We make it our business to tell readers about notable deals on products we like, and scour the web for legit offers during Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day to help you save money.

But probably the greatest discount out there is available year-round, it’s not restricted to an older model that’s been superseded by a newer release and the product is legitimately life-changing.

The UK government’s Cycle to Work Scheme allows payroll employees to get their hands on any e-bike for commuting and have the cost taken out of their salary in monthly instalments before tax—like a buy now, pay later that you always have the funds to cover. Because it’s taken out of your salary before you’ve paid tax, you save between 28%, 42% or 47%, depending on which tax band you fall in.

There are many Cycle to Work Scheme providers, but Green Commute Initiative is one of the more straightforward and as a social enterprise it’s doing everything it can to get more people cycling—a mission Coach wholeheartedly supports. For instance, it doesn’t charge a 7% fee at the end of the scheme like some traditional providers do, you just make the maximum savings available to you.

It also has a plain explanation of how the scheme works for employees, as well as a more detailed step-by-step guide, because, to be honest, it’s pretty convoluted. But when there’s the chance to save hundreds or even thousands of pounds on a better way to get to work, that’s a minor worry.

Still not convinced? Here are four good reasons for cycling to work on an ebike, informed by my experience of testing a dozen-odd ebikes on my commute.

1. Riding An E-Bike Is Easy

I regularly cycle to work on a normal bike. It’s great and the three subsequent reasons to commute all apply, but it’s not always easy. Hills, wind and the tiredness that builds up after a long week can make some rides a bit of a grind. And even if I take it easy, I sweat enough to warrant a shower and a change of clothes once I arrive at work, which adds time to my commute and bulk to my backpack.

An ebike has none of those problems. Suddenly you just become really good at cycling and cruise into work without breaking a sweat. In fact, I’ve learned to wrap up warmer than I normally would because I’m not working hard enough to raise my body temperature.  Through Green Commute Initiative, you can add clothing to your bike package so you can get the right gear for your commute and make big savings.

I’ve also found that cycling an e-bike to work is the easiest, most reliable way to get into work as you’re far less likely to get caught in traffic or the delays that can plague trains.

2. It’s Healthy

Even though you won’t necessarily get sweaty riding an e-bike, it’s still exercise and you’ll still do yourself the power of good. There’s an aerobic exercise target, recommended by various health agencies around the world, of 150 minutes of moderate activity a week. You really don’t have to work that hard to start racking up the minutes—a brisk walk or riding an e-bike, say—but the benefits you get from clocking up this amount of time doing low-intensity steady state are immense. If there was a pill that could deliver the proven benefits of regular aerobic exercise, you’d pay through the nose for it.

If your weekly commuting time adds up to 150 minutes or more, you’ll be hitting this recommended target without sacrificing any leisure time. And because it’s easy exercise, it won’t leave you too tired to keep up any sport or activity you already do. In fact, you’ll probably end up cycling to that too for a warm-up—that’s what I do.

3. It’s More Environmentally Friendly

While most of our transport infrastructure still runs on fossil fuels, getting around under your own steam will lower your personal emissions and limit pollution. More than that, the more people who cycle, the safer cycling feels. Making a change to your commute can have a ripple effect, inspiring others to travel in a way that’s better for the environment.

4. It’s Good Value For Money

Cycling to work is not free, but there’s every chance it will save you substantial sums of money compared with driving or taking public transport. Obviously, using Green Commute Initiative to access the Cycle to Work Scheme can significantly cut down your initial set-up cost, and you can negotiate with your employer to spread payments to fit your monthly budget. Just make sure to budget for regular maintenance and replacement parts, as well as insurance against bike theft. All customers of Green Commute Initiative have access to special offers on insurance products. I also subscribe to one of the UK’s cycling membership organisations to access liability insurance and legal assistance in the event of an accident.

One of the biggest new features that has come to wearables over the past couple of years is heart rate variability (HRV) tracking, and using this to gauge the stress on your body and how ready it is to exercise.

The Oura ring was the first device I tested to really make this “readiness” measurement useful, tracking your HRV overnight and using it, along with other factors, to give a readiness score every morning so you can judge if you should do a hard workout. It’s also used across many of the best sports watches, especially high-end models from Garmin, with its training readiness score tying together lots of activity and recovery stats, including HRV.

However, getting an Oura ring or a Garmin that gives you this data is expensive, and they might not be giving you perfect data anyway, especially since Garmin watches have a habit of overestimating time asleep.

I’m currently in the middle of a marathon training block for the London Marathon, and I’ve been testing several methods of tracking my readiness at the same time—an Oura ring (3rd generation), the training readiness score from a Garmin Epix Pro watch, and the HRV4Training app (App Store and Google Play).

With the ring and the watch I wear them overnight and they give my readiness score in the morning, using an average of my HRV measured overnight set against my baseline, which takes several weeks to establish.

You also need to set a baseline with the HRV4Training app, but the measurements are done differently—you take it in the morning using the camera on your phone (you can also link a chest strap heart rate monitor if you prefer). You hold a finger over the camera and the flash is used to take a reading of your heart rate and HRV.

This morning HRV measurement needs to be consistent to get the most useful information from the app, with the advice being to take the measurement first thing, sitting up in bed. It takes a minute as standard, but you can set the measurement to take longer, which might make for a more accurate reading. Even a minute sometimes proved a bit tricky for me if woken up by my kids, but I was able to fit it in at the same time each morning.

Along with the measurement, the app asks you to fill out a short questionnaire regarding your recent training, any muscle soreness or mental fatigue, and whether you drank alcohol the night before. You can link apps such as Strava to the HRV4Training app to pull your training in automatically.

After you finish the questionnaire you are given your HRV score and advice on whether it is within your baseline, and whether you should proceed as planned with your training that day, or limit how hard you work.

It’s a simple app to use once you get the knack of positioning your finger on the camera correctly, and I have found the readings and advice to be comparable to the data from the Oura ring. I also like the questionnaire, which makes you aware of your alcohol intake in particular, and the fact the measurement is taken in the morning makes it feel directly applicable to my upcoming training that day.

The HRV4Training app is a lot cheaper than the best watches and wearables to give readiness info, and the fact you don’t have to wear a watch or even a ring overnight will appeal to some people. It costs $9.99/£9.99 as a one-off fee, though there is a pro version that gives you access to a web platform for more insights into your measurements.

For the most part I don’t cycle enough to merit investing in dedicated cycling gear. I usually run six times a week and ride my bike to get around town. However, when running injury strikes I turn to the lower-impact sport of cycling to keep myself fit, and I’ve just gone through a period of regular riding on my turbo trainer while nursing an achilles niggle.

During this spell I tested bib shorts for the first time—the Endura Xtract Lite Bibshorts, to be exact. These are padded shorts with straps that go over your shoulders to hold the padding around the crotch in the right place throughout your ride. 

I have always considered bib shorts a bit too pro-level for my riding, particularly since they’re quite expensive. The Endura shorts are $99.99/£74.99, and that’s the cheaper end of the spectrum for bib shorts.

For longer rides I usually wear cycling shorts, which have the padding but not the straps, relying instead on a tight waistband to hold them in place. I have a very old set of dhb cycling shorts; a more modern option would be these dhb Shorts, which are just £35, or Endura’s Xtract Gel Short, which are $75/£49.99.

Having some kind of padding in your shorts is a worthwhile comfort upgrade as soon as you’re riding for more than 30 minutes regularly. But are bib shorts worth the extra outlay if you use a turbo trainer and don’t plan to become a serious road cyclist? 

I was riding for around 45-90 minutes three or four times a week, mostly doing indoor sessions with my bike on a turbo trainer, and found that the bib shorts were more comfortable than cycling shorts but also a bit more annoying at times.

The straps can be a pain if you need the toilet, for example, or forget to put your shorts, jersey and chest strap heart rate monitor on in the right order. However, the straps do help me get more benefit from the padding because they hold the shorts in the right position better than my shorts without straps, which moved around more during the ride. Some people also find them more comfortable than cycling shorts because you don’t need a tight waistband.

In truth, I’d say this extra comfort was only really worth the extra hassle and cost of bib shorts for my longest rides. Since those still weren’t that long, I’d recommend starting with a set of padded waist shorts if you’re new to regular cycling and not planning on spending more than a couple of hours on the bike at a time. 

I would definitely invest in some kind of padded shorts, though, especially if you, like me, are just using the standard saddle your bike came with. Your behind will thank you.

Our guide to the best turbo trainers can help you decide which model is right for you.

Cycling is a great way to get fit, save money and do your bit for the environment as you travel under your own steam. It’s low-impact, as low- or high-intensity as you want it to be, and if you commute by cycling to work, it can help you squeeze some exercise into everyday life.

It’s also quite addictive. If you’ve been doing it for a while, there will probably come a time when you want to use your bike for more than riding to and from the office – progressing to pedalling for exercise and training towards a cycling event.

It’s here where things can get a bit confusing. Cast your eyes over a dedicated training plan, and you might be bombarded with an array of baffling terms and acronyms that go big on “zones” and efforts, and straight over your head. Most will bang on about something called FTP – which stands for functional threshold power – but they have good reason to do so.

So we asked cycling coach Matt Rowe from Rowe & King to explain exactly what FTP is, why it’s worth knowing yours, and how it can become a valuable tool when following a training plan.

“Knowing your FTP can help you to structure your training, with the most likely change being that you train harder and easier – avoiding that ‘middle ground’ where you ride very close to FTP,” says Rowe.

Your FTP is also a good benchmark for your performance and can be regularly tested to see how you’re improving and adapting to training. “While everyone knows there is more to cycling performance than FTP, [it] is a very good predictor of performance for most cyclists, where the higher your FTP, the better.”

What kind of cyclist are you? Are you into MTB or road biking? Do you prefer pedal power or electric? Whether you are a club or competitive rider, cycle only in fair weather at the weekend or spend your winter in a virtual world on your indoor trainer, we want to hear from you in our latest survey.

