British Cyclo-Cross Championships – Results & Images from Day 1

by | Jan 13, 2018

Words and Images by Craig Zadoroznyj

 

Results and photos from an exciting Day 1 of the British Cyclo-Cross Championships at Hetton Lyons Park.

Day 1 saw a total of five races with seven champions throughout the diffrent age categories.

Maddi Smith of Bolsover & District CC won the womens veterans title, Pete Middleton of Zepnat.com RT Lazer Helmets took the mens 50+ race, Millie Couzens PH-MAS/Paul Milnes/Oldfield ERT took victory under-16 girls, Zoe Backstedt of Maindy Flyers Youth CC won the under-14 girls category, Simon Wyllie of Halesowen A&CC takes the victory in the under-16 boys, The under-14 boys victory went to Joshua Tarling of West Wales Cycle Racing Team.

And the final race of the day saw Paul Oldham of Hope Factory Racing claim his first striped champions jersey in the 40-49 category.

 

 

 

 

Full Results from Day 1

1. Paul Oldham Hope Factory Racing MV40
2. Nicholas Craig SCOTT Racing MV45
3. Ian Taylor C and N Cycles RT MV45
4. Stephen James Renvale RT MV40
5. Neil Ellison WDMBC/Specialized Ruislip MV40
6. James Bryan Zepnat.com RT Lazer Helmets MV45
7. Robert Jebb Hope Factory Racing MV40
8. Daniel Guest Cotswold Veldrijden MV40
9. Darren Atkins Ride Coventry MV45
10. Daniel Alexander Zepnat.com RT Lazer Helmets MV45
11. Andrew Taylor C and N Cycles RT MV40
12. Andrew Peace Shibden Cycling Club MV45
13. Mike Simpson Beeline Bicycles RT MV45
14. Andrew Parry Forza Cycles Racing Team MV40
15. James Dalton Pedalsport Cycling Club MV40
16. Nicholas Whitley Chester RC MV45
17. Alan Nixon Blumilk.com MV40
18. Adrian Lawrence C and N Cycles RT MV45
19. James Thompson SCOTT Racing MV40
20. Keith Murray SCOTT Racing MV40
21. Paul Mashiter Barrow Central Wheelers MV45
22. Steven Henshall St Helens CRC MV45
23. Crawford Carrick-Anderson Peebles CC MV45
24. Mark Calvert Team Trident MV40
25. Colin Miller Ride Coventry MV40
26. Anthony Turner Cotswold Veldrijden MV45
27. Simon Gibbs Tyneside Vagabonds CC MV40
28. Chris Taylor Shibden Cycling Club MV45
29. Jamie Norfolk Pedalon.co.uk MV40
30. Stefan Macina Aurelius Cycles MV45
31. Richard Edge Nottingham Clarion CC MV40
32. Michael Hardcastle Royal Air Force CA MV45
33. David Whittle Bicester Millennium CC MV45
34. Neil Halliday RAMcc MV40
35. Michael Burdon PH-MAS/Paul Milnes/Oldfield MV45
36. Steve Wood Geared Up & CN Cycles RT MV40
37. Phil Smith Lakes RC MV45
38. Nigel Wood Kendal Cycle Club MV40
39. Andrew Brindle Horwich CC MV45
40. Richard Noble Tyne & Wear Fire And Rescue MV45
41. James Raw Individual Member MV40
42. Philip Simcock Team JMC MV45
43. Crispin Doyle Hargroves-Ridley-Montezumaís MV40
44. Malcolm Gray Cestria CC MV45
45. Matthew Crouch Fossa Racing MV45
46. Bill Kay MTS Cycle Sport MV45
47. Chris Mather Derwentside CC MV40
48. Alan Collins Portsmouth North End CC MV45
49. Jason Hurt Brother NRG MV45
50. Phillip Craker Individual Member MV45
51. Giles Dumont Aurelius Cycles MV45
52. Raymond Honour MTS Cycle Sport MV45
53. Craig Tabiner Port Sunlight Whls CC MV45
54. Philip Hinchliffe Holmfirth Cycling Club MV45
55. Franco Porco Leslie Bike Shop/Bikers MV45
56. Nick Taylor Red Rose Olympic CC MV40
57. Matthew Livesey Individual Member MV40
58. David Shaw PH-MAS/Paul Milnes/Oldfield MV40
59. Bryan Holland North Road CC MV45
60. Chris Annable Allen Valley Velo MV40
61. Tony Mills York Cycleworks MV45
62. Mike Young Pedalsport Cycling Club MV45
63. Tim Kershaw Pedalsport Cycling Club MV40
64. Tim Berry Team Empella Cyclo-Cross MV40
65. Phil Cook Cestria CC MV40
66. Henry Aarvold Individual Member MV40
67. Keith Law Lakes RC MV45
68. David Kent Prima Team Racing MV45
69. Matthew Eastwood York Cycleworks MV40
70. Dermot Mckee Pedalsport Cycling Club MV45
71. Simon Pateman www.cyclocrossrider.com MV45
72. Neil Mansfield The MI Racing Academy MV45
73. Chris Glass Hetton Hawks Cycling Club MV40
74. Simon Meadwell Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers MV45
75. Robert Wimble Drogan Racing Team MV45
76. Christian Roberts Allen Valley Velo MV45
77. Craig Donagher Fechan Flyers MV45
78. Warren Drew Rapha Cycling Club MV45
79. Richard Gostick Pedalon.co.uk MV45
80. Paul Maven InfinityCycles-CubeCycling MV45
81. Paul Crapper Abergavenny Road Club MV45
82. Raymond Robinson Army Cycling Union MV40

