take in 10 miles of central London's classic sights with a tea-break in the middle sponsored by Aubin & Wills and a dance in Shoreditch at the end. We're guessing it'll be more Al Bowlly than Jay-Z.

If you do want to ride, entry is £5 which will go to Bikes4Africa; the tougher part is actually getting in. The last two years' entries have filled in minutes and this time the registration will open at noon on Saturday 26th February. Yes, that's this Saturday; there's barely time to grow a moustache.

According to the organizers, "Proper attire is expected. Tweed suits, plus fours, bow ties, cycling capes, and jaunty flat caps are all encouraged. Do your best for the highly-prized Best Dressed Man and Best Dressed Woman prizes. Dust off your vintage velocipede for the ride; prizes awarded for best vintage bicycle. If your bike isn’t quite a classic, try your hand at the best decorated bicycle competition. And of course don’t forget our world-famous Best Moustache prize — open to both men and women, of course."

As before, sponsors for the Tweed Run will be Brooks, Pashley, Hunstman, and Geo. F Trumpers.

Contact: Tweed Run

17th February 2011   Words: Nick Rearden

Votwo (VO2) the company that organised the popular Specialized Silverstone event last year, is making that two rides in 2011 but this time in conjunction with Santini, a first-time sponsor of sportives in this country, and the National Trust.

The organisers clearly have an affinity with car racing venues because the second of the two events, on July 31st, will be headquartered at the Castle Combe circuit near Chippenham in Wiltshire which is already the scene of a whole programme of races on midweek days in the summer.

Both events will feature a choice of 100, 50 or 25 mile routes and, certainly in the case of the Castle Combe ride, there will be fierce challenges taking in the hilly but quiet country lanes around the Bath area .

The first ride, on July 3rd, will be based at the Dorset stately house Kingston Lacy which is owned by the National Trust. Highlights of this event will be a choice of excursions into the spectacular Isle of Purbeck and the Jurassic Coast.

Contact: www.santinisportive.co.uk

You can check out the full list of coming sportive events on the Cycling Active Events page.

23rd January 2011   Words: Matt Lamy

Latest survey shows cycling popularity is stronger than ever in the United Kingdom.

Earlier this year Project Vélo surveyed people’s spending habits when it came to cycling equipment. Now the results are in, and they’re very encouraging. The headline figure is that the UK bike trade is currently worth £2.15 billion, but some of the smaller details are just as impressive.

One thing we often hear from cycle trade insiders is that Continental bike buyers know about quality and will spend the equivalent of £400 or £500 on an average new machine. Brits, though, tend to buy super cheap. According to Allegra Strategies, which undertook Project Vélo, that situation is on the turn and the average new bike purchased here last year cost more than £350.

That’s good news, as is the report’s finding that a staggering four million bikes were sold in the UK in 2010. Reinforcing the idea of a cycling boom, retail sales have grown by more than 15 per cent in the last year.

In addition, the cycle to work programme has helped bring new people into cycling, with more than half of the people who cashed in their vouchers being novices. Meanwhile, the promotion of cycling as a fitness tool has encouraged more women onto saddles.

And even Project Vélo itself marks something of a high point for bikes in this country. More than 18,500 people responded to Allegra Strategies’ questions, making it the biggest cycling survey ever conducted in the UK.

Contact: Allegra Project Vélo

18th January 2011 Words: Nick Rearden

TV star Davina McCall is heading up the Diva100 women's charity bike ride in May.

Organised by the charity Action Medical Research, the 100km ride will set off from Cowdray Park in Midhurst, Sussex, on Sunday May 8th.

Supported by the bike maker Specialized, the event will offer a choice of two stunning countryside routes – the 100km challenge, or a shorter 50km course.

McCall was seen cycling on TV recently when she was the one of the ballsier celebrity riders signed up by David Walliams for the Sport Relief John O’Groats to Land’s End relay ride last year. She now hopes the 'Diva100' will inspire more women to get in the saddle.

McCall said: “I’ve become a cycling bore since then, but I love it with a passion. It’s an affordable, sociable way to keep fit and doesn’t have to be competitive. I’ve been involved with Action Medical Research since I was a child, but this is my first cycling event for the charity. I hope lots of ladies saddle up and join me for this new fundraiser."

Research supported by Action Medical Research includes work on meningitis, epilepsy, cerebral palsy and premature birth, as well as some very rare and distressing children's conditions.

The event is fully supported on the day with plenty of rest stops and a fully-serviced lunch. Staff riders, first aiders and massage therapists will also be on hand.

Entry costs £28 and you will also need to raise a minimum of £50 in sponsorship. Places are limited and this event is expected to be popular. Sign up is available here.

www.action.org.uk/davinas_diva100

18th January 2011   Words: Matt Lamy

2011 will see three new challenge rides and two established events from the national cyclists’ organisation.

The CTC — traditionally dedicated to leisure riding and cycle campaigning — has jumped feet first into the sportive scene and will stage a series of five events in 2011.

As well as three all-new challenge rides, the CTC has taken over the organisation of two long-established events: the Ron Kitching Ride, and ‘Phil and Friends’ — the ride of  cycle commentating legend Phil Liggett.

The series will kick off in Dorchester on February 27, with a new event along the challenging Jurassic Coast, before heading to Guildford on May 29. The Ron Kitching Ride is scheduled for York on June 19, then Phil and Friends will be run in Sheffield on August 7. The series will culminate in a sportive in Gloucester on October 16.

Apart from the shorter Dorchester ride, all events will have a choice of 100 or 150km routes. Feed stops and electronic timing will be available, plus mechanical back-up, motorbike outriders and a ‘broomwagon’. Entries can be made online or by post, with a discount for CTC members and teams of four or more. Visit www.ctc.org.uk/challengerides for details.

Cycling Active's list of 2011 Sportive events

16th January 2011   Words: Matt Lamy

Some of the top designers and artists in the UK have taken to cycling in a big way, and the results are very wearable indeed.

Fancy a little bit of style? Not content with lending his considerable design talents and cycling passion to clothing kings Rapha, Paul Smith has recently been working with the helmet makers at Giro to create a trio of special edition models.