The world of cycling is changing and to help you keep abreast of every development, we like to keep in touch with our readers’ experiences. So we’d love to hear all about the kind of bike you ride, where you ride and when you ride, as well as if you use the latest cycling tech and your views on the types of bikes available.

The survey should take up to eight minutes to complete and to say thank you for your time, your name will be placed into a prize draw for a chance to win an Amazon voucher worth £250 or $300, depending on where you live. (T&Cs apply, of course.) 

The survey is open to those based in the UK, US, Canada and selected European countries. The survey closes on 23rd November 2022.

Take the survey. And good luck!

After a two-year break RideLondon’s 100-mile cycling event made a successful return this year with a new route that took in the Essex countryside rather than the Surrey Hills. With less elevation and wider roads used, it was more accessible than ever to beginner and intermediate cyclists – so no matter what your fitness level is now, we recommend entering RideLondon-Essex 2023, which will take place on 28th May 2023.

You will be able to sign up for the event from Wednesday 28 September, when entries open for next year’s race on ridelondon.co.uk. It’s worth being one of the first 10,000 people to sign up because you’ll get a guaranteed place, rather than entering the ballot.

If you don’t manage to grab one of the first come, first served places then you will enter the ballot for the remainder of the spots in the race, which had 25,000 participants in 2021. You have until 5pm on Tuesday 1st November to enter the ballot.

Even with the more accessible route, you might still feel that 100 miles is a tad too far to cycle in one go, in which case keep an eye on the RideLondon-Essex website for announcements about the other events taking part over the weekend. In 2021 there were also 30- and 60-mile events, plus a short FreeCycle ride.

We would encourage anyone to give the 100-mile event a try though. The distance might sound daunting but you have plenty of time to work through a 100-mile training plan, and RideLondon-Essex 100 is one of the best ones for beginners to tackle. The total elevation you climb is around 1,100m, which sounds like a lot, but it’s broken up into lots of small climbs across the undulating route – and the wide roads used mean you have space to ride even in an event with 25,000 cyclists.

There are also welfare stops along the route where you can stop to use the loo, grab a drink and a snack and even have your bike checked by a mechanic. In 2021 these stops didn’t count towards your time, so you can take a proper break and make sure you’re ready to carry on.

Indoor cycling giant Zwift has launched its own turbo trainer, the Zwift Hub, which arrives with a clear purpose – to make setting up and using Zwift easier. The Zwift Hub will cost £449/$499, a competitive price for a direct drive (wheel-off) trainer, and will be available from 3rd October on Zwift’s website.

The Zwift Hub is based on the JetBlack Volt and looks set to be one of the best turbo trainers when it lands on the market, purely because it’s been designed to make the set-up process easier.

While experienced cyclists will be dab hands at popping the back wheel off their bike and installing it on a turbo trainer, many of us are less familiar with the mechanics of the process, and when terms like “cassette” and “axle adapters”  start cropping up it’s easy to decide that maybe you don’t want to ride your bike indoors after all (although our how to get started with Zwift guide can help).

With the Zwift Hub, you pick the cassette you need for your bike while buying it, with video guides to help you do that on the website, and the Zwift Hub then arrives with the cassette already installed for you. 

Working out which axle adapter your bike needs is also not always clear, so Zwift’s adapters are packaged on cards that have instructions on how to identify which one you need and install it in place.

Despite not cycling outdoors, aside from the occasional commute, I love cycling on Zwift and have done so for years without knowing what cassettes or adapters are, because someone once set up my turbo for me and I haven’t touched it since. Hopefully the assistance you get with setting up the Zwift Hub will open up indoor cycling to more beginners like me. It even has colour-coded feet so you can be sure you’ve attached them to the right leg of the turbo trainer.

The Zwift Hub will also connect to other indoor cycling platforms such as Wahoo Systm or TrainerRoad, and while it is beginner-friendly, it has the specs to satisfy experienced cyclists too. The maximum resistance is 1,800 watts, and the power measurements are accurate to within 2.5%. The maximum gradient it can simulate is 16% and a forthcoming update will allow the Zwift Hub to calibrate itself.

Zwift has been expected to launch its own smart exercise bike for some time, but that plan has been shelved for now. Instead, the Zwift Hub is arriving to make it simpler for people to get into indoor cycling on the platform.

Britain is blessed with great cycle routes, and those who take on the formidable task of cycling the length of the country from Land’s End to John o’ Groats (LEJOG) pass through a variety of dramatic and beautiful landscapes.

That’s especially true if you choose the LEJOG1000 route outlined in the new book Britain’s Best Bike Ride (Vertebrate Publishing, £20), which is published on 6th October. Authors Hannah Reynolds and John Walsh spent six years researching the optimum way to cycle from Britain’s most south-westerly point to its most north-easterly, and the result is a scenic 1,000-mile route that delivers the perfect balance between seeing as much as possible and “getting there”.

We spoke to Reynolds before the launch of Britain’s Best Bike Ride to get more information on the duo’s passion-project route.

How does this differ from other LEJOG routes?

There are almost unlimited ways to make your way from Land’s End to John o’ Groats. We’ve favoured the most scenic route, which gives you the best experience of a cross-section of mainland Britain. We have also ensured that it is a perfect 1,000 miles as we feel this is a challenge worth shouting about.

Route designers have a few key decisions to make when planning a LEJOG route. We have chosen to trace the north coast of Cornwall, spend a decent stretch in Wales, following the border, and opted for the “snow road” through the Cairngorms instead of the more easterly route that takes you through Aviemore and Fort William. 

Where possible, in the most urban areas of the north-west we have picked quieter sections through parkland and the urban fringes, before heading into the hills of Lancashire for a taste of this post-industrial landscape. 

What makes it Britain’s best ride?

Over the route you come to appreciate the variety of the UK’s culture and geography. Rocky coastlines, rolling hills and captivating mountains are interspersed with historic towns and quaint villages. 

If you want your journey to be a box-ticking exercise there are classic climbs to conquer and the 1,000-mile challenge to nail. If you are in it for the scenery and history, we make a point of taking the route through the best each region has to offer. How you ride the route is up to you – it has the potential to be one of the biggest physical challenges you’ll have undertaken or a meandering exploration. Our classic itinerary is also two weeks, a typical holiday period. 

Can you break the ride up easily to come back on separate trips?

Absolutely. We’ve designed the book in 30 stages and each point-to-point section can be joined together to create a bespoke itinerary so you can complete the full distance over several trips. Sedbergh in Cumbria is almost bang on halfway. Its nearest mainline station is well connected to London and the rest of the country, making this an easy point to break and resume your journey. 

What are other great rides to do in Britain?

Britain is full of cycling options.There are many established long-distance routes, as well as interesting day rides. The Coast to Coast is another classic route that would fit nicely in your rides collection.

Our LEJOG1000 route passes through several of Britain’s national parks, any one of which would be worth exploring further. From Exmoor to the Cairngorms, all the national parks offer fantastic cycling. 

As Cumbrians we would say you can’t go far wrong in the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District if you want great climbing and epic views.

The UK’s cost of living crisis is expected to get much worse with the energy price cap estimated to rise dramatically not once, but twice, this winter, affecting an ever greater proportion of households. That’s on top of the increasing cost of food and transport. 

For drivers, prices at petrol pumps have started to come down gradually, but they are still in the region of 40p per litre more expensive than 12 months ago and the cost of filling up a family car remains just under the £100 mark. 

Public transport isn’t exempt either. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has already warned that fares in the capital are likely to go up by 10% next January, while rail fares could face similar increases, even if a recent government announcement says they won’t rise by as much as the retail price index – currently 11.8% – which normally dictates annual increases.

You may well be looking for savings in every area, using less energy, shopping in a cheaper supermarket and, perhaps, considering travelling by bike.

We heartily recommend cycling to work at Coach and have covered the real-life benefits people get from cycle commuting, which include saving money.

We’ll get the caveat out of the way now. Cycling obviously isn’t going to cut it if you’ve got a 100-mile commute, or if you’re a tradesperson who needs to lug a lot of equipment around from job to job. But for shorter journeys – whether that’s door-to-door or replacing a drive to the station – it’s one of the cheapest and (especially in dense urban areas) quickest ways of getting around.

But how cheap is it? To help you decide if cycling could make a significant difference to the state of your finances, we’ve created this guide to the costs of cycling, with a focus on commuting.

Initial Investment

If you don’t already own a bike, this is likely to be one of your arguments against cycling if you’re really up against it. Even entry-level bikes (which we’ve assessed in this guide to the best budget bikes) will set you back close to £200. If money is already tight, that might seem like an unnecessary expense when you factor in buying accessories like bike lights (a legal requirement if riding at night), a bike lock (essential), bike helmet and reflective winter clothing (there’s no law that says you have to wear them, but many prefer to).

If you have more room to manoeuvre, you can find great hybrid bikes for commuting for anywhere between £350 and £1,000 that – even with the extras – will probably add up to a saving compared with an annual train or bus ticket.

One way to reduce the cost significantly is to use the Cycle to Work scheme, which enables eligible employees to spread the expense of a bike (and any accessories you need) over 12 months, with the payment deducted from your payslip before tax. There’s no limit on this, which means electric bikes are on the table too – especially useful if you’re worried you live too far from work to cycle.

“I've tried to reduce the amount of car usage for my school run in the morning,” explains Brighton-based Ben Kelly, who had been considering buying an electric car but had to look at other options when he realised he couldn’t afford it. He decided on a £3,000 electric cargo bike, which by no means cheap, was “considerably less than a car”.

Since buying it in October 2021, Kelly has covered 1,000km (621 miles), which is mainly the 8km round trip to school and back. “There’s a direct saving that can be calculated, especially with the cost of diesel and everything at the moment.”

The benefits aren’t just financial either. “I'm taking one car off the road, I'm freeing up congestion and it's a lot more fun – my kids love it when I say we're going to get the bike out today. They love that sensation of whizzing along and beating the traffic.”

Day-To-Day Outgoings

A bike isn’t just a cheaper purchase than a car or an annual public transport season ticket – it costs less to run, too.