1 Maddi Smith Bolsover & District CC FV45
2 Kate Eedy Team Empella Cyclo-Cross FV40
3 Helen Pattinson Hargroves-Ridley-Montezumaís FV45
4 Verity Appleyard Brotherton Cycles FV40
5 Lucy Siddle Allen Valley Velo FV40
6 Alison Kinloch PH-MAS/Paul Milnes/Oldfield FV40
7 Karen Poole Sportstest RT FV40
8 Helen Dussek Nottingham Clarion CC FV45
9 Marie Jackson Paul Milnes Bradford Olympic FV50
10 Nicola Davies Beacon Wheelers FV55
11 Catherine Kilburn Mid Devon CC FV50
12 Sally Reid Team Jewson-M.I.Racing FV55
13 Caroline Harvey Edinburgh RC FV45
14 Elizabeth Clayton Stirling Bike Club FV55
15 Caroline Mansfield The MI Racing Academy FV45
16 Louise Wainwright Bolsover & District CC FV40
17 Melanie Annable Allen Valley Velo FV40
18 Suzanne Young Individual Member FV55
19 Alison Sarmiento Harrogate Nova CC FV45
20 Pamela Glover Derwentside CC FV45
21 Sarah Grimshaw Horwich CC FV40
22 Emma Payne Fossa Racing FV40
23 Nicola Hartle PH-MAS/Paul Milnes/Oldfield FV45
24 Julie Phelan Here Come The Belgians FV50

1 Pete Middleton Zepnat.com RT Lazer Helmets MV50 M
2 Timothy Gould Zepnat.com RT Lazer Helmets MV50 M
3 Timothy Davies CC Abergavenny/JP Signs&Print MV50 M
4 Stephen Knight Team Jewson-Racing-Polypipe MV50 M
5 Philip Roach Team Jewson-Racing-Polypipe MV55 M
6 Roy Chamberlain Team Corley Cycles MV50 M
7 Nigel Gregory Pedal Power Loughborough MV50 M
8 Grant Johnson Sunset Cycles MV55 M
9 Kirby Bennett Team Jewson-Racing-Polypipe MV55 M
10 Mark James Team Jewson-Racing-Polypipe MV50 M
11 Mick Style Manchester Wheelers Club MV50 M
12 Dave McMullen Cotswold Veldrijden MV65 M
13 Ian Knights Prima Team Racing MV50 M
14 Peter Harris Pearce Cycles RT MV60 M
15 Stephen Bottomley Shibden Cycling Club MV50 M
16 Graeme Gow Tyneside Vagabonds CC MV50 M
17 Michael Aspey Northumbria Police CC MV50 M
18 Michael Bowen West Suffolk Wheelers MV50 M
19 Barry Kipling MTS Cycle Sport MV60 M
20 Tim Gill Ilkley Cycling Club MV50 M
21 Robin Delve Mid Devon CC MV55 M
22 Simon Hime Finchley Racing Team MV50 M
23 Richard Atkinson Ashburn Wealth MV50 M
24 Sean Beswick Zepnat.com RT Lazer Helmets MV50 M
25 John Docker Huddersfield Star Wheelers MV50 M
26 Simon Hale Army Cycling Union MV50 M
27 Brian Johnson Barnesbury CC MV50 M
28 Matt Wilson Mountain Goat Coaching MV50 M
29 Wayne Nicholson York Cycleworks MV50 M
30 Andy Collins Mid Shropshire Wheelers MV50 M
31 Robin Myers Hamsterley Trailblazers MV50 M
32 Chris Wreghitt Second Wind MV55 M
33 James Melville Glasgow United CC MV50 M
34 Charles Warren Harrogate Nova CC MV55 M
35 Noel Clough Fietsen Tempo MV50 M
36 Mark Ferguson High Peak Cycles RT MV55 M
37 Malcolm Cross Velo Club Venta MV60 M
38 Peter Busby Team Jewson-Racing-Polypipe MV55 M
39 Andrew Cracknell Pedalon.co.uk MV50 M
40 John Elwell East Bradford CC MV50 M
41 Thomas Bardgett Beacon Wheelers MV50 M
42 Anthony Dyment North Hampshire RC MV55 M
43 Julian Gould Zepnat.com RT Lazer Helmets MV50 M
44 David Smith Kendal Cycle Club MV50 M
45 Martyn Dymond C and N Cycles RT MV50 M
46 Steve Shepherd Individual Member MV50 M
47 James Sutherland Bolsover & District CC MV60 M
48 Robin Akers Beeline Bicycles RT MV60 M
49 Sean Hoban Velo Club Cumbria MV50 M
50 Andrew Edmond Ferryhill Wheelers CC MV50 M
51 Robert Smith Derwentside CC MV50 M
52 Brian Perks Pedalsport Cycling Club MV60 M
53 Simon Whitham Team Empella Cyclo-Cross MV50 M
54 Edward Sarmiento www.cyclocrossrider.com MV50 M
55 Gary Worton Stockton Wheelers CC MV50 M
56 Stephen Crawford Kinross CC MV50 M
57 Timothy Stowe Team Jewson-Racing-Polypipe MV60 M
58 Clifford Featherstone MTS Cycle Sport MV60 M
59 Peter Payton Individual Member MV60 M
60 Andrew Moss Adept Precision RT/NE MV50 M
61 Michael Scott Holmfirth Cycling Club MV55 M
62 Paul Dalton Matlock CC MV55 M
63 Stephen Clayton RT 23 MV50 M
64 Joseph Rowe Bush Healthcare CRT MV65 M
65 Peter Mooney Rugby Velo MV65 M
66 John Graveling Harrogate Nova CC MV55 M
67 Victor Barnett Welland Valley CC MV65 M
68 Mark Rowson Macclesfield Wheelers MV50 M
69 Steve Whitehouse Kernow Riders MV60 M
70 Colin Murley Derwentside CC MV65 M
71 John Gilling Individual Member MV60 M
72 Andrew Smith Individual Member MV55 M
73 Roger Mitchell VC Veldrijden MV60 M