Based on the Giro Section helmet, which is rather uncouthly referred to as a ‘pisspot’ style lid, Smith has come up with three new colourful designs, each costing £60 and available online at www.paulsmith.co.uk.

Meanwhile, if that’s not exclusive enough for you, London-based and cycling-obsessed artist James Straffon has recently taken a pair of traditional Quoc Pham Fixed cycling shoes and given them a full bike-inspired decoration.

To see how James marries the hitherto incongruous worlds of high-speed pedalling and high art, visit his amazing website: www.james-straffon.co.uk.

This article first appeared in the January 2011 issue of  Cycling Active magazine

Words: Nick Rearden

It's the perennial gift buyers' problem; you know your darling nephew is mad-keen on cycling but you haven't got a clue what will light up his eyes on Christmas morning.

There is no shortage of gift-buying advice out there; the question is, do you buy the great book Le Métier: The Seasons of a Professional Cyclist by Michael Barry - £25 at all good bookshops - or Endura Dexter II Windproof Winter Gloves for £30? Both an excellent choice but if you do opt for the gloves, which size?

Which is why an iGo Gift Voucher might be the ideal choice. Bought to us by Cyclescheme, which launched the original and massively successful Cycle To Work purchase deal with local bike shops, it might just be the solution if 10-days-to-go is as close as you want to cut it.

There's still time to log on and get the vouchers sent to yourself for on-the-day appreciative hugs. Any closer and you'll want to get them posted directly. You can personalise a voucher starting from £20 and they can be redeemed at over 1,600 bike shops across the UK. Sorted.

Website:  www.igogiftvouchers.co.uk

Words: Nick Rearden  Photos: sportivephoto

What the organisers are hoping will become an annual 'iconic' ride from Bristol to Weston Super Mare is taking place again on Sunday 17th July 2011 after a successful trial run this summer.

According to event director Andy Cook, "The event is positioned as a destination challenge bike ride for all-comers, along the lines of the famous London to Brighton ride, and the evidence from this year’s inaugural ride certainly suggests that it’s going to become a ‘must do’ for many people."

The 56-mile route starts in the western outskirts of Bristol and then takes riders through some stunning countryside as it weaves its way through the Mendips and across the Somerset Levels to its final destination on the seafront in Weston-super-Mare.

“A great deal of thought and effort went into getting the route right, and the overwhelming consensus from this year’s riders was that the route was spot-on in terms of stunning scenery and presenting a good level of challenge for riders of all abilities and experience," Cook continued.

Cycling Active completed the ride by tandem and found the level of effort just right for an 11-year-old first-timer at this distance. There was enough variety of terrain to keep it interesting, with lovely villages on the Somerset Levels and a particularly good cake stop.

The kick in the ribs is the climb to the top of the Mendips via Burrington Combe but it's certainly no worse than the equivalent route across Sussex's South Downs and it comes earlier in the ride when you're fresher.

Plus, of course, you cannot beat finishing at the seaside. Dare we say it, but as a veteran of the annual London-Brighton run, we think Weston with its huge grassy park and miniature railway at the finish has the south coast resort beaten.

Website: www.greatwestonride.com

24th November 2010   Words: Nick Rearden

London's Barclays Cycle Hire bikes will be available for everyone to ride from next Friday 3rd December. Up until now the scheme has required pe-registration but it will now be instantly open to anyone with a credit or debit card.

Hirers will be able to purchase either a 24 hour (£1) or seven day (£5) access period, of which the first 30 minutes is free.

That means no increase in the existing charge compared to that for registered members. It will take a little longer to clear the card payment - Transport for London (TfL) anticipate no more than three minutes - than with the members' key but otherwise the scheme will be open to casual riders, tourists and visitors.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: "It is fantastic that the Barclays Cycle Hire scheme has not only proved incredibly popular but the system has shown itself to be rigorous and robust. Now it has been thoroughly tried and tested by more than a hundred thousand members we are ready for the next stage where anyone who fancies taking to two wheels can do so in an instant with a simple swipe of their card."

More than 100,00 people have already joined the scheme, and over 1.7 million journeys have been made on the bikes. According to a TfL spokesman, the initial problems that saw hundreds of people over charged have all been ironed out.

Related post
Boris launches hire bike scheme

17th November 2010   Words: Dave Bradford  Illustrations: Chris Watson

Everyone likes a drink, but how badly does a heavy session impact on your cycling fitness? Dave Bradford lifts the lid on hitting the bottle.

It’s Friday evening and you’re in the pub unwinding after another long week at work. You have a big ride planned for Sunday, but there’s plenty of time to recover before then, right? You’ve sunk a couple of drinks already and your pal’s just getting to his feet to fetch the next round.

It’s a familiar crossroads. Do you draw a line and stop drinking or surrender to alcoholic oblivion? Call it quits and you’ll be barracked for being a party-pooping lightweight; carry on and there’s no telling where or when the evening will end — or what state you’ll be in come the morning.

Never mind tomorrow, though, how will you feel on Sunday? It’s time to answer that nagging question: does getting sloshed harm your cycling fitness?

Understanding the effects of alcohol on athletic performance is not a major preoccupation among sports scientists. This is probably because most professional sportspeople steer clear of booze or drink very little.

As for the rest of us, we are more rounded, sociable beings, aren’t we?

It takes a lot of commitment to become an accomplished drinker and it’s quite clear that if you drink moderately, keeping your intake within government guidelines (a couple of drinks a day, at most), you won’t damage your health.

In fact, one Dutch study found that moderate drinkers live on average five years longer than their abstaining counterparts — a bonus credited to the heart-healthy benefits of red wine.

So, wine-sipping cyclists are in the clear, which includes all those French pro riders who love to boast about how they savour a glass of Burgundy with their dejeuner. Good for them, but the occasional glass of wine just isn’t the British way when it comes to drinking.

We’re far more dedicated; we treat drinking as an endurance sport. Does our habit of downing a bellyful really hold us back when we finally swap our Grolsch for Gatorade and head for the hills? It depends who you speak to.

A sin to binge?