Compared with a car, cycling removes three costs at a stroke. There’s no vehicle excise duty to pay, the only refuelling required is feeding yourself, and bike insurance isn’t compulsory (entry-level policies are targeted at protecting you from theft rather than personal liability).

There are maintenance costs to factor in. Research by NimbleFins put general service costs around £35 a time (a service is recommended every three to 18 months depending on usage and other factors), and parts like tyres and chains will have to be replaced once worn out, but these are minuscule compared with the savings you’ll have made.

“I resent it now when I can’t cycle because it’s good exercise and it’s saving me money,” says part-time nurse Sue Saunders. She rides the 7½  miles from her home to Royal Bournemouth Hospital as frequently as she can, and drives only in the depths of winter when icy and dark conditions make it dangerous to cycle. 

“If I drive, it costs me £3 a day to park, plus there’s the fuel for those two journeys,” Saunders says. “[Cycling has] saved me a fortune over the years and it’s a nice wind-down, coming home from work.”

Even if you switch only to cycling some of the time like Saunders, you’ll still save money. A handy tool by Omni Calculator lets you see just how much, depending on the distance to your workplace, the efficiency of your car and the cost of fuel. For example, by leaving the car at home and cycling the five miles to work just two days a week, you could save yourself £121.50 a year.

Whether you’ve just started cycling to work or are a seasoned club cyclist, at some point in your pedal-powered journey it’s only natural to seek out a cycling challenge to add to your calendar. The UK has a rich selection of sportives, charity cycle rides and gran fondos to sign up for. In fact, during the height of the season (April to September), it’s possible to take part in one every weekend. 

But which events deserve to be on your bucket list? From an ideal introductory event that’s been taking place since 1976 to an ultra-distance epic that takes in most of a country, here are the best UK cycling events to sign up for.

Don't miss our tips on how to train for a 100-mile sportive and how to fuel for one.

Fred Whitton Challenge

Next event: 7 May 2023

Entry fee: £95

Held since 1999, the Fred Whitton Challenge markets itself as the hardest route in the whole of the UK (although an equally punchy Welsh inclusion in our round-up could easily vie for the top spot). At 112 miles (180km) with 10,400ft (3,162m) of elevation gain, it’s a serious day in the saddle—the fastest complete it in around six hours, while it can take the average sportive rider almost twice as long. An event for those who don’t mind a bit of suffering, the route includes all the Lake District’s most famous passes (Kirkstone, Honister, Newlands, Whinlatter, Hardknott and Wrynose, and Blea Tarn), and features an energy-sapping 30% gradient with 94 miles (151km) already in the legs. Entry is based on a ballot system, and priority is given to first-timers.

Visit the Fred Whitton Challenge website 

Etape Caledonia

Next event: 14 May 2023

Entry fee: £49 (40 miles), £50 (55 miles), £84 (85 miles)

For a UK sportive with amazing scenery, it’s best to look to Scotland. The closed-road Etape Caledonia takes place on the outskirts of the Cairngorms and whether you opt for the 40-mile, 55-mile or 85-mile version, you’ll be treated to a variety of Scottish delights: lochs, forests and rolling mountain ranges. It tends to sell out quickly, so sign up before it’s too late.

Visit the Etape Caledonia website

RideLondon

Next event: 28 May 2023

Entry fee: £99

The cycling equivalent of the London Marathon, RideLondon has quickly become a “must ride” event for any semi-serious cyclist. The course shifted from the London 2012 Olympic-inspired Surrey hills to the flatter terrain of Essex for the 2022 edition, but it’s still a solid challenge and offers the chance to ride 100 miles (160km) on closed roads. It’s one of the most oversubscribed sportives around, but if you’ve missed out on the ballot for this year’s event, it’s not too late to sign up with loads of charity places still available. Read more in our RideLondon guide.

Visit the RideLondon website

Tour Of Cambridgeshire

Next event: 2-4 June 2023

Entry fees: Sportive from £40, gran fondo from £80

Want to add some competition into the equation? The Tour of Cambridgeshire hosts closed-road sportives that range from 50 to 100 miles, but it also holds a gran fondo and a road race on the longer course. While you have to hold a racing license to take part in the latter, the gran fondo is the amateur equivalent and is open to anyone aged over 19. It’s a certified event in the UCI Gran Fondo World Series, and if you finish in the top 20% of your age group this June, you’ll qualify for the 2023 UCI Gran Fondo World Championship in Glasgow and your shot at a world title.

Visit the Tour of Cambridgeshire website

BHF London To Brighton

Next event: 18 June 2023

Entry fee: Dependent on charity

While there are various events that take riders from the city to the seaside, this British Heart Foundation-organized one is the original. First staged in 1976, the relaxed 54-mile (87km) ride sets off from Clapham in south London and takes riders through the urban sprawl and into the countryside of Surrey and Sussex before finishing on the beach in Brighton. Be warned—there’s a nasty sting in the tail at mile 50 where the course goes up and over Ditchling Beacon. It’s a mile long and has an average gradient of 10%, so there’s no shame in joining the majority in getting off and walking your way to the top. Although the ballot is now sold out, it’s not too late to secure your spot with a charity partner.

Visit the BHF London To Brighton website

Dragon Ride

Next event: 18 June 2023

Entry fee: £79.95 (Macmillan 100), £89.95 (Medio Fondo), £104.95 (Gran Fondo), £129.95 (Devil)

The Dragon Ride is Wales’s most notorious cycling event, and for good reason. The shortest route on offer is the 61-mile (98km) Macmillan 100, and things only get tougher from there. The most popular distance is the 132-mile (213km) Gran Fondo, which includes eight of the Brecon Beacons’ major climbs and 3,488m of elevation, but the hardest is the ominously named Dragon Devil. This follows the Gran Fondo route but throws an additional 50-mile (81km) loop out towards the Elan Valley into the mix for 183 miles (296km) and 4,614m elevation of hellishly hard riding.

Visit the Dragon Ride website

Struggle Moors

Next event: 2 July 2023

Entry fee: £55

A sportive with the word “Struggle” in its name makes it clear from the off that it’s not for the faint-hearted. This North Yorkshire Moors-based ride takes entrants on a 112-mile (180km) tour of the national park and doesn’t shy away from some of the area’s killer climbs, including those with scary-sounding names like Glaisdale Horror (1.2km at 14.8%) and Rosedale Chimney (1.3km at 13.5%). The rest of the route is far from flat too, with more than 10,000ft (3,048m) of elevation on the undulating course making it one for climbers (or those who don’t mind a bit of pain). 

Visit the Struggle Moors website 

The Mendips Classic

Next event: 15 July 2023

Entry fee: £25 (short), £35 (middle), £40 (long)

Not all organized sportives have to include a trip to the pain cave, as this West Country ride proves. Sure, there are some punchy ascents to tackle in the Mendip Hills, and both the long (123km, 1,436m elevation gain) and medium (83km, 818m elevation gain) routes include the sweeping bends of Cheddar Gorge, but the courses’ profiles don’t resemble a concertina. All options are bookended by some gentle, level ground where you can warm up properly and enjoy the surroundings on either side of the up-and-down action.

Visit the Mendips Classic website 

Pearson Steeplechase

Next event: 17 September 2023

Entry fee: £50

New for 2023, the Steeplechase offers riders the choice of 100km of Surrey’s finest road riding or a 60km gravel route if cycling on bridleways, singletrack and farm access roads is more your thing. Whichever you opt for, each course will require you to tick off five checkpoints, which all happen to be church steeples (hence the name). Finishing at Hurtwood Polo Club, participants of both routes will have the unique treat of being able to drink in a polo match alongside their post-ride pint.

Visit the Pearson Steeplechase website 

Sidley London Revolution

Next event: 23-24 September 2023

Entry fee: From £65

London is home to a number of cycling events but the Revolution is its only weekend-long affair. Setting off from the Lee Valley Showground, the 157-mile (252km) loop takes participants through the heart of the city before linking up with some of the best lanes that the surrounding counties have to offer. The two-day ride sees you spin your way through Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, spending the night in Windsor. Alternatively, you can sign up for the ultra edition and do it all in one grueling hit.

Visit the Sidley London Revolution website 

Spoiler alert: professional athletes do not have a secret set of exercises or training sessions that we can share to bring you up to their level (although if they did there’s absolutely no way we would share them).

What they do have, which you probably don’t, is the time to focus solely on training. For most of us, training has to be juggled with a job and other responsibilities; once you accept that difference, there’s a lot to be learned from the way pros approach training and races and it can all help you outperform your expectations. It’s something we discovered when speaking to a coach about how to train like an Olympian – and the lessons can be applied to marathon training, or training for a 100-mile sportive, or whatever challenge you’ve set yourself.

That’s why when cycle brand Hammerhead, which makes the Karoo 2 cycle computer, offered to share advice from pro cyclist Brodie Chapman (who is an ambassador for the the brand), we jumped at the chance.

Here’s some great advice from Chapman about what us normals can take from how she trains. 

1. “Listen to experts – sports dietitians, sports scientists, qualified coaches–  and not TikTok or Instagram athletes. Avoid comparing yourself to others and their body types or training regimes. This is one of the most unhelpful habits an athlete can have. Try to beat them in a race, that is all.”

2. “Fuel for the work required. You can’t trick your body for long by undereating, overtraining, or binge drinking, and then thinking an electrolyte tablet will reverse it.”

3. “Eat like a normal, healthy human but add some more. ADD carbs, ADD protein for recovery, ADD more calories when you are training than when you are sitting still. There is this old-school way of thinking that athletes for some reason need to eat less or be more restrictive with their diet than a normal healthy person. You actually have to ensure you eat enough, especially during exercise. Current science is unanimous that taking on calories on the bike means you can complete harder sessions, recover better and prevent illness.” 

4. “Enjoy what you do. That looks different for everyone. For me, training is social a lot of the time. It is varied – mountain biking, gravel riding, hiking – and training in new locations excites me and keeps me engaged. For some people, training or racing indoors on a virtual platform is fun and keeps them motivated; for others it’s the solo rides where you nail every interval and obsess over an aesthetically pleasing training graph afterwards. If you really don’t like it, then you won’t really do it well for long.”