1 Millie Couzens PH-MAS/Paul Milnes/Oldfield
2 Anna Flynn Edinburgh RC
3 Eluned King Towy Riders
4 Maddie Wadsworth Beeline Bicycles RT
5 Josie Nelson Lichfield City CC
6 Lucy Hart Mid Shropshire Wheelers
7 Chloe Hinchliffe Bradford Olympic
8 Amelie Wayte The MI Racing Academy
9 Roisin Lally Derwentside CC
10 Anna Wadsworth Beeline Bicycles RT
11 Eva Young Pedal Power RT
12 Ella Lawrence Solent Pirates
13 Ellie Dilks Cycle Derby CC
14 Jasmine Kent Pink Jersey Race Team
15 Lotta Mansfield The MI Racing Academy
16 Charlotte-Louise McGreevy LIV AWOL
17 Bethany Barnett Kings Lynn CC
18 Amy Cantelo Solent Pirates
19 Lucy Buckley Cycle Derby CC
20 Molly Peel Bourne Wheelers CC
21 Iona Moir LIV AWOL
22 Freja Smith Racing Metro 15
23 Jasmine Lomas Pedalsport Cycling Club
24 Rebecca Dawes Clifton CC

1 Zoe Backstedt Maindy Flyers Youth CC
2 Ella Maclean-Howell Cardiff J.I.F.
3 Grace Lister Wolverhampton Wheelers
4 Madeleine Osborn Abergavenny Road Club
5 Anoushka Minale Hub VÈlo
6 Libby Bell Leicester Forest CC
7 Amber Brameld Individual Member
8 Grace Castle Mountain Goat Coaching
9 Ella Jamieson Clifton CC
10 Emily Carrick-Anderson Peebles CC
11 Daphne Jones Mid Shropshire Wheelers
12 Amelia Cox Bicester Millennium CC
13 Eilidh Shaw Stirling Bike Club
14 Eleanor Bolton Lee Valley Youth CC
15 Harriet Limb Matlock CC
16 Phoebe Roche Sutton Cycling Club/ C & N
17 Eva Newby Furness Future Flyers
18 Hermione Pickering Paul MilnesBradford Olympic
19 Elizabeth McKinnon Derwentside CC
20 Beatrice Pauley St Ives CC
21 Evie Steed Bolsover & District CC
22 Anna Reid Individual Member
23 Emily Richards Bourne Wheelers CC
24 Lucy Dalgleish Salt Ayre Cog Set
25 Freya Whiteside Ilkley Cycling Club
26 Amy Mourne Huddersfield Star Wheelers
27 Katie Galloway West Lothian Clarion CC
28 Katie Hadnum Hetton Hawks CC
29 Holly Bailey Heanor Clarion CC
30 Sapphire Curtis St Ives CC
31 Phoebe Skinner Derwentside CC
32 Annabel Parker Matlock CC

1 Simon Wyllie Halesowen A & CC
2 Oliver Stockwell Welwyn Wheelers CC
3 Alec Gregory Pedal Power Loughborough
4 Daniel Barnes Lichfield City CC
5 Sam Freeman Solent Pirates
6 Ben Chilton Derby Mercury RC
7 Rory McGuire Leslie Bike Shop/Bikers
8 Adam Bent Nutcracker Altura Racing
9 Finlay Pickering PH-MAS/Paul Milnes/Oldfield
10 Jamie Johnston Leslie Bike Shop/Bikers
11 Joshua Giddings The MI Racing Academy
12 Joseph Pidcock PH-MAS/Paul Milnes/Oldfield
13 Matthew Kingston Lichfield City CC
14 Benjamin Bright Marsh Tracks Racing ñ Trek
15 Max Bolton Lee Valley Youth Cycling Club
16 William Truelove Abergavenny Road Club
17 Corran Carrick-Anderson Peebles CC
18 Kieran Riley Langdale Lightweights RT
19 Robert Rowson Macclesfield Wheelers
20 Sam Murray SCOTT Racing
21 Aidan Lawrence C and N Cycles RT
22 Tyler Koch Mossley CRT
23 Emile Alexander Lichfield City CC
24 Joe Thorp Macclesfield Wheelers
25 Sam Bishop Charlotteville CC
26 Edward Woodward The MI Racing Academy
27 Daniel Hepton Paul Milnes ñ Bradford Olympic
28 Jack Brough The MI Racing Academy
29 Michael Newall Cycle Derby CC
30 David Hird Halesowen A & CC
31 Matti Egglestone Beacon Wheelers
32 Bryn Richards Bourne Wheelers CC
33 Ethan Whiteside East Bradford CC
34 Callum Reid Individual Member
35 Joshua Charlton Hetton Hawks Cycling Club
36 Daniel Vincent Eastlands Velo
37 Alexander Ball West Lothian Clarion CC
38 George Freeman West Lothian Clarion CC
39 Arthur Boulton Banjo Cycles
40 Harrison Lee Hetton Hawks Cycling Club
41 Spencer Davies CC Abergavenny/JP SignsPrint
42 Samuel Howes Sleaford Whls CC
43 Jack Ackroyd Shibden Cycling Club
44 Zack Harrop Mossley CRT
45 Matthew Wells Tyneside Vagabonds CC
46 Callum Thornley Peebles CC
47 Samuel McGhee Sutton Cycling Club/ C & N
48 Duncan Pritchard Palmer Park Velo RT
49 Dexter Leeming-Sykes Otley CC
50 Finton Price Carnegie Cyclones
51 Gareth Davies Palmer Park Velo RT
52 Ben Flanagan Tyneside Vagabonds CC
53 Euan Sanderson Cleveland Wheelers CC
54 Andrew Turner West Lothian Clarion CC
55 Gregor Robb Glasgow Riderz
56 Louis Moore Edinburgh RC
57 Ross Birrell Edinburgh RC
58 Alfie Savage Furness Future Flyers
59 William Dykes Salt Ayre Cog Set
60 Tom Lees Salt Ayre Cog Set
61 Jake Edwards Salt Ayre Cog Set
62 Thomas Crapper Abergavenny Road Club
63 Thomas Godber Hetton Hawks Cycling Club
64 Ewan Berry Team Empella Cyclo-Cross
65 Adam Jackson Huddersfield Star Wheelers
66 Leo Law Furness Future Flyers