Cyclists come in all shapes and sizes, and the same is true among those who like a drink; they don’t all have bloated bellies and ruddy faces. Genetic factors play a role in determining how efficient our bodies are at processing alcohol, so there is no one-size-fits-all rule about how much is too much.

What we do know is that alcohol is one of the most calorie-dense substances we consume, containing 7kcal per gram — second only to fat (9kcal per gram). Of course, you don’t see the calories in your glass or perceive them as weight but they’re in there, make no mistake.

There are about 200kcal in every pint of regular-strength lager and about 120kcal in every glass of wine. Opt for cider and you’re glugging down 240kcal — a whole Mars bar’s worth — every pint.

“That doesn’t bother me,” you might retort, “I need the extra calories to fuel my epic training rides.” Even if your energy needs are huge, there’s a hitch: your body is unable to convert alcohol into the most valuable source of energy for exercise (ie, glycogen).

This means alcoholic beverages are of very limited value for carb-loading. Granted, the sugar used to sweeten these drinks provides some useful fuel but most of it gets used up swiftly — because another effect of alcohol is that it inhibits glucose production in the liver.

As a result, your blood sugar level plummets and your body is forced to send out a mayday signal for additional supplies, which is why you crave sugary drinks and energy-rich food when you’re hungover.

“After a drinking binge, you’re chronically malnourished and in dire need of hydration and glucose,” explains sports physiologist Nick Tiller. “You have gained no glycogen from the binge, and having an energy source like alcohol in the system is never good for recovery — particularly as it may interfere with carbohydrate metabolism.”

Most of the alcohol you consume is broken down to form a substance called acetate — an unhelpful compound that skips ahead of fat in the energy-source queue. So, in the short-term you burn less fat and, in the long-term, may find yourself putting on weight.

Although the link between beer and rotund bellies is somewhat exaggerated, the cumulative effect of extra calories plus reduced fat burning is inescapable. Excess body-fat doesn’t just conceal your six-pack; flabby bellies are linked to decreased insulin sensitivity — leading to poor blood-sugar control and, in the worst case scenario, type-two diabetes.

Never mind the unsightly stomach; for an endurance athlete, disrupting the body’s ability to store and use energy is a big risk to take.

Drunken dozing

After a night on the tiles, you invariably awake in the wee small hours with a dry mouth and a raging thirst. It’s because all that alcohol you drank suppressed your body’s production of anti-diuretic hormone, which usually tells the kidneys to reabsorb water; instead, they flushed it through and you peed it out. Of course, re-hydration can be achieved rapidly but even a minor dip could adversely affect cycling performance.

“Just one alcoholic drink can cause a slight drop in plasma volume [the liquid component of blood] through dehydration,” warns Tiller. “The lower your plasma volume, the lower your blood volume and the harder your heart has to work to pump the same volume of blood to working muscles.”

Having woken up needing a drink, you have fallen victim to another of the pitfalls of drinking — disrupted sleep. In fact, this is potentially the most damaging impact of alcohol on your cycling fitness. Everyone needs sleep but cyclists are more dependent than most on its recuperative powers.

There is no better form of intensive recovery from exercise than sleep, and insufficient shut-eye has been shown to deprive the body of tissue-building growth hormone. Most of us are optimally refreshed by seven to eight hours’ sleep each night, but what matters just as much as total duration is the quality and pattern of sleep.

Basically, we need to kip soundly and solidly to achieve the correct proportions of dreaming, non-dreaming and deep sleep. Although alcohol helps us drop off to sleep, it makes us sleep restlessly and disrupts the sleep cycle; we don’t get nearly enough dream (REM) sleep.

The detrimental effects of drunkenly dozing, rather than quality sleep, are psychological as well as physical.

Things can only get worse; your mood is not yet at its lowest ebb. The real melancholia will kick in after every trace of alcohol has left your body. Then you may experience what the writer Kingsley Amis coined the “metaphysical hangover”; you feel anxious, sad and pessimistic — a dark mood which may endure into the next day.

Sports psychologist Dr Victor Thompson (www.sportspsychologist.co.uk) evaluates the possible impact on your cycling: “With a drop in mood, your thoughts will be more negative — predicting a difficult day in the saddle, a poor ride or race performance. This leads you to putting in less effort, being negative about your chance of staying with the pack and of holding a certain pace.”

In addition to feeling glum, you may also find yourself daydreaming. “Your concentration will be affected, with a greater chance of missing breaks, changes in pace and hazards in the road. In short, you’ll do less well than you could have.”

The morning after

So, you finally heave yourself out of bed, with grim determination to ignore the hangover and stick to your riding commitment. The first question for your addled brain to consider is: what to eat for breakfast?

Contrary to the marketing hype that accompanies a plethora of hangover cures, there is no miracle cure for hangovers; you simply need some easily absorbed sugars to get your blood glucose back to normal and some slower-release carbohydrates to fuel your ride. Some orange juice, a glass of water and a bowl or porridge will do the trick.

A sensible breakfast will not, however, ensure that your stomach feels fine. Too much alcohol, particularly large quantities of beer, often leads to digestive issues, causing food to pass through too quickly and irritating the bowel. Without dwelling on the fetid details, it’s worth noting that the consequences are potentially more serious than having to make an extra toilet stop or two.

Alcohol may interfere with the digestive system’s ability to absorb nutrients, potentially leading to deficiencies in certain minerals and vitamins — plus an increase in cell-harming free radicals. As a cyclist, your need for a whole range of nutrients is higher than that of an inactive person, and any shortfall in antioxidants may weaken your immune system, leading to sub-par performance and illness.

OK, so we can’t ignore the fact that cyclists who go out and get hammered on a regular basis are seriously jeopardising their fitness (and general health). Heavy drinking puts huge strains on body and mind, and thereby counteracts the positive benefits of exercise. In a nutshell, excessive alcohol disrupts your body’s ability to accrue the benefits of rigorous physical activity.

But it’s not all bad news. Moderate drinking carries none of the aforementioned risks; having the odd pint of beer or glass of wine will not harm your fitness levels. Furthermore, several well-publicised studies have shown that moderate social drinking helps to relieve stress, which is a boon to body as well as mind.