5. “Recover. I might have butchered this quote, but it’s something like ‘The only training you benefit from is the training you recover from’. The training creates the stress; the rest creates the adaptation required to get stronger. Recovery also doesn’t mean ‘recovery’ gym day, ‘recovery’ runs, ‘recover’ walk around the shopping mall all day… it means park up and rest!”

The UK’s biggest sportive returns on Sunday 28th May. RideLondon 100 started as an Olympic legacy event after London 2012, and the mass-participation ride has established itself as cycling’s equivalent to the London Marathon. Riders of all ages and abilities from across the UK and abroad saddle up to tick the 100-mile course off their bucket list.

I’ve ridden three RideLondons, including the new Essex route that debuted in 2022, so I’m well placed to help with your pre-event preparations. Hopefully your training has gone well (and you used the 100-mile cycle training plan I worked on), so all that’s left is to go over the on-the-day details. Here are the answers to your burning questions ahead of RideLondon’s 10th-anniversary ride.

RideLondon Start

RideLondon 2023 Route

RideLondon Map

The RideLondon 2023 course comes in at 102.4 miles in length and features 3,640ft (1,109m) elevation gain. The ride is an out-and-back loop from the capital, and is predominantly spent exploring the Essex countryside, but it’s bookended with sections that go past some of London’s landmarks including Cleopatra’s Needle, the Tate Modern and Tower Bridge.

RideLondon Road Closures

A comprehensive overview of road closures can be found on the RideLondon community info page of the website but there are a few headlines to bear in mind if you live on or near the RideLondon course. A lot of the main roads in central and east London will be subject to road closures until 7.30pm on 28th May at the earliest, with some remaining closed until 6am on Monday 29th May. Other roads that are on the course will have rolling roadblocks in force, and some sections will be reopened to traffic from as early as midday. If you do need to cross the course, there are a number of designated vehicle crossing points where riders will be stopped to allow traffic to pass.

RideLondon Finish

RideLondon 2024

RideLondon 2022 Photos

We’re all about helping you try something new on two wheels, whether that’s track cycling, mountain biking, turbo training or cycling to work. So how could we resist a guide to how to do a wheelie from none other than Danny MacAskill, street trials and mountain bike rider, and he of the jaw-dropping YouTube videos? 

MacAskill’s been working with Adidas Five Ten, the MTB line of the athleisure giant, to celebrate the wheelie. “We wanted to make a film that included as many types of riding as possible and let other riders become the star of the film”, says MacAskill. “The wheelie was the best place to start. If you can ride a bike, you can have a good go at doing a wheelie and, from there, the opportunities are endless. We wanted to celebrate the wheelie, show how accessible riding bikes can be and put a smile on people’s faces. If someone picks up a bike and has a big grin trying to wheelie, then job done.” 

Give it a go yourself using MacAskill’s tips, shared exclusively with Coach. 

1. Grab a bicycle! “A wheelie can be done on absolutely any kind of bike,” says MacAskill. “Just find yourself an area with a bit of space to practise.” Ideally you want a gentle incline to cycle up.

2. Use flat pedals. “If you are going to use clips don’t blame me if you land on your bum!”

3. Adjust your seat height. “You want to have your bike seat at a mid-seat height. I really recommend that you dip the nose of your seat – by dipping the nose, you can just perch there and it makes the balance point much more comfortable.”

4. Choose the right gear. “Somewhere in the middle of the cassette is a good place to start.”

5. Pedal timing is key. “You want to use your strongest foot first. Lower your chest towards the handlebars and, as your good leg is at the top, push down hard on the pedal and straighten your arms, moving your torso backwards.”

6. Grow your confidence. “Learning to be comfortable stepping up onto your feet will make you more confident,” says MacAskill, referring to being able to slip off the back of the bike and put your feet flat on the floor. “This is a crucial part of doing wheelies – the reason that I’m able to do the tricks I do is because I’m able to crash quite well!”

7. Get your hands in the right position. “Make sure you always cover your back brake,” says MacAskill, meaning you should have your hand over the brake so you can press it at a moment’s notice. “If you start tipping off of your bike, you can pull the back brake and it’ll bring the front down.”

8. Discover the magic! “Once you’ve mastered your feet timing and your arm timing, try to go up and find that magical balance point.”

If you need a few more pointers (we did, and a lot more practice besides to get the front wheel of our entry-level hybrid to stay in the air) watch the extra video MacAskill made. You’ll need to register with Adidas to watch it.

The long months of winter are over and cyclists have emerged from garages and basements used for indoor turbo training to spend their weekends logging long rides in the countryside. That means it’s high time to start adding some cycling events to your calendar, and there are many reasons why Garmin Ride Out should be one of them.

Those reasons start with the route, which is a 50-mile (80km) loop around the New Forest, where riders who want to get their head up and enjoy the scenery will never be short of an impressive view.

Meanwhile, those who want to keep their head down and power through the route will be encouraged by the fairly flat profile of the event, which involves just 528m of climbing. Speedsters will also find added inspiration in the pros lined up to take part in Ride Out 2022, who include Olympic gold medallist Dani Rowe and triathlete Beth Potter.

It costs £55 to enter, and you get an array of added extras for that price, including breakfast and lunch, and a recovery yoga session at the race village, plus a cycling jersey and medal at the finish line. And while no UK event can ever guarantee good weather, the fact that Ride Out 2022 takes place in August should mean that at least any rain is fairly warm.

We reckon Ride Out 2022 is a great option for newer cyclists or those looking to stretch their wings beyond a daily commute. The route is long enough to provide a challenge without being so long that you’ll be in the saddle all day, and the manageable amount of climbing also makes it more welcoming to all abilities.

The event raises money for Action Medical Research, a children’s charity based in West Sussex, and the 2022 race will take place on 20th August, starting and finishing at Moyles Court School in Ringwood, Hampshire. You can sign up to take part now on the Action Medical Research website.

Sign up to Garmin Ride Out | £55

More Things To Do This Summer

• Sustrans’s Challenge Rides are cycling adventures anyone can do.
• Get outside and do something physical with these great outdoor challenges.
• Set in some of the UK’s most scenic spots, these running festivals combine group runs with music, food and much more.
• Fill your calendar with these obstacle course races, then find out how to ace any race.

Commuting by bike is one of the most convenient, quick and fun ways of getting to and from the office. Until you get a puncture. If you’ve been riding for long enough, there’s a good chance you’ll have encountered the dreaded moment when one of your tyres goes squishy and you find yourself Googling “how to fix a puncture with no puncture repair kit” by the side of the road.

If you’re in a city, you might be lucky enough to be close to a local bike shop that can get you back up and running in no time at all. But if you’re not, that straightforward journey to or from work becomes a nightmare where you have to somehow transport yourself and your bike to your destination.

It doesn’t have to be this way though. Using a combination of prevention, preparation and practice, you’ll be able to fix your next puncture in a matter of minutes, turning that flat tyre into a minor bump in the road.

How To Avoid Getting A Puncture

As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure, and there are a number of quick, easy strategies that can help to minimise your risk of getting a puncture in the first place.

First ensure that your tyres are inflated to the recommended pressure, which will be printed on your tyre. Using a pump with a gauge on it, inflate each tyre to somewhere within the recommended PSI (pounds per square inch) range. This will help minimise the risk of pinch punctures – when the inner tube gets trapped between the wheel’s rim and a hard, sharp edge like a pothole or dropping down from a curb. It’s worth checking your bike’s tyres once a week to ensure they are correctly inflated.

If you’re keeping your tyres inflated and still suffering from repeated punctures, it might be time to get some new tyres. After all, a worn, previously punctured tyre offers up a weaker defence than a shiny, new one.

How To Be Prepared For A Puncture

Even if you do keep your commuter bike’s tyres topped up and in a good condition, a small piece of glass, thorn or flint might manage to pierce through your tyre and puncture your inner tube.

Rather than accepting defeat and taking your bike to a shop to get fixed, it is possible to repair or replace a punctured inner tube in no time at all (more on which below). But first, you’ll need to have some tools at hand:

The quickest way to fix a flat tyre is to completely replace the inner tube with a new one. Stock up on the ones that match your bike’s wheel diameter (generally 700c for most commuter hybrid bikes) and your tyre’s width (again, this will be on the tyre and is generally shown in mm), and make sure to stuff a couple in your commuter backpack or pannier – you don’t want to be stuck if you get two punctures on your way to work, after all.

A more compact method than lugging around spare inner tubes is to pack a puncture repair kit in your commuter backpack. Patching an inner tube is more time-consuming than simply swapping it out for a new one – what with finding the puncture, repairing it and waiting for the glue to dry – but could be a more practical solution than carrying around multiple inner tubes.

This is an essential item that should be taken on all rides. Make sure it is compatible with the valve of your inner tube (Presta is the thin type common on most modern bikes, Schrader the wider type found on older or off-road bikes), and finding one with a gauge is a bonus.

Most modern bikes will feature a quick-release axle that allows you to remove and reinstall the wheel with no tools required – if there’s a little lever where the wheel is secured to the bike’s fork or frame, then it’s quick-release. Some single-speed or older hybrid bikes don’t have quick-release wheels, though, so you will need to carry a spanner; the most common size is 15mm, but check before buying.

These thin levers will help you get your tyre on and off. Two are better than one, and it’s worth looking out for a set that is plastic coated but reinforced with metal. The plastic will minimise any sharp points puncturing an inner tube, while the metal stops them snapping when confronted with a seriously tight tyre.

Not essential, but things can get greasy.

How To Fix A Puncture

The guide below assumes that you have a standard inner tube and wheel set-up. If you have a tubeless set-up, the below is still useful if the hole in your tyre is too big for the sealant to plug.