1 Joshua Tarling West Wales Cycle RT
2 Euan Woodliffe Welwyn Wheelers CC
3 Alex Barker Halesowen A & CC
4 Griff Lewis Ystwyth Cycling Club
5 Riley Blackmore PH-MAS/Paul Milnes/Oldfield
6 Christopher Hilbert Sherwood Pines Cycles- Forme
7 Jude Chamberlain The MI Racing Academy
8 Jamie Gostick Palmer Park Velo RT
9 Sullivan Berry Redditch Road & Path CC
10 Bjoern Koerdt Terrain Cycles Ride In Peace
11 Ben Askey RST Racing Team
12 Caelan Miller Welwyn Wheelers CC
13 Michael Tait Derwentside CC
14 Luke Harris WORX Factory Racing
15 Oliver Akers Holmfirth Cycling Club
16 Tom Scott Holmfirth Cycling Club
17 Archie Ellen Edinburgh RC
18 Scott Fisher Furness Future Flyers
19 Frederick Fuller Edinburgh RC
20 Felix Clacy Solent Pirates
21 Jensen Windsor Alford Wheelers
22 Ben Ramsden East Bradford CC
23 Thomas Wadsworth Beeline Bicycles RT
24 Ben Partridge Hetton Hawks Cycling Club
25 Harry Ellison Pedalsport Cycling Club
26 Jack Hastings Cardiff J.I.F.
27 Alfie Atterton Edinburgh RC
28 Cole Nicholson Hoddom Velo
29 Alex Galpin Bourne Wheelers CC
30 Oliver Coughlan Pedalsport Cycling Club
31 Dominic Switzer Welland Valley CC
32 Ben McMullen Sprockets CycleRT (Scotland)
33 Oliver Peace Bronte Tykes Junior CC
34 William Ryan Solihull CC
35 Joseph Brookes Halesowen A & CC
36 Callum Watson East Bradford CC
37 Dominic Bell Sutton Cycling Club
38 Dylan Edwards Salt Ayre Cog Set
39 Daniel Holmes Tyneside Vagabonds CC
40 Sam Chisholm West Lothian Clarion CC
41 Seb Cliffe Ilkley Cycling Club
42 Arlo Carey Palmer Park Velo RT
43 Harry Owen Herne Hill Youth CC
44 Oliver Griggs Hub VÈlo
45 Harry Jordan Eastlands Velo
46 Harry Purcell Derwentside CC
47 Otto Chilton Derby Mercury RC
48 Benjamin Livesey Salt Ayre Cog Set
49 Corey Whiteford Royal Albert CC
50 Benjamin Mashiter Furness Future Flyers
51 Toby Kershaw Pedalsport Cycling Club
52 Jude Lomas Pedalsport Cycling Club
53 Matthew Brennan Stockton Wheelers CC
54 Finlay Cooper Edinburgh RC
55 Jasper Dilks Cycle Derby CC
56 Ethan Grimshaw Eastlands Velo
57 Spike Elwell East Bradford CC
58 Samuel Morris East Bradford CC
59 Ellis Murray SCOTT Racing
60 Dan Galpin Bourne Wheelers CC

Craig Zadoroznyj

Craig Zadoroznyj

Photographer

Craig Zadoroznyj is a cycling photographer based in East Yorkshire England, specialising in road racing and time trials, from the local grass roots level all the way up-to major British Cycling calendar events. Craig has covered cycling events from local and national level right up to the the Tour de France and Tour de Yorkshire for CyclingShorts.cc.
Website: www.craigzadphotos.co.uk

Book Review – Wild Cycling by Chris Sidwells

by | Sep 25, 2017

Wild Cycling

A pocket guide to 50 great rides off the beaten track in Britain

by Chris Sidwell

A. Reviewer: Nichiless Dey. European Cycling correspondent, physics teacher and cyclist of little renown!

i. For Anna ‘The Boss’ Magrath: CyclingShorts.cc (as, ahem, promised, he types sheepishly!)

A wildly inspiring adventure – from armchair to saddle

This book provides the perfect inspiration for you, the armchair-adventurer, to dream, to plan and to venture forth along the oft-hidden tracks, lanes & trails that crisscross much of Britain’s hidden and endlessly varied countryside.

What is Wild Cycling? I’ll let the author describe his vision. ‘… [wild cycling] can be a lot of things, from short ambles through country lanes, to … adventures in a far-off wilderness. For this renowned cycling author though, it specifically means ‘using bridleways, trails, and tiny lanes to explore [the British] countryside.’