In other words, being sociable and having a balanced lifestyle that allows you to let your hair down complements rather than hinders your resolve to keep fit. If the occasional drink keeps your stress levels low, then it is almost certainly a net benefit to your well-being and, in turn, your cycling.

“Drinking isn’t all bad,” concedes Dr Thompson. “It helps to quieten the fears and, if you’re with other people, helps to relieve stress and anxieties, be they related to your cycling or not — a pleasant distraction. Include a little alcohol and maybe you’ll have a better weekend overall.”

Booze by numbers

550 Calories — in a bottle of white wine.

21Units per week — Government’s recommended maximum intake of alcohol for men.

240Calories — in a pint of cider (roughly equivalent to a Mars bar).

7-8Hours per night — the sleep you need… but don’t end up getting when you drink.

7Calories — in one gram of alcohol.

1Drink — the amount of alcohol it takes to cause a drop in hydration levels.

14Units per week — Government’s recommended maximum intake of alcohol for women.

2.8Units — in a pint of five per cent volume beer.

3Hours — the time it takes the body to get rid of the alcohol in one pint of premium-strength beer

2,600Calories — consumed during a typical British binge (six pints of beer, packet of peanuts, doner kebab and chips)

case study

The pro triathlete

‘Drink is the devil’: Will Clarke, 25, is a double British triathlon champion who has his sights set on a medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

How much do you drink?

“When I am training hard, I won’t touch it because it means I can’t be consistent with my training. I certainly won’t be able to keep up with the best if I drink regularly.”

Why do you abstain completely?

“I think alcohol is the devil for athletic performance. As everyone knows, it’s a depressant, so it doesn’t make you feel great the next day [after drinking]. Personally, it makes me feel really lethargic, heavy-bodied, and it seems to make me put on weight faster than anything else.”

Would you advise all cyclists against drinking?

“For a non-professional athlete, I think it’s fine to go out and drink. Having a few definitely doesn’t do any harm — and it’s part of our culture! However, I would recommend not drinking during the week before a race. Drinking a lot during hard training will run you down or make you feel rubbish; you won’t be performing optimally.”

So, you do enjoy the occasional tipple?

“I have around three weeks off at the end of the year, when I do what I want, eat what I want, go where I want, and drink as much as I like — that’s when I get it out of my system. A couple of times during the season, after great races, I go out into town to celebrate. It is incredibly relaxing, and it’s fun to celebrate after a good performance and let your hair down.”

case study

The club cyclist

’I used to drink six pints every night’: Johan Stegers is a 47-year-old cyclist and member of East Sussex club Lewes Wanderers. He competes in time trials (10-mile PB: 23mins) and the occasional fourth-category road race.

How much do you drink?

“I have cut down dramatically. Since January 2010, I’ve been drinking about 20 units per week, in two or three hits — each time, as a binge. I don’t muck about, I drink for the hit. I drink early in the week to allow full recovery for a Sunday race.”

Is drinking important to you?

“Yes, but I wish it wasn’t. Every now and then, I feel the need to escape from life’s stresses. The hit from cycling or, more specifically, from exercise, is far more important than the hit from drink. Racing, although very stressful, is the ultimate form of exercise and I get a massive hit from it. It would have been better if I’d never discovered alcohol. As it is, I have to battle with the stuff; once you learn to use it as a crutch, it’s got you. An after-race drink can so easily turn into a week-long bender.”

Why are you so careful about not drinking on the days before a race?

“Alcohol has a damaging mental effect on me. If I have a serious [drinking] session on Friday afternoon, the effects linger on past the hangover stage and into Sunday. I find it makes me very apathetic. Even with an adrenaline rush, I’d still perform below par.”

What have been the effects of reducing your intake?

“I was overweight. In December 2009, I was tipping the scales at 88kg. Keeping a food diary told me that, from the 70 to 80 units of alcohol I drank each week, I was taking on 1,200 calories every day — plus ‘drink-fuelled’ snacks, adding up to literally thousands of calories. I lost 7kg over about two months. Cutting down on the booze also improved my mental state and sleep, allowing me to wake up early and get in 20 hard miles before work.”

This article first appeared in the September 2010 issue of Cycling Active magazine

6th November 2010 Words: Matt Lamy Photos: Phil O'Connor

Want to go cycling but think it’s only a sport for whippersnappers? Here's some inspiration from two people who started riding in later life and they love it.

Cycling is a perfect sport for all ages: it’s non-weight bearing, very low-impact, and it gives your cardiovascular system a jolly good seeing to. It might sound like a cliché, but it also keeps you young — we know of countless people in their 70s and 80s who are still happily pedalling away.

Of course there are right and wrong ways to go about starting. A great story we heard recently stars one chap in his late 70s who turned up at a small independent cycle shop wanting to buy a new bike. The shop assistant showed him a range of different machines and they gradually whittled it down to a couple of models.

It was all going swimmingly until the fellow asked to go for a test ride, whereupon he reached into his carrier bag for his cycling gear and retrieved a horse riding hat and a pair of welder’s gauntlets.

Hopefully if you’re reading this you’ll be a little more clued up. But frankly, if a pair of gauntlets is what it takes to get someone on a bike, then who are we to scoff? Our simple message to any rider of any age is just get out there and enjoy it.

Here are a couple of people who have started cycling relatively late, but who have found the simple act of pedalling has changed each of their lives for the better. If you’ve ever wanted to get on your bike, but think cycling is only for youngsters, then read on… and think again.

The sportive senior: Ken Swain

Ken Swain, 63, only really started becoming a committed cyclist a couple of years ago. Ken has always been involved with one sport or another and for more than 20 years he was a runner. However, with two decades’ worth of battering tarmac in his legs, Ken thought it was time to turn to a lower-impact sport, starting off with mountain biking and now progressing to road riding.

“There came a time when my old limbs couldn’t take the pain of bashing those roads any more. I don’t care what people say, at some point you have to say, that’s enough. I don’t think my hips or knees could have taken too much more; something would have given in,” Ken says.