Step 1: Undo the quick-release skewer (or unscrew the axle’s bolts). If you have rim brakes, you might need to open the brake release lever. If the puncture is in the rear wheel, it’s a lot easier to remove the wheel if you change gear so the chain is on the smallest chainring at the front and smallest cog at the back. Remove the punctured wheel from the bike.

Step 2: Use the tyre levers to prise one side of the tyre off the wheel’s rim.

Step 3: Slide the punctured inner tube out from the rim and remove it completely. To do this you will need to remove the dust cap and unscrew the nut that holds it in place, then push the valve up and through the hole in the rim.

Step 4: Run your hand carefully around the inside of the tyre to check for any sharp objects that might have caused the puncture. Remove anything sharp that you find.

(If replacing the punctured inner tube with a new one, skip to step 6)

Step 5: Find the hole in the punctured inner tube. The easiest way is to inflate it slightly before squeezing it and popping it in a bucket of water and looking for bubbles, but unless you’re commuting to your job as a window cleaner that’s not much help mid-journey. Try squeezing the inflated inner tube and pass it past your ear – the sound of air escaping should help you locate the hole. Follow the instructions on the puncture repair kit to patch the hole.

Step 6: Slightly inflate the repaired inner tube, insert its valve into the hole in the rim and slide the inner tube into the rim bed.

Step 7: This is the tricky bit. With the valve at its furthest point from you, use your tyre levers to lever the bead (the edge of the tyre) back onto the inside of the rim. Work your way around the tyre until it’s back on. If you’re left with a stubborn part that just won’t go on, try pushing the valve up into the rim. This will hopefully give you more room to work with and make it easier to ease the tyre back on.

Step 8: Check that there aren’t any parts of the inner tube trapped between the bead and the rim and inflate slightly. If there are any bulges, your inner tube is trapped, so it may need a bit of massaging to get it sitting correctly.

Step 9: Once clear, you’re all set to inflate the tyre using your pump to the recommended pressure shown on the tyre. Pop the nut and dust cap on the valve, reattach your wheel, check your brakes and off you roll.

The great return to work after COVID-19 has made one thing clear – commuting isn’t a great way to spend your time. And what’s more, it isn’t cheap, whether you drive or rely on public transport. With fuel prices and fares on the up, it’s only going to get more expensive. Fortunately, there is a cheaper alternative if you can’t walk to work – cycling. If you live within riding distance of your place of work, the upfront cost and minor maintenance charges of commuting by bike are small compared with going by car or buying a season ticket.

Cycling on the UK’s roads can feel like an intimidating prospect, especially because cyclists remain a minority. According to the latest National Travel Survey, only 3% of trips were taken by bike in England in 2020 – and this during the first wave of the pandemic and a cycling boom.

It doesn’t have to be this way and it won’t be for long. In 2020, the government announced £2bn in funding for cycling and walking infrastructure, and the impact of this investment is already visible in towns and cities around the country. Changes in early 2022 to the Highway Code also give cyclists a higher priority on the roads. The result will hopefully be a linked-up infrastructure and a shifted attitude towards cyclists that will create a more welcoming, Dutch-influenced environment on the roads for bikes.

We’ve enjoyed the benefits of cycling to work for years and are keen for more people to experience them, so we’ve collected expert advice to answer some of the common questions people have before trying a bike commute. From riding safely in traffic to how to lock your bike properly when you arrive at the office, below is a complete guide to the most enjoyable, healthy, environmentally friendly, and speedy way of getting to and from work.

What Are The Benefits Of Cycling To Work?

“Cycling to work is a great way to include exercise in your weekly routine, without the need for expensive gym memberships or a personal trainer,” says Luke Harper, who was previously head of the British Cycling partnership at HSBC UK. “You get to work feeling invigorated – endorphins are flowing around your body and you start the day off on a natural high.

“A bike is also cheap to buy compared with a car, particularly with so many employers taking part in the Cycle To Work scheme, and it is much cheaper to run. In many UK cities there are also bike-sharing schemes [such as Santander Cycles in London and Beryl in the West Midlands] which make using a bike easy and affordable.

“There are numerous benefits to cycling but, perhaps most of all, cycling is fun. Most of us learned to cycle as a child when it was an activity that provided a sense of freedom.”

Commuting under your own steam can also improve concentration and reduce stress levels, according to an analysis of 18,000 British commuters published in the journal Preventive Medicine. The research also found that “the longer people spend commuting in cars, the worse their psychological wellbeing”.

We’d also suggest that for most people in cities cycling to work will be at least as fast as taking public transport, even if you’re pootling along at an easy pace, because you can pick a more direct route, there’s no walking to or from a station or bus stop and no waiting, and the only unexpected delay you might experience is a flat tyre.

Finally, commuting by bike ticks the environmentally friendly box too. According to research by Oxford University, replacing just one car journey a day for one on a bike each day reduces an average citizen’s carbon emissions from transport by 67%. As more people look into how they can do their bit to stop the climate crisis getting any worse, it’s a practical way to make a difference.

How Much Does Cycling To Work Cost?

While there’s no direct cost each time you saddle up to get to and from the office, cycling to work isn’t free. The biggest cost is the bike. A reliable set of wheels that’s suitable for commuting is likely to set you back a minimum of £300, but there are ways of spreading this cost interest-free through initiatives such as the Cycle To Work scheme. 

Alternatively, it’s possible to pick up a bike second-hand on eBay, Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace for less than a new one, although it’s important to remember that there are no guarantees when buying a used product. Be on the look-out for a local company or scheme which wants to improve access to bikes – Peddle My Wheels in London is a good example. 

Bike sorted, there are accessories you might want to consider – a helmet, lights, a rucksack, or pannier – but these aren’t essential (apart from the lights, which are required by law if cycling on the road after dark).

When compared with public transport or driving, it soon becomes quite clear that cycling is a much cheaper alternative. Plus, with all the money you’ve saved on fuel or fares, you’ll be able to upgrade your cycling wardrobe to include a jacket, gloves and maybe even a cycling jersey.

How Far Is Too Far To Cycle To Work?

Ultimately, this is down to the individual. Some people will ride 20-plus miles each way to get to work, whereas others would consider 10 minutes a bit of a stretch. It’s all down to what you’re comfortable with riding, and it’s important to remember that you’re going to have to do the same journey at the end of the day too.

If you’ve never ridden to work before, attempt a leisure ride at the weekend and see how long you can easily ride for (both in terms of distance and duration). Less than the distance to work? You’re good to go. Is work still too far away? You can always combine cycling with public transport (eg cycling rather than driving to the station) or gradually build up to the distance until you think you can confidently complete the ride to work without getting too tired.

Is Cycling To Work Dangerous?

“Our perceptions of the dangers of cycling far outstrip reality,” says Harper. “For many of us, these are mental barriers which prevent us from getting on two wheels.”

There are stats to back this up too. According to Cycling UK research, only one cyclist is killed for every 29 million miles covered by bike on British roads, and mile for mile the risk of death is about the same as walking. Furthermore, cycling is so good for your health that statistically speaking, the years of life gained outweigh the years lost through injuries by around 20:1.

If you’re still on edge, there are courses on offer regardless of age – and best of all, they’re free. Bikeability and Bikeability Scotland will show you what’s available in your area.

There are a few key safety tips to bear in mind. The first is to build or regain confidence before commuting. “If you’re nervous about riding to work, there are ways to build your confidence including doing practice runs during the weekends when there’s usually less traffic, which will help you to familiarise yourself with the route,” says Harper. “Riding a bike recreationally around your local park or on national cycling routes can help you relearn the skills or techniques that may be rusty, and help to boost your confidence before using the roads.”

One of the key things to master is hand signalling so that you can communicate with other road users. This will require you to be able to confidently ride one-handed, while the ability to look over your shoulder to check behind you and make eye contact with drivers is another crucial skill.

Ultimately, while cycling to work can often be the fastest way to the office, it’s important to keep your wits about you, anticipate that any car or pedestrian could suddenly cut across your path and practise extra caution in the wet.

Do You Need Insurance?

There’s no legal requirement, but liability insurance might be useful. The easiest way to cover yourself is to join one of the two major national cycling organisations – British Cycling and Cycling UK. Both offer members liability cover, up to £15m and £10m respectively, if you’re in the wrong and legal assistance for third-party claims if you’re not.

British Cycling offers a Commute membership for £40 a year; the Ride membership is £4 more but includes cover and legal assistance for leisure cycling too, rather than just when commuting. Cycling UK’s adult membership is £4 a month (or £48 for the year). Both organisations offer discounts and freebies from many retailers and advocate cyclists’ interests. If your budget can stretch to it, joining one is well worth it.

What Type Of Bike Is Best For Cycle Commuting?

Any type of bike will do the job, but generally, people lean towards hybrid bikes for commuting because their upright position affords a better view of the road and gives a greater sense of stability. These can also take racks and panniers so you don’t have to cart everything around in a backpack. As with anything in life, you can spend as much as you want, but Ollie Glover, bikes expert at Halfords, says, “generally, £300-£700 will get you something reliable, sturdy and hopefully less of a target for thieves.”

Folding bikes are also a good option if you have to store your bike inside and you live in cramped quarters, or if you have to do part of your journey on public transport. They’re not as well suited to long journeys because of the smaller wheels and slightly cramped riding position, however – we found them unsuitable for our 40- to 50-minute London commute – and they typically cost more than hybrids because the ability to fold makes the design and construction more complex.

If you can afford it, the best option is an electric bike. E-bikes are a godsend as they do much of the work for you, offering power assistance at speeds up to the legal limit of 25km/h. This means that you can wear your work clothes on the bike knowing you won’t have to break a sweat, especially if you get a model with a belt drive, which uses a greaseless rubber chain. The cheapest e-bikes are in the region of £1,000, although we’d recommend spending at least £2,000 to get a model with a natural feel when you pedal.

Whichever type you go for, make sure to look into paying for it using a Cycle To Work scheme before you hand over the cash. It’s a somewhat complicated process, but in essence, the cost of the bike (and any accessories) is deducted from your pre-tax salary over the course of a year, a tax break that means you save money on the bike.

How Should You Dress To Cycle To Work?