Wild Cycling covers the whole of mainland Britain and is packed with looped routes suitable for all cyclists; be you a beginner with a yearning for childhood escapades or a hardened explorer, ruddy of cheek and windswept of beard.  You will be, I can guarantee, inspired to don the day pack and head out into the wild and stunningly picturesque scenery that fills the British mainland. Who knew that there was so much to explore on two wheels in this seemingly concrete, car fixated jungle.

 

Wild cycling encompasses all types of cycling adventure. As the book states, you will be guided along ‘short ambles through country lanes to off-the-grid bike adventures in a [not-so-far-off] wilderness’.

The fifty off-the-beaten-track rides are presented in full colour with the OS Landranger grid referenced start/finish point tabulated above the most accessible location name along with ride distance (km & miles), highest point (m) and approximate ride time (hours). There is a wonderfully descriptive yet pragmatic route commentary supported by the ever-popular snap-shot route map and elevation profile. The map is annotated and contains pointers to several easily spotted landmarks that will help guide you confidently on your way. It also indicates where the trail heads skywards – ever a worry for me!

These tracks are in no way prescriptive, indeed many offer additional loop suggestions, again embedded in the commentary, that may add further life to your day of exploration.

 

Wild Cycling covers the British mainland in ten chapters and fifty routes. It begins with a very useful piece on what you need. A cyclocross bike is Chris’s recommendation, however anything other than a high-end carbon racing beast will most probably do. Tyre choice will be your biggest decision and the book contains tried and tested suggestions. Having ridden three of these routes (34, 37 & 39*) I can personally vouch for the accuracy and usefulness of the advice given.  The final eight chapters neatly cover the country with between five and ten detailed routes for each region: The South & East, The South & West, Wales, The Midlands, The North (lots in Yorkshire!), The North-West, The North-East, and Scotland. The routes vary in length from less than ten to more than fifty miles, with most hovering in the twenty-to-thirty-mile zone. The trail surface and elevation… well, I wouldn’t wish to detract from your sense of discovery so I’ll let you find out yourself. It will be a magical journey.

*Huge thanks to the lady and her dog who found my Garmin on route 37 and waited patiently for me to ride back, in a state of panic.

 

In summary… From Chalk Cliffs and Curious Sound Mirrors in the south-east to Cape Wrath in the [glorious] north-west, the purity, beauty and essential wildness of these rides will ensure that over the years many of them will become classic – even legendary – cycling challenges. In the meantime, you will have a great deal of healthy and happy adventures. May you be blessed by tailwinds and blue skies as the beauty of Britain rolls out around you!

CyclingShorts.cc rating 10/10… one for the Christmas list too.

Out now in Paperback

 

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CyclingShorts.cc Rating

About the Author of Wild Cycling

Chris Sidwells is a renowned cycling journalist, photographer and editor who appears regularly in Cycling Weekly, and as a cycling pundit for several BBC local radio stations, including BBC Radio Sheffield during the Tour de Yorkshire. He has written seventeen books on cycling, covering every aspect of the sport and has contributed to, amongst others, Men’s Fitness, GQ, The Sunday Times, and The Guardian.

 

My thanks to Beth Wright of The Little Brown Book Group for providing my copy of the book.

Nichiless Dey

Nick Dey AKA Nichiless Dey AKA "The Prof" AKA....

Nick Dey AKA Nichiless Dey AKA "The Prof" AKA....

European Cycling Correspondent

European Cycling correspondent, physics & chemistry teacher and cyclist of little renown! (his words, in truth he is a cycling god!).

Enthusiast & Optimist-ish!

Islabike Luath Long Term Review

by | Dec 5, 2016

Islabikes are produced by former British national champion and medallist Isla Rowntree. With experience in all forms of cycling and extensive experience in bike design and frame building the brand is well known and respected. They offer a fantastic range of bikes from toddler to adulthood.

We have been lucky enough to have an Islabike Luath (meaning swift, quick, speedy in Gaelic) on long term test. At £549.99 the Luath is not the cheapest bike in its category so it needed to impress…..

After checking the detailed sizing chart on the website and an email exchange it was decided the small would be the best fit for both my 13 year old daughter and 11 year old son. This is an 18 inch frame with 700cc wheels. Islabikes also offer bikefits in their studio in Ludlow and tour around the country to various events (details on their website) so you can try before you buy if you are unsure of the size or model required.

The bike arrived well packaged and almost ready to ride. We all loved the beautiful red paintwork and I was delighted to find both the frame and wheels lighter than anticipated. (Official weight including pedals 9.9Kg).

The tyres were already inflated, the rear wheel in situ, brakes and gears adjusted perfectly so that all I needed to do was turn and tighten the handlebars, put on the pedals, insert the front wheel, fasten the front brake and adjust the saddle height. The brilliant instructions and good quality allen keys meant assembly was super easy and the bike ready to ride in less than 30 minutes! I am confident any parent would be able to safely follow the instructions with ease.

The frame is lightweight aluminium with proportional geometry specific to the young rider and the sloping top tube gives good stand over clearance. The fork is cro-moly with mudguard and rack eyes. This bike has been designed for both road and off road/touring use and would be more than suitable for cross racing with a change of tyres. This flexibility in a youth’s bike is fantastic and keeps their riding options open.

The Tektro cantilever brakes are ideal as they shouldn’t get as clogged up as caliper brakes and the additional top mount brakes are brilliant for safety and confidence and great for small hands.

There is good clearance for bigger cyclo-cross style tyres and mud and leaves collected on route.

 

Adjustable Shimano Claris STI levers provide the 8-speed transmission with an 11-32 cassette combined with a 46/34 crankset. The shifting is crisp and effortless, the range is great for young legs with a granny gear of 32 for the hills and the shifters can be adjusted for little hands. Flat Wellgo metal pedals are provided.