“Then I thought about sitting down, but I thought that would just wear out my bum. So gradually I went out more and more on the mountain bike, on the North Downs with my son-in-law, and then I fancied doing a bit of road cycling, and now I do both. And I’m enjoying it too. I don’t do any running at all any more.

Broader horizons

“The great thing about cycling is that you can get about. With running you are limited to how far you can go and what you can see. Even though I did a fair few miles of training when I was a runner I was always doing little set courses, I wasn’t seeing new bits of the country. On a bike, though, there’s no distance you can’t cover, or place you can’t get to.

“Because I was already quite active I didn’t find my body had to adapt too much to the physical exertion that comes with cycling. My legs were fine, the only thing I do find on my road bike is that it plays up my back a bit more. As soon as I cross the 40-mile mark the old back starts whinging. You can set your watch by it: on the 39th mile I feel it coming and on the 40th it’s there.

“Injuries aren’t anything to be scared of, though. Any active sport, no matter what it is, is going to give you muscle ache. You’re going to wake up in the morning after a hard ride and realise that something hurts — even down to your thumb having been on the handlebars all day. And the more you put into the sport, the more aches and pains you’re going to feel. But you get over them and your body gets used to it all.

“Last September’s Circuit of Kent was the first sportive I did, and I was really taken in by that — it really started me thinking about doing more, and I have done five sportives in the last 12 months. I think over the year I have become a stronger rider — I have my own little course, with a little hill, round where I live, and I know exactly what I have to do to improve my time. That helps me with my training, because it lets me know what I can achieve.

“There are many great things about cycling, and obviously fitness is top of the list. You use quite a few parts of your body on the bike, you get active, and you’re in the fresh air. Cycling makes you do a lot of things that, as you get older, you might naturally stop doing. I am a big believer in either using it or losing it — it doesn’t matter what you’re talking about, and that doesn’t just apply to old age either. There are quite a lot of younger people than me that have lost it already.

“But I can’t see why people can’t get on a bike. When I go riding I see lots of blokes older than me even. There are wonderful people out there, and I think to myself: ‘How old is he? Ten years older than me? Well I hope I’m still going that well in 10 years.’ It’s quality not quantity in life — age will catch up with you one day, so keep mobile, and keep doing what you want as long as you possibly can.

"My advice, for anybody of any age is to just get out there. I think cycling is a great sport, I can’t get enough of it — it’s only work that stops me going out. I’ll even go out in the rain. I want to be one of those guys that people see and say: ‘Oh look it’s that old boy, he’s out again, he’s on his bike, and it’s pouring with rain! What’s wrong with him? Is he trying to live to 100?"

The social cyclist: Valerie Fuller

Valerie Fuller, 56, started road cycling two years ago after recovering from breast cancer. Her local bike shop put her in touch with ladies’ club, Kent Velo Girls, and now Valerie not only has a fun, healthy pastime, but she’s also found a new network of friends.

“I’ve always loved cycling — I cycled lots as a child and as a schoolgirl — then when I had my children we used to go on cycling holidays. Two or three years ago my older son Charlie decided he wanted to buy himself a new mountain bike, so I went with him to the shop. The interesting thing was that they asked me if I was with ‘the club’. Of course I said yes, hoping to get a discount, and then asked what club! They told me about the ladies’ cycling club — Kent Velo Girls.

“I went online, saw the Kent Velo Girls’ website and thought it looked impressive, but all over the website it said: ‘Do not buy a bike’. I emailed the club, asking if I was too old or too unfit to join them, but they just said come along, with any bike, and once I had started everything would be easy.

“I took Charlie’s bike with me that first time, although it was too big for me, and we cycled along the track. “Everybody was very friendly. The next week we decided to go on the roads and luckily the club had been given a Claud Butler road bike from Bikes, Bikes, Bikes in Sevenoaks, so I was able to use that for a couple of months.

“It’s quite scary going from a mountain bike to a skinny-tyred bike, and learning about the gears. I fell off a couple of times because I’d try to cycle onto the pavement but approached it sideways rather than straight on. I got myself up and wasn’t too badly injured because I learnt to relax when I fell off.”

Loosening up

“As I started doing more mileage I noticed my wrists were hurting. I had been pumping my tyres up too high so I have them a bit softer now, and I used to have my arms straight but now I bend them and don’t hang on quite so much. I also make sure I’ve got decent gloves on, rather than cheap ones. I’m cleated in, and my seat is perhaps not quite so high as it once was, so there are all sorts of little things you can do to make riding slightly easier.

“It was scary at first using clipless pedals. I saw a lot of other girls before me use them and I think you must have cycled quite a lot before you go onto clipless, but they are brilliant once you are used to them. The main thing was telling myself not to fall off, and to get my foot out quickly — I even asked the other girls to remind me. I did fall off a couple of times, but only into hedges, and I giggled so much that I never really hurt myself.

“I remember my fitness came along very quickly — in the space of two or three weeks doing three rides a week it became progressively easier. I don’t know how long it takes to get really unfit, but I my had bunions operated on in June and was back on my bike seven weeks later in August and managed a 50-mile Kent Sportive and a 100-mile club ride in September. So cycling is definitely a great tool for getting people back on their feet after being unwell.

“I’ve also kept my weight the same, and stayed slim round the middle, which at this time of my life is good. That doesn’t mean that everyone who cycles is skinny, but it does keep you fit. And you feel great. Psychologically I think cycling is also really good for you. A couple of my friends have had depression and I think it really helps to be outside in the sun, cycling with your friends. It gets your endorphins going, which really helps your mental health.

“I never thought I would get so involved in cycling. I think that has happened because there are so many lovely people in our club. I don’t think I could have progressed so much on the bike on my own. Also, my doctor said cyclists are like birds: they are safer in flocks. But I just love being on my bike — it’s all about the fun, the fresh air, and it’s exhilarating. I think everybody should do it, but then I also think everybody should join a club.”

This article first appeared in the November issue of  Cycling Active magazine.

16th October 2010   Words: Matt Lamy

If it isn’t enough seeing celebs Jude Law and David Beckham jump on the pedal-powered bandwagon, now the Prince of Wales has been spotted trying a Brompton for size.