Although a lot of cyclists do wear workout gear or even Lycra to get to the office, it’s not essential. The upright position of a hybrid bike means you get quite a good airflow once you’re on the move, so what you’d wear to the office is suitable for most – although it’s worth starting off with one layer less than what you’d wear normally because you’re going to get your heart pumping.

Find you still break into a sweat? Many people cycle in technical sportswear and carry a change of clothes in a cycling backpack – some bags are even designed to carry a suit, shirt and shoes without creasing them. Alternatively, a cycling jersey will help keep most of the sweat at bay because its lightweight, sweat-wicking materials make a real difference.

Do You Need To Wear A Helmet?

There is no law saying you have to wear a helmet in the UK although it’s more common than not. Cycling campaign groups are very active in opposing any attempt to introduce such a law. The argument is simple: enforced helmet wearing leads to fewer people cycling and the best way to make cycling safer is to have more people doing it. Plus, the evidence that helmets lead to better outcomes in the round is surprisingly slight.

Regardless of the legal requirements, you may well choose to wear a bike helmet. They can save your life in some types of accident, although you shouldn’t expect them to do a great deal if you’re hit by a motor vehicle. Our guide to the best bike helmets explains all, including how often you need to replace them because they degrade over time.

Do You Need Bike Lights?

Outside daylight hours, yes. The minimum requirement under UK law is that you have one front light, one rear light, one rear reflector, and reflectors on your pedals. The lights can flash, but this must be between 60 and 240 times per minute. There are some more detailed regulations about the amount of light emitted, but any lights bought via a UK store will be street legal.

It’s worth reading up a little more on bike lights to get the right kind: for example, very bright lights suitable for pitch-black country roads have the habit of blinding your fellow riders in a city. Our guide to the best bike lights for commuters goes into more depth.

How Can You Stop Your Bike Getting Stolen?

Ultimately there is no surefire way to ensure your bike never gets nicked, but you can massively reduce the chances.

Before you head out the door, register your ride at bikeregister.com, record your frame number and any other key details like your bike make, colour and any unique identifiers. You can also attach a coded label or ultraviolet marking to your bike to help identify it and deter thieves – the police often have events where they’ll do this for you for free. Try searching your local police service’s website.

When it comes to your bike lock, don’t skimp. Locking a £1,000 bike with a £10 lock is not a savvy move – a general rule of thumb is to spend 10% of your bike’s price on a lock, but it’s possible to buy a Sold Secure Gold-rated lock (more on which below) for less than three figures. In an ideal world, you’ll always have a secure indoor location to park your bike, at least at work and at home, but you also need at least one lock when you do have to store it outside.

Sold Secure, a not-for-profit company run by the Master Locksmiths Association, rates locks as Diamond, Gold, Silver or Bronze, with the standards relating to the tools and time taken for a thief to compromise the lock.

Where and to what you lock your bike is almost as important as the lock itself. Always make sure you’re locking your bike to something solid and fixed – and make sure it’s not a short pole that a thief can lift your bike over, lock and all, and carry it away! Top priority is to lock your frame because it’s the most expensive part of your bike, then the back wheel (ideally the frame and back wheel can be locked in one go), then the front wheel. If you have quick-release wheels, a lock for each is needed, because skilled thieves can pop off the wheel in a matter of seconds. The less space between the lock and your bike the better, because that leaves less room for thieves to manoeuvre against the lock.

Not so long ago, indoor cycling on a turbo trainer was the preserve of masochists. There were gains to be made and maintained over winter, but the trade-off was staring at the wall of a spare bedroom or garage for hours on end. No doubt about it, training on a turbo trainer used to take a certain level of commitment.

That was until the public release of Zwift in 2015. The virtual training platform is a collection of worlds that you can explore by bike (or foot if using Zwift Run) ridden by an avatar. The pedalling you do on your turbo trainer IRL powers the legs of the virtual you and, depending on your turbo trainer set-up, the resistance you come up against will change with your avatar’s surroundings, requiring real-world efforts to get up and over virtual mountains.

Throw in workouts, training plans, group rides and races, and it’s easy to see why Zwift has transformed turbo training, providing an immersive and enjoyable experience that is (whisper it) sometimes more fun than actually going out on your bike.

The gamification and social aspects also makes it an engaging way for people who aren’t road bike enthusiasts to get fit, as a Coach writer discovered when they reviewed Zwift. This guide is designed to help those people, with a run-down of the equipment you need and how to get started, and an overview of how you can spend your time in Zwift.  

What You Need To Zwift

There are a few things you’ll need before you can get Zwifting: a turbo trainer and a speed sensor (or a smart turbo trainer which contains a speed sensor), a bike, and a smart device to use the Zwift app on.

To do this on a budget, all you need to get started on your Zwift journey is an entry-level wheel-on turbo trainer (like the Halfords turbo, £69), a bike, a smartphone, and a basic sensor for your rear wheel (Wahoo’s RPM Speed Sensor is one of the cheapest at £29.99).

However, we think it’s well worth buying a direct drive turbo trainer, which takes the place of your rear wheel on your bike, to get an extra level of immersion in the virtual world. The majority of newer models are compatible with most road, hybrid or mountain bikes, so you shouldn’t need to shell out for a new bike, either. While they are a significant investment – we’re talking at least £500 – they tend to hold their value quite well, in case you decide to sell it at a later date.

Bike and turbo sorted, it’s time to pair it with the Zwift app. It can be downloaded on most mainstream operating systems (iOS, Android, PC, Mac and Apple TV), although we’d recommend using a screen no smaller than a laptop so you can see the various widgets and information clearly.

From here, the variety of accessories is broad. Our top three would be a turbo trainer mat to dampen the noise and catch sweat, a heart rate monitor to add an essential data field to your workouts, and a fan because cycling indoors gets surprisingly hot, which can have a surprisingly large negative impact on your workout.

How To Start Cycling In Zwift

Open the Zwift app and create an account or log in, then pair your turbo trainer or speed sensor with Zwift and any other sensors (heart rate, cadence, controllable resistance) you plan on using.

You’ll then arrive at the Zwift dashboard. At the top, you’ll see you have a choice of routes and “worlds” (there are nine on constant rotation, but the home world of Watopia will always be available). At this point, you can choose to complete a free ride or workout, or sign up for a training plan. You can also join another Zwifter (handy if you want to train virtually with a friend) or sign up for an event (on which more below).

After clicking the big orange “Ride” button, you’re transported to your chosen world and left to your own devices. To end your session, simply stop pedalling, click the “Menu” pop-up in the bottom left corner and navigate your way from there.

How To Join Group Rides And Races

Once you’ve got to grips with riding on Zwift, you might find you want to recreate some of the social aspects of cycling in group rides. The global user base of Zwift means that official Zwift-organised and community-led group rides take place round the clock. 

The best way to find and join one is by using the Zwift Companion app (available on iOS and Android). You can filter rides by type (whether that’s a group ride, workout, race, fondo or time trial) and ability (A rides are for the strongest riders, while D rides are suitable for those just getting started). Once you sign up for one, your avatar will automatically be taken to a virtual start pen before it sets off.

A virtual race is an experience like no other and will test your fitness to the max. It’s an engaging and exciting way to train, providing the competitive carrot that can sometimes be lacking from a bog-standard workout.

How Much Does It Cost To Use Zwift?

A Zwift membership costs £12.99 per month and gives you access to all the worlds, training plans, races and group rides. A seven-day free trial is available for those new to the training platform. If you don’t sign up, you can still cycle 25km a month on the platform without paying.

As the days get shorter and the weather starts to turn cold and wet, going out on a bike might seem like something reserved for the hardiest (read: oddest) people out there. But riding your bike in the UK doesn’t have to be restricted to the months when the sun is shining and the days are long. In fact, with the right gear, it can be a year-round pursuit that’s just as enjoyable in winter as it is in summer (well, almost).

As well as a cycling jacket, it’s a good idea to invest in some gloves and bib tights or trousers to keep you warm and dry, while cycling lights are a must to be seen on the road. For added visibility, which is sometimes vital in winter it’s worth looking into products with reflective detailing. Here’s our selection of the best cycling gear to make you stand out on drab, dark days.

Reflective Cycling Jackets

Proviz is a brand that’s all about reflectivity. The outer layer of this jacket is made from a 100% reflective material that is essentially made up of thousands of glass beads. When a beam of light hits each one, it reflects straight back, lighting up the whole jacket and turning you into a beacon in the dark. Unlike normal hi-vis jackets, the Reflect360 is a subtle grey colour when it doesn’t have a light shining on it, meaning it can slip inconspicuously into any environment. Waterproof, windproof and breathable, it’s the ultimate winter commuting cycling jacket.

Rapha’s cycling clothing generally turns heads for all the right reasons, but this jacket from the premium British clothing brand has a high-vis pink colourway that ensures even distracted drivers will take notice. If that wasn’t enough, a reflective logo and dotted design on the back of the jacket sit just below a rucksack and in the eyeline of motorists – making sure you stay safe and seen. Like the offering from Proviz, the Rapha Commuter is waterproof.

Reflective Cycling Gloves

Riding in the dark means you’re most likely to be out in the colder months of the year. When investing in a good set of cycling gloves for the winter season, additional visibility goes a long way, and can come into its own when making hand signals. The whole of the back panel of the Japanese-designed, Italian-made Hikari Thermo Reflective Gloves from Pedal Ed are covered in a reflective finish, which also doubles up as a wind blocker. Warm yet breathable, these high-vis gloves leave rivals firmly in the shade.

Gore’s products are renowned for their wind- and waterproof protection. Its Windstopper Thermo gloves are the perfect accompaniment for winter riding, but are breathable enough to be worn into spring as well. They’re available in three colourways, each with reflective detailing, but the black/neon yellow set is best if you want to add a splash of hi-vis fabric to your on-bike wardrobe.