The 38cm handlebars are well proportioned with a shallow drop that is more comfortable and easy for small hands and the 60mm stem makes the reach comfortable, these are finished off with anti slip bar tape.

The quick release wheels are Islabikes-branded double-wall alloy rims, black anodised with machined sidewalls and integrated wear-indicator groove. The hubs are smooth and the wheels feel strong yet light for a child’s bike.

Lightweight 23mm Kenda Kontenders tyres are supplied; these have a light tread and are good all purpose tyres that should work all year round.  In 6 months of use, on a variety of surfaces and in all weather conditions, we only had one puncture.

 

An Islabikes-branded saddle tops the aluminium seatpost, with a well portioned racy shape it is lightweight, looks good and there were no complaints from our young testers.

Both children jumped on the bike with no hesitation and felt both stable and fast. The ride to school was significantly quicker. They quickly grasped the gear changes and had no issues reaching the brakes. It took a few minutes to gain the confidence to look over their shoulder properly and relax enough that the bars didn’t turn too much as the front end is much lighter than their current mountain bikes, but once this was cracked one handed riding quickly followed as did expertly moving from the tops to hoods to drops. Riding in the park led to smiles and whoops of joy as they confidently descended in full control.

Being not much bigger than them myself I was keen to try it too, and although not comparable to my usual steed, it certainly didn’t feel like a typical, heavy child’s bike. It felt solid yet responsive, planted yet light, comfortable over the rough road surface and the tyres feel grippy and safe in the corners. The gear changes were smooth, braking was smooth and efficient and I struggled to find fault with anything.

Delivery is free; there is a 90 day free return policy and a 5 year guarantee. Every tiny detail has been well thought out resulting in a bike that is well designed, rides beautifully, looks good, is flexible, practical and built to last. The perfect bike for under the Christmas tree!

http://www.islabikes.co.uk/

https://twitter.com/Islabikes

https://www.facebook.com/Islabikes

Etixx Bars & Gels Review

by | Nov 3, 2016

Etixx started making sports nutrition products in 2009 and there are 23 different products including energy drinks, energy gels, energy bars, recovery shakes, recovery bars, vitamins and supplements such as HMB in the range.

The name Etixx comes from the word ethical and they test all batches of product against the WADA list and guarantee they do not contain any banned substances.

 

I tried the Etixx Energy Bar in Lemon Flavour with added magnesium and the Triple Action Energy Gel with electrolytes and vitamin C in Lime Flavour.

The energy bar contains 29g of carbohydrate in a 40g bar, so very similar to other bars on the market in terms of carbohydrate content, but also contains added magnesium (56mg per bar which is around 15% of recommended daily intake) shown to improve energy production and muscle function. The recommendation is 1-2 bars per hour of endurance sport, which is in line with British Cycling guidelines that suggest around 60g of carbohydrate per hour.

The bar has an oaty base with a lemon ‘yoghurt’ style topping. The base is quite dry and would be difficult to chew and swallow on its own I think, but the lemon top makes it much easier to digest and has a pleasant, but very sweet, lemon flavour.

The packaging was robust, but easy to open with teeth mid ride and the bars survived extremes of temperatures and didn’t crumble making them easy to hold and eat whilst riding.

The bars contain gluten, lactose and soya so may not be suitable for those with intolerances. They are also available in chocolate flavour.

They retail at £1.99 per bar or you can try all 3 bars Etixx offer in a trial pack for £5 or find some good deals in the combination packages with energy drinks and gels.

The gels are 40g with 24g of carbohydrate and can be taken without water, but if you consume with 350ml of water they effectively become an isotonic beverage according to Etixx. The electrolytes in the gel help replace those lost in sweat and vitamin C is also included (40 mg) to help support energy production and protect cells from oxidative damage. A variety of sugars are used in the gel therefore releasing energy at different speeds, so you get both the instant hit as well as the longer term energy supply. Again 2 per hour are recommended.

Having tried lots of gels over the years I would say these were average consistency, certainly not runny and super easy to swallow, but equally not ‘chewy’ and an effort to get down! On first taste they reminded me of cough mixture!

At £2.49 a gel they are towards the high end price point, but if you buy a mixed box of 18 you get 15% discount.

It is worth signing up for the Etixx newsletter which has some great offers and often contains useful nutritional advice. The website also contains specific advice for different sports and a great blog.

Flavour 
7/10 overall with 8/10 for the bar with the zingy lemon, but 6/10 for the slightly medicinal tasting gel

Does What it Says on the pack

8/10 great fuel for riding with the added benefits of magnesium and vitamin C

Price
7/10 for buying individually, but some brilliant deals on the website and via the newsletter

Range
9/10 Etixx have a superb range of products covering everything you will ever need for cycling and other sports

Easy to Eat
8/10 the products are a good size, easy to open and easy to eat on the move.

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CS Rating

You can find out more at:

Website: https://etixxsports.com/gb

Twitter: https://twitter.com/etixxUK

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EtixxInternational

Review – AFTERSHOKZ TREKZ Titanium Bone Conduction Headphones

by | Sep 15, 2016

A couple of years ago now, our lovely editor Anna asked me to cover an outdoor leisure show at London’s Excel. It was an enjoyable show and I remember giving it a thumbs up. I also remember giving solid reviews to several products given to me to road test and a cautiously positive review to a product that I was enthusiastic about sufficiently to purchase. That product was the AFTERSHOKZ  BLUEZ bone conduction headphones.

I bought them, because I thought it may be nice to have some tunes on a ride and I’ve always felt headphones whilst riding to be insanely dangerous. AFTERSHOKZ are different though, because they use an ingenious transducer device, developed initially for military use and now under constant development and refinement by AFTERSHOKZ, which transmits the sound through the cheekbone, eliminating the delicate inner ear, leaving your ears open to what’s going on around you. They are also Bluetooth. Though they now have a cabled option in their range.