The Prince’s saddled-up photo-op came in Glasgow as part of his START campaign, promoting sustainable living, and supported by British Cycling.

Over three days, the Prince’s tour visited Edinburgh, Manchester and Birmingham, where cyclists were treated to free breakfasts and bike tune-ups. Sadly, the Prince opted to travel from city to city in his bio-fuelled royal train rather than ride.

Meanwhile, British Cycling has launched its Workplaces Employer Programme, aimed at helping businesses adopt cycling. The theory is, if companies positively encourage cycling by creating projects like workplace cycle clubs it will have beneficial side-effects, like reducing a firm’s carbon footprint and easing traffic congestion.

Contact: lovecycling@britishcycling.org.uk.

15th October 2010   Words & photo: Nick Rearden

Continental-style passion as Frome starts the hill-climb season with a sprint through its cobbled streets.

These autumn months are the traditional season for cycling hill-climbs and most well-established clubs organise at least one timed race up the steepest local hill. The pinnacle of the year for hill-climbing specialists is the National Hill-Climb Championship being promoted this time by the Coventry Cycling Club at Weston-sub-Edge on Sunday, October 31.

It was a decidedly non-traditional event that kicked off the season, however, in the town of Frome, Somerset, on September 19. Where most hill-climbs take place in the countryside, the Cobble Wobble was held right in the middle of the ancient town, closing off the narrow, fiercely steep — and cobbled — St Catherine’s Hill so 200 or so competitors, some dressed as Big Bird or Mexican wrestlers, could entertain the townspeople who spilled out from cafes and pubs to shout encouragement.

This was the second go at the Cobble Wobble and it looks like becoming an annual fixture. The first was held as part of the celebrations to welcome the 2009 Tour of Britain and was such a success that it seemed a shame, according to the mysterious ‘Black Canon Collective’ that organised it, not to do it all again.

The ‘King of the Cobbles’ was Chris Akrigg, a lanky mountain bike trials rider sponsored by Mongoose.

Website: www.cobblewobble.co.uk

14th October 2010   Words: Matt Lamy

We’re all for getting kids on bikes, but not so sure about juvenile offenders. Especially after the news story about two tearaways who escaped from Barton Moss Secure Unit in Salford during cycle proficiency training.

Using mountain bikes made by Claud Butler and Kote (no, we haven’t heard of Kote either), Connor Dewhurst, 14, and Sam Thomas, 13, simply pedalled away from instructors and made a bid for freedom. It is believed they cycled more than seven miles to Manchester’s Victoria railway station and hopped on a train.

Dewhurst, who is serving a sentence for assaulting a police officer, was picked up sometime later in Blackburn, but as we went to press it wasn’t clear if convicted robber Thomas was still at large.

5th October 2010 Words: Matt Lamy

We know the Daily Mail doesn’t always get a good press from — or indeed give a good press to — the cycling community. But we have some sympathy for its moral outrage when it recently reported that Suffolk Police was handing out stolen bikes to repeat criminals in the hope that they would use them to go and find work.

Previously, under the Police Property Act any unclaimed lost or stolen bicycle would have been auctioned off with the proceeds going back into police coffers. But with Suffolk’s new ‘Recycling Cycles’ scheme, bikes will be stored and given to ‘priority offenders’. According the Mail, the ridiculous situation could even arise where somebody who has been charged with stealing a bike is later given it back legitimately.

Fiona McEvoy of the TaxPayers’ Alliance was unimpressed. “This absurd scheme just legitimises the initial bike theft, with offenders benefiting directly from crime,” she said. “The victims of bike crime will be astonished.”

Meanwhile, in the scheme’s defence, Norfolk and Suffolk senior probation officer Victoria Woods, said: “Finding employment can have a positive influence on people seeking to address their offending behaviour.

“Often the lack of independent transport prevents some people from securing permanent positions. This scheme will hopefully address this shortfall,” she added.

Call us old bigots, but we think a stolen bike has only one home — back with its owner.

This article was first published in the October 2010 issue of Cycling Active magazine

21st September 2010   Words: Matt Lamy

We don’t mind admitting we’re getting excited here at Cycling Active, because soon we’ll be drooling our way around Earls Court, looking at the sparkliest, blingiest bits of new kit at the Cycle Show 2010.

Of course, it’s not just inanimate bits of metal that will get the juices flowing — there will also be a commuter test track where you can try out the newest ride-to-work machines; a mountain bike experience track where you can test your off-road prowess; and even a section devoted entirely to disabled riders.

Free secure bike parking means you can start as you mean to go on — by riding to the show. And if you want to bring the kids, there will be a children’s test zone for under-fives and a Go-Ride area with fully qualified instructors for six to 12 year olds.

If all that sounds a bit energetic, there will also be plenty of passive entertainment: fashion shows with the latest cycle clothing; demonstrations from the world’s most talented BMX bandits; or you can just go shopping for kit and accessories at the Cycle Store.

Anyone and everyone from the British cycle business will be somewhere in the hall, so if there’s a specific product you want to know more about, or you just want to ogle and fantasise, come along. We’ll be there too, on stand B12, so drop by and say hello — we’ll even have some of the more interesting bikes we’ve tested on display.

CA readers can buy tickets in advance for the special price of £10.50 (normally £12, or £15 on the door). Visit www.cycleshow.co.uk/cam and enter the code CAM when prompted. The Cycle Show 2010 will be held from Friday October 8 to Sunday October 10.

Website: www.cycleshow.com

13th September 2010   Words: Matt Lamy

The worlds of big-time motorsport and sedate countryside cycling had a thoroughly civilised coming together when F1 star and bike enthusiast Mark Webber opened the Chilterns Cycleway.

The new Cycleway — a 170-mile signposted circular route following quiet roads through the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty — sits on Webber’s doorstep, the Aussie residing near Aylesbury. So the Red Bull driver was only too happy to do the honours, cutting the ceremonial ribbon on the National Trust’s Ashridge Estate.

“I’m looking forward to cycling the full route,” Webber said. “I have a lots of friends from overseas who love riding in the local area and say it’s as lovely as anywhere in the world. We certainly have a beautiful backyard here — get out there and enjoy it!”