Reflective Cycling Backpacks

We’ve previously mentioned why it might be a good idea to switch from a cycling backpack to an alternative luggage set-up in our pannier bag round-up, but if you’re still wedded to the idea of a rucksack, then it’s hard to get more reflective than the Thunderstorm City 30 from Altura. The bag has 360° visibility and even has attachment points to add some lights into the mix. Waterproof to IPX6 (meaning it’ll protect its contents from a powerful downpour), it’s a safe haven for your laptop and clothes on your ride to and from work.

If you are too attached to your non-reflective rucksack to buy the Altura Thunderstorm City, this high-vis, reflective cover is worth picking up for the winter months.

Reflective Cycling Accessories

Most reflective accessories help you stay seen by other road users who are in front or behind you. But it’s important not to forget about your side-on visibility, which is especially important when crossing road junctions. These neat stickers can be applied to any set of wheels (yes, even super-expensive carbon fibre ones) and transform your bike into something from Tron after dark. Visible from 400m, they should make you noticeable to even the most distracted driver.

They might seem like the ultimate hipster accessory but the casquette (or cycling hat) does more than just look stylish. It’s great for keeping sweat at bay and the sun off your head on hotter days, but come winter, this number from Chrome Industries can help keep you seen too. Whether you wear it under a helmet or on its own, the reflective fabric provides your noggin with some all-round visibility.

There’s no getting around the fact that these bands aren’t the coolest look, but they will certainly help you stay seen – especially when worn on the ankle, where the constant pedalling motion will make them hard to miss for drivers.

Cycling in Birmingham can feel like a nerve-racking experience. The current cycling infrastructure is limited and it might seem like you’ll have to do a tango with the traffic every time you leave your front door. But with just a little guidance, you can enjoy making your way through the city on two wheels safely. Lisa Jones, cycling projects assistant for Eco Birmingham, and Cycle Birmingham ride leader James Le Grys share their tips on discovering Brum by bike.

Try Before You Buy – Or Go Secondhand

The up-front cost of buying all the gear for cycling can be discouraging, but there are a number of cheaper options to get you started. For one, the West Midlands Cycle Hire scheme has recently been launched. “At first it was quite expensive,” says Jones. “But there’s now a reduced price during commuter hours [6am-11am], making it a really viable option to use.” To get started, just download the Beryl cycle hire app and find one of the docking stations that are dotted around the city.

“We’ve also got the Brompton cycle hire,” Jones adds. “I think people don’t realise that. I’ve used that when my bike hasn’t been working – it’s much cheaper than getting buses and the train.”

When you are ready to invest in your own set of wheels, you don’t have to buy new or settle for something off eBay either. “There’s quite a lot of secondhand bike shops in Birmingham that are co-operatives – you’ve got the Bike Foundry and Sprocket Cycles in the town centre. There’s also Big Birmingham Bikes, where a lot of the community cycling clubs have got a bank of bikes you can borrow to go on their rides. It’s good to try it out first and go on these rides, learn the routes, get your confidence up and do some cycling instruction lessons before you actually buy one and start commuting yourself.”

Learn Your Routes

While cycling infrastructure in Birmingham is improving, it’s currently concentrated in certain areas of the city, rather than being distributed evenly. That said, there are loads of blue routes, greenways, canal paths and quiet roads – you just need to know where to look.

“It’s about knowing where you want to go, and then talking to other people to get tips on what would be the best route to go from A to B – your best cycling option may not necessarily be as the crow flies,” says Le Grys. “If you follow people’s advice I think you’ll probably end up having a more enjoyable ride than you would do if you just did the shortest A to B route.”

“All these traffic-free routes are quite hidden,” says Jones. “We’ve launched Brum by Bike on the Eco Birmingham website. It’s got all the cycle routes together, and there are links to traffic-free routes. You can see the cycling tuition that we do and find links to cycling clubs and groups.”

Join A Club

Birmingham is a hive of activity and there are cycling groups for all abilities, including novices. “Community cycling clubs are very big in Birmingham,” says Jones. “Both Eco Birmingham and Cycle Birmingham do group rides where you just learn all the routes that you wouldn’t necessarily know about unless you’re cycling with other people. Even if you look on maps, most of the traffic-free options aren’t displayed, so unless someone shows you, you wouldn’t know.”

Buddy Up

If joining a cycling club seems a bit daunting, there are alternative schemes in Birmingham that can pair you up with someone who’ll help you find your feet on a one-to-one basis. “There’s a scheme called Cocycle,” says Jones. “It puts new cyclists in touch with experienced ones who want to help. You fill in a form with where you live and where you work, and then they put people that could buddy up in touch with each other.”

See related

• Three Great Birmingham Cycling Routes To Try
• Boost Your Bike Confidence And Join More Women Cycling To Work
• Six Real-Life Benefits Of Cycling To Work
• What Is The Cycle To Work Scheme?
• The Best Hybrid Bikes For Commuters

Give It A Go

Ultimately, it’s almost certainly time to just throw yourself into it. “I think everyone looks at Birmingham and thinks there’s nowhere to cycle – it’s all roads and all busy,” says Jones. “But things are changing and the new transport plan for the town centre is going to make it a lot easier for people to cycle in.”

“There are two facts that Birmingham shouts about: we’ve got more canals than Venice and more parks than Paris,” says Le Grys. “All our canal paths are surfaced and I’ve done Wednesday night bike rides where I bunny hop from park to park to park. You can get out there – yes, you might have to do a little bit of planning, but if you just want to do some short journeys or just go and have some fun, you can do that.”

If the clocks going back usually marks the moment you pack your bike away until spring, you are not alone – very few of us get excited at the prospect of cycling in the cold and dark. However, with a few manageable changes to your cycling routine you can ride right through the frosty season without being unduly uncomfortable.

For advice on how to keep cycling through winter we spoke to Chris Bennett, head of behaviour change at the sustainable transport charity Sustrans. Here are his top tips.

Consider Your Visibility

Being seen by other road users is of the utmost importance when riding at night and lights should take precedence over any other piece of cycling equipment. In the UK, having one front white light and a rear red, plus reflectors is the legal minimum requirement, so make sure your bike is kitted out. It’s also worth carrying a back-up set and spare batteries so you don’t find yourself caught out when riding in the dark.

Dawn and dusk are among the most dangerous times to be out and about, so I’d advise turning on your lights even if it’s not fully dark. This is because motorists’ eyes may not have adjusted to the light and you’ll probably be less visible to traffic than you think.

Tweak Your Route

Altering your journey as the seasons change is a good idea. This is because quiet roads that are nice to ride on in fair weather can be more prone to freezing, particularly early in the morning, and cycling around bends can be very difficult if it’s icy. In the winter, main roads are more likely to be cleared by cars and treated with salt, so if snow and ice are widespread, consider sticking to these rather than following your usual route.

See related 

• Reflective Cycling Gear To Keep You Riding After The Clocks Go Back
• The Best Cycling Jackets For Commuters
• The Best Winter Cycling Gloves For Commuters

Assemble A Winter Wardrobe

We all know how unpredictable the British weather is. It can be sunny one minute and torrential rain the next. To prepare yourself for the elements, make sure you check the weather before you set off, and put on waterproofs and warm layers while you’re still at home or at the office. This may seem like one thing too many when you’re in a hurry but you won’t regret it when out on the road.

It’s also easy to become sweaty when you’re riding your bike, even in winter. Wearing thin layers means you can take clothing on and off easily as required so you don’t end up hot and bothered when you arrive at your destination.

Finally, there’s nothing worse than frosty toes or wet feet in the morning or after a long day, so I’d recommend a decent pair of socks and waterproof shoes to protect yourself from the cold.

Accessorise Smartly

You don’t need masses of equipment beyond a good set of lights and a lock to keep your bike safe, but if you cycle regularly, you might want to consider mudguards to prevent dirty water being sprayed up your back and swapping out thin tyres for wider or knobbly ones. When conditions are really icy you could try studded tyres for extra grip.

Sick of sitting in traffic or relying on buses and trams? Andy Tucker of BikeRight!, which runs cycling training sessions, shares his advice for taking the plunge and saddling up in Manchester. As told to Charlie Allenby.

Manchester is a small but busy city. A lot of people live and work in the city centre and at certain times of day there’s very heavy traffic. The rush hour isn’t just an hour: it tends to last two to three hours, morning and evening. But a journey to the centre of town that might take up to an hour and a half by car could take you just 15 minutes on a bike, even at a modest pace. Interested? Here’s how to get started.

Start with traffic-free routes

For a complete beginner, it’s about starting with routes that are away from roads, using local parks, cycle paths and tracks instead. There’s a great route around the south of Manchester called the Fallowfield Loop, which is a disused railway line. It’s completely traffic-free – you just get walkers and cyclists on it. There are plenty of routes around the city that will keep you away from busy roads, particularly during rush hour.

There’s a group called Walk Ride GM, which is working closely with the borough authorities and the mayor’s office along with the cycling and walking Commissioner Chris Boardman to develop the Bee Network – a network of quiet routes around the city for walking and cycling. The hub is a good starting point for a beginner to get advice on where to cycle and find other people to ride with.

There are also loads of resources for route planning. Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has a series of cycle maps for all the boroughs. They show all the segregated on-road paths and have highlighted quiet routes and so on. Nobody wants to cycle along Princess Parkway into town, for example, but there are lots of parallel alternatives on quieter roads, low traffic areas and 20mph zones. Not only will you find quiet roads and possibly shorter routes when exploring on a bike, but you’ll also discover some really cool places as well.

Pick your time wisely

If you want to start riding around Manchester for commuting or leisure purposes, give it a try at quieter times of day. Mid-morning and early afternoon in the week tends to be a lot quieter, and early mornings at weekends are probably the quietest time on the road before people start travelling.

Ask for advice

People tend to commute by bicycle on a very different route than they would use when driving. If you know someone who’s an experienced cycle commuter, pick their brains and ask for help and advice. That might lead to someone offering to show you the routes.