 

My initial review was full of praise for the technology, it’s safety first approach and the outstanding if bizarre (it’s going through your cheek bones not your ears) sound quality. The shortcomings of the original set I put down to me, sweating a lot and not being able to get a good enough fit to get them to remain on my head. I put them in a drawer and forgot about them until a few months ago, when getting ready to do my fourth ( never again) Ride 100 London-Surrey. I was astounded to find that they had kept a pretty decent charge.

My new helmet didn’t fit so low as my S works and I was thus able to get a slightly better fit, although the pads of the transducer contact points, still slipped far too much on my ride when I worked up a sweat. It was annoying, but I resolved to work on the fit. That was when I gave up on AFTERSHOKZ, because the Bluetooth connection was intermittent, dependant upon where my head was positioned. With the phones still slipping and now the reception breaking up, it was time to pop them in a jersey pocket saying great idea….poor execution. As I said in frustration in a subsequent email. Originally I had no warranty claim..They worked and worked brilliantly…let down by my leaking bonce! Then when I discovered a warranty issue, they were out of warranty. Ah well at £80 odd a moderately expensive ” never mind”. Back in the drawer.

Fast forward to the Registration exhibition for the Pru Ride 100 ( hoik spit). God knows why I decided to loiter in there once I’d got my numbers I don’t know,  as it was largely same old same old. Indeed, had it not been like Santas Grotto or IKEA, one way in one way out, I wouldn’t have. Fate then brought me once more to AFTERSHOKZ and boy am I glad it did!

There were two guys on a well lit and enticing stand, with quite clearly some new products. I was giving them a glance when, one of the two guys on the stand (Drew) caught my eye. I ushered him out of earshot of his colleague (who turned out to be M.D. Rod) who was talking with some very keen customers. It isn’t my job or my way to throw my toys out of the pram. I related my experiences to Drew who was very sympathetic….actually concerned (and I hadn’t mentioned that I wrote for this August journal) He asked me to email my story to them, mentioning his name.

Well, I did write and pressed the send button with the thought “that’ll be the last I hear of that” How wrong was I? In fact, that chance meeting with Drew turned out to be the start of the very best customer care experience that I have had in my entire 64 years…YES THE VERY BEST! Before close of business that day Rod Annet had emailed a lovely friendly note, saying how sad he was to hear of my experience and regretted that we’d not been able to chat on registration day. He went on to say that the very problems I had encountered were ones that they had identified and that three incarnations later, he was so convinced that I would find their new model TREKZ TITANIUM would answer my problems that he would replace my old ones free of charge, not only that, but I could pick my colour too. Still I’d not mentioned CyclingShorts.cc (this one is turning into cycling trousers I know… But, keep up). I parcelled the old ones up and mailed them on the Tuesday, on Thursday, the new ones arrived.

First thing you’ll notice when you buy a set…..and you will, is that they are beautifully presented in packaging that is a part of a good buying experience similar to buying from Apple. Presentation does count. Once unpacked my green and black (matches my Dolan, nicely) were instantly more pleasing to the eye, a behind the head loop in green and a firm but very comfortable silicone finish, on the lines of most over the ear sports headphones, is far better than the bulky black “Alice band” of my previous model.

 

 

In use they are brilliant. There is a microphone on each side and on the left, a multi function button that enables, phone call answer, hold, and voice dial. This may be a surprise for the boys, but the voice dial function accesses Siri on iPhone and I was able to select a fresh album of music without stopping….big big bonus! On the right arm is the mini USB charging port (micro to standard USB cable included). Slots nicely in to an iPhone charger and mine took 45 minutes to reach a full charge, though it did have a small charge on delivery. Two small buttons….a tiny bit awkward if one has sausage fingers, but by the end of my ride I’d got used to easily controlling volume up, down and on/off functions. Lastly (when stopped) a simultaneous press of the multi function (left ear) button and the volume buttons enable you to change the sound equalisation… oh and the multi function button also advances the track.

Sound quality wise, the clarity, and depth is superb and more than equal to a Bose set or Apple ear buds that I also own. Quite simply it will amaze you. One complaint from before was the sound leak, that is annoying to others nearby. This is now a thing of the past. My partner who has the hearing of a dog. Could hear nothing at full volume….there’s another thing. With the sound bypassing the inner ear through the cheek bones…volume isn’t a problem. So, a first class sound, and that all important safety feature of being able to hear all the ambient noise….approaching traffic etc is fantastic. “Really Jon? You wear hearing aids don’t you?”  Ah you got me…….no you didn’t. My aids fit over my ear. The TREKZ TITANIUM, fits over my ear. My Salice glasses fit over my ear and there’s room for the lot and yes boys at AFTERSHOKZ, there’s two more bits of info you may not be aware of. So even with a major hearing loss, I can still enjoy music on a ride and hear everything going on around me.

What about wind noise? Well, I’m lucky. I have the latest NHS aids, which have an excellent wind diffuser….I can probably hear more ambient sound than people with good hearing. Rod in his email said that wind noise on the microphones was still a problem above 15mph. No, it’s not. Hey, I’m putting a product to the sword here. Yesterday afternoon was very windy here in Bedfordshire, at eighteen MPH and into a head wind, I voice dialled my partner, who reported that she heard me better on these than on my iPhone when walking in a stiff breeze. I then used Siri to change an album using the complicated sentence ” play Eliane Ellias” which is quite a gob full and I had Brazillian lush all the way home.

