By Uyen Nguyen ‘Did you seriously hang that hideous thing on the wall?’ says my aghast visitor after warming herself up with a cup of tea. Without tracing her line of sight, I know exactly what has shocked her. My grandfather’s certificate of ownership for his first bicycle. 1975. The yellowing and tattered piece of
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Roll up, roll up – it’s the greatest show on earth. With an intriguing route and an incredible lineup, the 104th edition of the Tour de France is set to be a stunner. Iain Treloar tells you what you need to know. The Tour de France needs little introduction. It’s the world’s biggest annual sporting
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Aggressive riders frighten others off the roads and paths, and some riders have had enough. Simon Vincett investigates. Helen Smart has just about had enough. Although she’s ridden for transport for decades, she finds herself gritting her teeth for the daily commute, which she finds regularly punctuated with conflict with other riders. After many incidents of
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Peter Foot meets a man who took on a seriously difficult ride, while towing a trampoline, and survived. Cycle touring has grown in popularity in recent years, and at times it can seem that every bearded young man and his dog are pedalling through a remote part of the world and writing a blog
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Away from the beaten tourist-track, Sulawesi offers mountainous terrain, lush foliage and all the ingredients for an amazing cycling trip. Colin Freestone shares his experiences gained from 15 years exploring the island. Sulawesi, that spidery, mountainous Indonesian island just north of Bali, is superb for cycling. It’s way off the beaten tourist tracks of Bali
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Simon Vincett talks smart bike security and then takes the tools to the best bike locks to find just how much protection they really offer. Like a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, the security of your bike is only as good as the best opportunity it offers a would-be thief. Did
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Ro Privett recounts his epic adventure on Siberia’s Kolyma Highway through Far East Russia—otherwise known as the ‘Road of bones’. “You will definitely meet bears,” remarked our drunken Russian guide. After a pause and a reflective look away, he followed up, in a concerned voice, “I hope you escape”. Needless to say, the three of
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Bicycle sizing is, to the uninitiated, a confusing blur of figures and angles. Iain Treloar shows you how to make sense of it all. What any bike rider seeks is the moment where the bike disappears—where any niggles evaporate into the ether, where body and machine are perfectly attuned, and where that elusive state of
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There’s nothing quite like the Tour de France. Iain Treloar runs you through the route, the riders and the romance of this iconic event. The Tour de France is a daily drama with an entire nation its stage, and a transfixed global audience. Now in its 103rd year, this venerable race has seen it all:
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Excluding any thought of quitting is the key to completing this epic feat of solo endurance. Ultra-endurance cycling events are a small, but growing, niche, with examples like the Race Across America, Tour Divide (North America), Freedom Challenge (South Africa) and Transcontinental (Belgium to Istanbul) growing in both attendance and media attention. But if there’s
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