The Cycleway came together as a partnership between the CTC, the Chiltern Society, Sustrans, local highway authorities and local cycling groups. It also benefited from a £48,000 Leader Grant. For more details visit www.chilternsaonb.org/cycleway where you can also buy the Chilterns Cycleway guide book (£9.99).

12th September 2010   Words: Matt Lamy Photo: Sportive Photo

Following our story last month about the two new bicycle-based programmes on BBC television — Britain By Bike with Claire Balding and Ride Of My Life with Rob Penn — we were amused to read a story on the BBC website entitled ‘Rise of the MAMILS (Middle-Aged Men In Lycra)’.

The article’s author Dominic Casciani — himself a dedicated MAMIL — explains that  the numbers of men aged 35-44 buying carbon-frame bicycles has rocketed in the last three years. "Is this a 21st century mid life crisis? Has the silence of skinny tyres and carbon-fibre framesets replaced the thunderous noise of motorbikes?” he ask.

Casciani was inspired by a new report from lifestyle research firm Mintel, who coined the MAMIL moniker. But we don’t think it’s just middle-aged chaps taking to the saddle these days — every social group is discovering the joys of pedalling. And in any case, they forgot to mention the most important subgroup: CARMAMILS (Cycling Active-Reading Middle-Aged Men In Lycra).

16th August 2010   Words: Matt Lamy

Remember the 1950s when we all used to pedal t’mill in our flat claps, whippets in tow? Well if you thought that was a golden era for biking then think again. Cycling is more popular than ever right here, right now.

And it’s not just us in our rose-tinted Oakleys saying it — cycling is at its highest level in decades according to the Department for Transport’s National Travel Survey.

Chris Peck from cyclists' organisation the CTC said: “We expected that the recession, along with high fuel prices, would lead to an increase in cycling. What is especially surprising is that the growth is particularly associated with those in the highest income bracket, which may be as a result of the boom in leisure cycling and commuting by bike.

“The upward trend has been most marked in the south of England, with eight per cent of inner London residents and one in 25 workers in the South-East and South-West now saying they cycle to work.

“At the same time as cycling is on the increase, car use is steadily falling. Expenditure on new cars is down by 13 per cent over the course of the last three years, while sales of bikes have soared by 25 per cent over the same period.”

15th August 2010  Words: Matt Lamy

We went along to the grand unveiling of the Barclays Cycle Hire Scheme this month as the mayor of London, Boris Johnson, declared the “Rolls-Royce of bicycles” ready to ride.

We were intrigued to see how the new city initiative would work and despite some initial difficulty pedalling the heavy frames up hills, (which thankfully there aren’t many of in central London) we were pleasantly surprised by how easy the whole process is.

David Brown, managing director of surface transport for TFL, explained they’d learned from mistakes made in Paris and as a result had made the whole process “incredibly user friendly” — and so far, so good.

The first bike was rolled out from Waterloo station at 6am on the day of the official launch, at which point over 12,000 people had already registered as members, allowing them a key to access the various docks around the city. “I think it will dramatically change the way people make short journeys in central London, without a doubt,” continued Brown.

The 315 docking stations placed around London currently hold a fleet of 5,000 bikes, which Boris says will “get people out of their cars and enjoying fresh air”. A membership key costs £3 and the first 30 minutes of any journey is absolutely free of additional fees. Full membership details at www.tfl.gov.uk/barclayscyclehire

You say...

Georgia McGathy, account manager, lives in Guildford

“It’s not bad, but I’m a bit short for it so I need to reduce the saddle height! I’m going to use it to cycle to work from Waterloo station so I’ll see how it goes. I’ll try it out for a couple of days and then see if it’s going to work for my commute. I think it’s a really good idea; I did it in Paris and it just seemed so sensible. It works really well there.”

Chris Coates, solicitor, commutes into Waterloo

“It’s brilliant. I’ll just give it a go and see what happens — take my chances with the traffic! I think it’s worked in other cities, so great, why not?”

Catina Bernardis, consultant plastic surgeon, lives in Tufnell Park

“I think it’s a fantastic idea to have this. It’s worked in Barcelona, Paris and various other places. There’s been quite a lot of negativity about it costing so much, but the whole point is that it’s a convenient thing for short journeys. There’s been some negative press but despite that, I think it’s a great idea.”

26th April 2010   Words: Matt Lamy

Jersey politicians recently voted to make it compulsory for all under-18s to wear a helmet while cycling in public places on the island. However, a move to make helmets compulsory for adult cyclists was rejected by just a single vote.

The debate to change the law was instigated by Deputy Andrew Green, whose son Christopher suffered a brain injury after a fall while cycling when aged nine. The vote for making helmets compulsory for under-18 cyclists was passed with 33 votes to 16, while the vote for adults was rejected 25 to 24.

Questions are already being asked as to how the law will be enforced, particularly as it will be hard to spot who is 18 and who is not.

27th April 2010   Words: Matt Lamy

Cycling has always been such an innocent pleasure, not least touring abroad. Unless of course you’re in the pay of Adolf.

Ah, cycle touring. The freedom of the open road, exploring pastures new, and top secret military surveillance — yes, you read right. With the National Archives recently declassifying files that revealed MI5 suspected members of the Hitler Youth were being sent to Britain on cycle-touring holidays with espionage in mind.

The documents, dating back to 1937, show that British security experts kept a very keen eye on visiting members from the Nazi Cyclists Association (now there’s a club jersey we’d like to see).

The suspicion was that the young riders were being encouraged to memorise road layouts, bridge construction and landmarks.

Thankfully, it wasn’t hard for the British authorities to keep track of the two-wheeled marauders. With their leather shorts and Nazi-inspired knee-high woollen socks, the cycle tourists must have stuck out like sore Teutonic thumbs.

29th April 2010   Words: Keith Bingham   Photo: Brooks Saddles & Luggage

Many women are dissuaded from cycling by an aversion to Lycra tights. Recently a number of events have been organised in an attempt to encourage more women to take up cycling for fitness, as a transport method, and to dispel the preconception that cyclists have to wear unattractive kit.

