At first glance, Balmamion is the story of an Italian cyclist whose name will probably be unfamiliar to most, despite winning his home Grand Tour; in reality it provides a much deeper understanding of cycling in Italy at the time, and the environment in which it operated. It’s a great story, written by an expert.> … Read more
DexShell’s Ultralite Gloves are a curious concoction. They look like old-school woollen gloves, but they certainly don’t perform like them: they’re waterproof and work with your phone. Good off the bike, they’re not as breathable or comfortable as you might hope for long rides.When I say DexShell’s Ultralite gloves look, on first viewing, like ‘old … Read more
Reading Council’s transport boss has criticised the government for ‘micro-managing’ the roll-out of new cycling infrastructure, branding its approach, “supreme bollocks.”The government announced a £250m emergency active travel fund for the creation of pop-up bike lanes and other measures back in May. The money has been issued in two phases with the second, larger allocation … Read more
The casual performance sector of the shoe market is a huge but tricky one. Straddling the two camps of trainer-like flat pedal shoes and mountain bike style two-bolt clipless pedal shoes, the Bontrager SSR Women’s Multisport Bike Shoes do an unusually good job, offering grip and reasonable levels of stiffness, and they are easy to … Read more
*Update (November 24): The driver has been suspended by his firm, pending further investigation**Update (December 4): The driver has left the firm following a disciplinary process*Today’s breath-taking near miss sees the driver of a builder’s merchants lorry cutting the corner when turning into a side road and almost flattening a cyclist in the process. The manoeuvre … Read more
A psychiatrist who examined Dr Richard Freeman before his medical tribunal has said that the former British Cycling and Team Sky doctor was vulnerable to the bullying of Shane Sutton due to his bipolar disorder and that this may have been how he came to order the banned substance Testogel.Freeman has admitted 18 of the … Read more
Cycling UK has expressed concern that the “loudest voices” are having undue influence on decisions relating to new cycle lanes. New research commissioned by the charity has revealed that people overestimate public opposition to such schemes by more than 50 per cent.Experts have said that it is often a vocal minority who are fighting new … Read more
The Knog Plug is a simple and effective rear light, offering a decent selection of modes, good battery life for its price point, and ease of use.Over the years I have used several Knog lights and generally been impressed with them. The Plug is essentially a stripped-back, everyday light, that is cheap but effective.> Find … Read more
A woman who twice fell off her bike on “slippy” cycle paths while riding her children to nursery was told that the paths in question didn’t need to be cleared when she reported the problem to Somerset County Council. This Is The West Country reports how Amy Long regularly rides from Highbridge into Burnham-on-Sea to … Read more