 

“Ah but what about them slipping on your greasy face?! ” no bother at all. I didn’t, but I’m pretty sure that I could’ve drawn a box around them and they wouldn’t have budged. A hard 45 windy miles on the road then 30 hard and hilly Zwift miles last night, no worries at all. If your bonce is a tad small, they come with two small bands that makes a close fit perfect. Last but not least a neat little carrying pouch and a pair of ear plugs complete the kit. This means you can pop them in have your TREKZ on full (with no inner ear problems) and cut out the noise of the tube or the screaming kid in seat 4G.

My experience in brief, a great idea has transformed into a brilliant idea and an even better product. It’s British, they are not resting on their laurels, customer service is beyond first rate. A whole host of the usual online suspects and retail outlets will charge you between £84-£114. Which even at the most expensive is phenomenal value anyway, but for cutting edge tech is just the business.

Note from the Ed: While we love these headphones at CyclingShorts.cc, there is always room for improvement through product development – Jon would give them 110% if he was allowed, so I’ve reined him in a little. Can you hear me cracking my whip?

CyclingShorts.cc Rating

Cycliq Fly6 Rear Light & Camera Review

by | Jul 18, 2016

What can one say if your editor says to you that we have been sent some techy kit to try out, and would you like to review it? Yes please?

Cycliq Fly6 is a high powered rear LED light unit, with a difference. There is a rear facing HD cam built into the sealed all weather lamp that records what’s happening behind you as you travel along on your bike ride, daily commute or just out with friends. Got your rear covered is what it says on the box.

There’s no need to worry about anything else once you have set up the lamp on your bike and done a quick test to make sure you have a decent field of view. Just remember to switch the light-unit on EVERY time you go out!

All the factual information you need about Fly6 is on their website cycliq.com. It’s an updated design from the original, so here at Cycling Shorts, we are simply going to take it out of the box, fit it to the bike, and run it for a week or so.

Firstly, at just shy under one-hundred-pounds, it seems a lot for a rear LED. Is it worth it? Let’s see.

It comes packaged all nice and neat in a stylish black and red box, padded with shaped foam to keep all the components secure during transit to the shop, or direct to the consumer via mail order.

Once opened, there is a quick set-up guide and notes about recent improvements from your customer feedback.

The lamp feels solid, robust and of a quality build. I liked the fact there were two mounting plates and bands to accommodate a multi-bike set-up. The rubber stretch mounts are more common-place these days and means you can easily remove the lamp should you park-up and leave your bike unattended, being an expensive bit of kit.

I fitted the lamp straight onto my Trek road bike without any problem. Using the aero-seat-post adapter, I found it sat perfectly square to the ground, the body design aligned to take a standard 71.5° rake.

Not knowing what sort of view would be recorded, I positioned the lamp as high as I could without it touching my small tool pouch that was sitting tightly under the saddle.

I found the re-designed mount plate difficult to handle. I’d clipped the lamp unit into the plate slot to check the fitting prior to mounting and couldn’t remove very easily at all. It certainly wasn’t going to come loose, which isn’t a bad thing. But it made me realise that fitting the two mount plates to my two bikes, probably wasn’t going to work as well as I imagined. Maybe they would free off slightly over time if I separate them from time-to-time.

To run the test, I first had to fully charge the built-in Lithium battery. Although it comes pre-charged I wanted to see how long it would take to re-charge and how long it would last, running at full LED power. You can reduce the out-put level several times to conserve energy, or reduce the glare that the main LED emits. [Via the Courtesy Dimmer, opposite the power button].

I plugged the unit into my laptop with the provided USB lead early afternoon. I’d read that the charge LED would go off once charged. Having used re-chargeable lights this Winter gone, I knew that they took a while to fully charge up at work plugged into the USB slot on my PC, and I was right. It was late evening before the LED extinguished. Ok, I’ll test the unit tomorrow then!

Setting off on my Sunday morning bike ride, I’d set the lamp to full power and off I went. Three and a-quarter hours later, back home I switched the unit off. The unit had created a folder on the media card and sliced the ride into ten-minute videos. So they were twelve time indexed files created. I’d noticed that the first hour or so files had already been deleted, not a problem as the unit is there to safeguard any footage of an incident an hour prior to an incident and an hour after the trigger has been set through the bike laying on the ground.

Aimed as a safety back-up device designed to tell a story of what you were doing prior to any incident, then this lamp is a great way of providing additional evidence after the event. You simply must use it on every occasion that you jump on your bike, especially if commuting through town where things can sometimes get a bit more demanding.

The footage the camera produced was of a decent quality to see how the bike ride unfolded. Coming in ten-minute bite size pieces, it provides great footage that can easily be shared amongst friends and family. The file sizes produced are around four-hundred and fifty megabits each, and on the supplied card will hold around eighteen full files.

The recommend free Video Editing software worked a treat too. I found it reasonably easy to cut a couple of pieces from two files and join them to make a short demo.

On my first full power test, I achieved five-and-three-quarter hours recording before the video switched off leaving only the light working. This should last for another hour before being fully depleted.

I would imagine a normal user would need to re-charge the unit twice a week to keep the video camera working on the loop.

On the whole, having used the Cycliq Fly6 for the past four weeks, I would recommend it for my main rear light. Although a bit pricey on my initial glance, considering the beneficial footage that this device records and stores, then it’s a price worth paying.

It may not be something that you would consider buying yourself when looking for a lamp for your bike. But it would make a great gift for someone, for those who are looking for additional safety for their loved ones when out riding the bike.

RRP: £99.00

For more information on the Fly6 visit: www.Cycliq.com

Best price we can find online: www.amazon.co.uk

All Images, Video and text ©www.CyclingShorts.cc / www.chrismaher.co.uk

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