Taking inspiration from the website Copenhagen Cycle Chic, which shows women sporting stylish suits and high heels, a fashion themed event in Cambridge was organised and held in March.

The Ride for Joy — the name hoping to redefine ‘joyriding’ — illustrated that it’s possible to cycle stylishly and attire shouldn’t be a deterrent.

Meanwhile, four Pedal It Pink rides have been organised by the Breast Cancer Campaign, challenging women to go the extra mile by riding a 13 or 26-mile ride and raising funds for the charity. London’s ride was in March, but Pedal It Pink hits Liverpool on April 18, Edinburgh on May 16 and finally Nottingham in October.

Marie Curie Cancer Care has also joined the cycling campaign with a women’s only ride from York to Amsterdam in June, totalling 250 miles.

Website: Copenhagen Cycle Chic

Website: Breast Cancer Campaign

This article first appeared in the May 2010 issue of  Cycling Active magazine

1st July 2010  Words: Keith Bingham

Britain needs to think Dutch and increase cycle parking at rail stations to five per cent of passenger use, says CTC, the national cyclists’ organisation. What’s that in real figures?

Five per cent loosely means the 8,000 spaces currently available at 88 of Britain’s busiest stations will need to grow to around 125,000. It means the 1,365 spaces at 14 of London’s main stations would grow to 67,612.

Britain’s leading transport journalist and author Christian Wolmar says: “Five per cent increase is perfectly reasonable. There is no doubt that providing cycle parking generates usage — you only have to compare Paddington and Waterloo, both with lots of spaces, with say King’s Cross where there is a real shortage.”

Bicycle parking in front of the railway station in Delft, Holland

But how can the railways be persuaded to comply?

“Well, I think it’s a matter of simply writing it into franchise agreements as Lord Adonis has intimated he would. It is, too, a matter of horses for courses. There may well be areas where five per cent is inadequate, or excessive, but it is a good ballpark figure,” says Wolmar.

What does Roger Geffen, CTC’s campaigns and policy manager, say?

“We should be bold in our planning and prepared to invest in cycle provision as the Dutch would, rather than simply accept that there’s no space.”

What’s with the Dutch?

They provide for 10 per cent of passengers using bikes. So there is a 15,000-capacity cycle park at Utrecht station — and it’s being extended to 20,000.

What do we know about the Brits?

According to the National Stations Improvement Programme, only 1.6 per cent of passengers arrived by cycle, but 11.2 per cent say they would like to.

Any drivers in there?

Yes, of those who drive to the station, 47 per cent said they’d like another method of getting there, but nine per cent of those, ie four per cent of drivers, said they would like to cycle and save themselves enormous car-parking charges. At Exeter, for instance, a driver will pay £1,460 per annum to leave his car. That’s worth two decent bicycles, one at each end of the line.

How many want to take their bikes with them on the train but can’t because of restrictions?

A large proportion. The CTC says that on-train cycle carriage can be managed and will bring benefits to both passengers and operators.

Are any stations doing the right thing?

Yes, popular cycling towns Oxford, Cambridge and York already provide around five per cent cycle parking.

That Lord Adonis, is he on the right lines?

You mean Lord Adonis, the secretary of state for transport? Yes, he’s very keen. He was impressed by the Dutch town of Leiden, which has 6,000 supervised cycle parking spots for a population of 118,000 — five per cent of the people living there.

Adonis is leading the way with a £14 million project to create 10,000 cycle spaces at 10 new cycle hubs at leading stations around the country. Leeds will be the first, opening in May. London St Pancras, London Victoria, London Waterloo, Grimsby, Hull, Liverpool Lime Street, Scunthorpe, Sheffield and York are due to open in two years’ time.

That’s nice, but 10,000 across 10 stations is still way short.

Yes. But it’s a start. The London Waterloo hub, for instance, will have 230 cycle racks when they need 13,470 spaces.

OK, but where would they put 13,470 bikes?

They could use the former Eurostar terminal at Waterloo. It’s fantastic and crying out to become a giant bike park since Eurostar abandoned it for the new St Pancras terminal.

But haven’t you seen all the rusty hulks abandoned at stations?

Good point. A station with a bicycle graveyard is not a well-managed station. Staff need to tag bikes, with a removal notice, and then remove them. Oxford station used to be a bike graveyard, until they started to sort the living from the dead.

Website: CTC

26th April 2010   Words: Keith Bingham

It's been a long wait - over a decade - but the long-suffering riders at the Hillingdon Cycle Circuit in West London have finally got a clubhouse to be proud of.

The £715,000 timber-clad building was officially opened by the Mayor of Hillingdon, Councillor David Yarrow yesterday morning, to applause from riders - lured from their training on the 0.93-mile circuit by the offer of free cakes, coffee - and officials.

It's state-of-the-art - Dyson Dryers in the toilets.

But most important of all, they have now a decent place to display the portrait of their inspirational hero, triple Olympic champion Bradley Wiggins who raced here as a schoolboy.

"This - the name's quite a mouthful - this Hillingdon-cycle-circuit-clubhouse-in-the-Minet-Country-Park"... said the Mayor after due pause to study his notes..."is another example of the council's continuing commitment to develop the sporting and recreational facilities available to our residents."

"The clubhouse has been developed over the last 10 to 12 months and I would like to thank all parties involved in the delivery of the project in a such a short space of time.

"It includes state of the art facilities for indoor coaching, instruction at all levels, with specialised classrooms in addition to the main hall which provides the social area essential for all sports to encourage friendship likely to last a lifetime. A cycling club house has been a long awaited facility for the cycling community.

"It gives me great pleasure to declare the Clubhouse officially open..."

And he tugged the cord to reveal the wall plaque recording a proud moment in the Hillingdon circuit's development, this cycling oasis in a congested part of London.

Riders in the popular Hillingdon Winter Series

The man wearing the biggest smile was Stuart Benstead, chair of the Hillingdon Users Group.

"Now we can invite local schools to become involved here," said Benstead. "Before, if the weather was bad, there was nowhere to go. Now, with this fabulous facility, we can take them in to the class rooms for coaching."

Website: Hillingdon Cycle Circuit