Take some training

At BikeRight! we offer cycle training courses across Greater Manchester – from complete beginners (teaching people how to ride a bike) through improver courses and all the way up to advanced courses for experienced riders. And if you’ve got a Greater Manchester postcode, there’s every chance it will be free. They are all based on the National Cycle Training Standards curriculum, which is designed to give people the skills, knowledge and confidence to cycle more and to do so more safely. The courses are often taught in small groups, so you’re with a bunch of people with the same challenges, which is nice. We also do one-to-one sessions for cycle commuters, offering a training course on a particular route – whether that’s to work or a friend’s house.

It’s also useful to do some bike maintenance training, learning what to do at the side of the road if something goes wrong, such as a flat tyre or the chain comes off.

See related 

• Four Great Manchester Cycle Routes To Try
• Bike Maintenance Basics For Commuters
• Winter Bike Maintenance Tips To Keep You Riding Through To Spring
• The Best Cycling Jackets For Commuters

Join a led ride, group or club

There’s an organisation in Manchester called Love Your Bike. It’s connected to Friends of the Earth, and it runs a free event called Bike Friday on the last Friday of every month. Led group rides start at 8am in eight different locations just outside the city, each group cycling into the city on a quiet route. It’s a really good initiative designed to support people who want to commute into the city by bike. The organisation has got together with some of the local retailers, coffee shops and delis too and there’s an event afterwards when all the riders get into town.

Also, a lot of beginners seem to dismiss cycle clubs, assuming that it’s all about heads-down racing – but it isn’t just that. A lot of cycle clubs have a social element or a social group, where the rides are about companionship, support and enjoyment. There are probably a dozen cycle clubs in and around Manchester that have that element.

Combine cycling with other forms of transport

You may not be aware that bikes can be taken on trains. Some might require pre-booking at busy times but most of the rail routes into the city allow bikes on the trains. It’s not so easy on the trams, but you can take folding bikes on them as long as they’re in a bag or a case.

Planning a cycling route can be something of an art. To put together a good one, it helps to have the navigational nous of a black cab driver, ideally accompanied by an encyclopaedic knowledge of busy main roads, pothole-strewn side streets, and canal towpaths crowded with pedestrians. The problem is, acquiring this intel takes time – and only the uber-keen enjoy poring over Ordnance Survey maps for hours.

Enter cycling route planner apps. These help take the guesswork out of plotting cycling routes – both pre-planned courses and on the fly directions – to transform your smartphone into a bike-worthy GPS. To make the most of their features, invest in a bike mount so that you are able to follow the directions confidently when on the move, rather than having to retrieve your phone from a pocket or bag every time you come to a junction.

Not sure where to start with cycling route planners? Here’s our pic of the best apps, both free and paid for.

Google Maps

Renowned for making the car satnav a thing of the past, Google Maps does a decent job when plotting cycling routes too. Ideal for A to B journeys when you want a direct route, the app will give you turn-by-turn directions and audio cues too. It’s also possible to turn on a cycling layer, which highlights all dedicated cycle lanes and quietways. Where it falls down is that it will sometimes send you down shared-use paths that turn out to be more stressful than riding on roads. Also, if you miss a turning, it has a habit of automatically sending you on a lengthy diversion when the easiest option is often stopping and turning around.

Download from App Store and Google Play | Free

Buy on Amazon

CycleStreets

While not as smooth as Google Maps, CycleStreets is more adept at finding the best routes for cyclists in the UK. It gives three options for mapping routes: fast, balanced and quiet. Opt for quiet and you’ll discover a new world of side streets and cycle paths, while the fast option is the best pick when you’re late for work. You get every detail on your route, including traffic lights and pedestrian crossings, and CycleStreets is even smart enough to avoid tough climbs wherever possible.

Download from App Store and Google Play | Free

Bike Citizens

Many of the best bike navigation apps can be rendered entirely useless if you don’t have an internet connection, or want to avoid pricy roaming charges when abroad. Bike Citizens currently covers 450-plus cities and once you download the maps of the area to your phone, you don’t need an active connection to use them, which will also save on battery usage. All the routes it picks are tailor-made for cyclists and, as with CycleStreets, you can choose between faster or quieter roads.

Download from App Store and Google Play | Free, city packs £4.99 each (or £17.99 for all cities)

See related

• The 23 Best Cycling Apps
• SmartHalo vs Beeline: New Cycling Navigation Devices Tested
• Beeline: The Best Way To Navigate Cities On A Bike

Strava

The activity tracking app is synonymous with Lycra-clad road bike riders looking to get the fastest time on one of the many in-app “segments”, but there’s much more to it than that. Opt in for the premium version, and you’ll unlock a world of route planning where suggestions are made based on other riders’ real-world data – giving you reassurance that you’re not going to end up on a busy interchange. Routeing preferences allow you to toggle between the most direct and most popular path from A to B, while it’s also possible to determine how many hills you’ll encounter and whether you need to stick to paved paths only. The neatest feature, though, is the ability to have a new circular route created just for you – simply enter a start point, total distance and direction and Strava will do the rest, letting you explore new roads and trails without any local knowledge.

Download from App Store and Google Play | Free, subscription £49.99 per year

Komoot

Komoot is one of the most popular (and among the fastest-growing) navigation apps in the world. It caters for everything from hiking to e-biking, and certainly holds its own when it comes to providing directions on two wheels. It’s possible to plot a route using predetermined start and end points, and Komoot will use its algorithm and your sport and fitness preferences (whether you’re a pro gravel grinder or untrained bike tourer) to plot you the perfect route. Alternatively, you can search for routes and tours in its nifty Discover section. Whether you choose to plot your own or opt for a pre-planned route, you can preview what to expect – whether that’s lung-busting hills or sections of bridlepath.

Download from App Store and Google Play | Free, downloadable regions £3.99 (or £29.99 for unlimited regions)

After yet another sweaty public transport commute squashed into someone’s armpit, or inhaling polluted air while sitting in another traffic jam, perhaps you’re thinking about taking the leap and cycling to work? You’re not alone.

A 2017 Sustrans survey found that 30% of women in cities across the UK would like to cycle but don’t. We know that cycling is cheaper, quicker and better for the environment, and that getting some exercise is good for our health. So what’s holding us back? Worries about safety on the roads, a lack of confidence and fear of harassment have all been cited as reasons women don’t cycle more.

According to an independent survey commissioned by LAKA, a specialist cycle insurance company, a whopping 42% of women nationwide do not feel confident riding a bike on roads.

Coach went for a cycle in London with Olympic cyclist and LAKA ambassador Elinor Barker, and as we tried our best to keep up with her, she gave us some advice to help us feel more self-assured when riding on the roads.

Build up your confidence

If you’re really nervous about riding your bike on the roads, there are group cycle classes you can take to build up your confidence, such as those run by Cycle Confident. Then head out on your bike when the roads are quieter. “You can even practise the whole commute ahead of time,” suggests Barker. “It just takes the pressure off that first time you head off in rush hour traffic.”

Know your route

It’s a good idea to know your route before you set out. “There are loads of apps that can help you plan a good route when cycling,” says Barker. “Komoot is one that’s really good, and of course Google Maps is very useful. If you’re really feeling nervous about where you’re going, it takes a bit of time but it really helps to have a look at your route on Google Streetview, so you can get an idea of what to expect before you set off.”

Be visible

You’ll need lights on the front and back of your bike if you’re planning to commute as you’re likely to have to cycle in the dark at some point. Although you may not be keen to look like a lollipop lady, it’s a good idea to wear something that’s really visible, like a gilet. “I have this luminous pink gilet with reflective elements – it’s super-useful as I can put it on over whatever combination of layers I need that day.”

See related 

• Tips For Starting To Cycle In London From Someone Who’s Been In Your Position
• Six Real-Life Benefits Of Cycling To Work
• The Best Bike Lights For Commuters To Keep You Riding Through Winter 2021/2022
• Rebecca Charlton’s Cycling In London Tips For Beginners

Look after your bike

You don’t need the most expensive, newest or speediest road bike – almost any bike will do if you’re not cycling for longer than about 30 minutes at a time – but make sure your bike is in good condition before you set out. Bike maintenance is important, as is getting it serviced regularly. Londoners can book a service through the app Fettle – you can even opt to have your bike collected and delivered back to you.

Keep your cool

Unfortunately harassment does happen. Many women report that other road users and pedestrians shout comments that are often unpleasant. “I find the best thing to do is just to ignore it,” Barker advises. “Nine times out of 10 you can just carry on and ignore the person. Sometimes I get annoyed and say something, but generally if you respond it doesn’t actually help – they never end up thinking, ‘I shouldn’t have said that’.”

Ride with conviction

Brush up on the Highway Code if necessary. Use clear hand signals and take your time when you need to. However, if you come to a busy junction and you’re not feeling confident about turning across the streams of traffic, you can always dismount and cross at the pedestrian crossings.

For more information and to read more about Barker’s tips on staying safe while cycling visit laka.co/womens-cycling

Indoor training gets a bad rap. While it’s true that cycling or running outside brings with it certain benefits you can’t replicate indoors, jumping on an exercise bike, turbo trainer or treadmill is hardly the torture it’s often made out to be, especially with the virtual training apps available nowadays.

Many pro cyclists and triathletes spend a lot of time training indoors, especially in the winter months and, of course, during the past 18 months when having to isolate after travel. The extra indoor training she had to do did nothing to stop Flora Duffy from excelling at the Tokyo Olympics, where she won gold in the triathlon for Bermuda.

Here Duffy, a Hammerhead ambassador, offers her tips for training indoors, including how to stay motivated, and the key metrics to pay attention to.

Get on Zwift

“Using Zwift keeps me moving,” says Duffy. “I can see who else is riding at the same time as me, and sometimes even recognise the names so it’s as if I’m riding with a group of friends. I love seeing someone I know on there – it boosts my motivation and sense of camaraderie. The Zwift graphics are so unbelievably good too, you’ll be blown away if you’ve never ridden ‘virtually’ before.”

Pick the right sounds

Some cyclists prefer not to listen to anything when riding outdoors, but there’s no need to limit yourself when indoors. While Zwift provides something to look at, Duffy likes to listen to podcasts during easy rides and music when doing harder intervals.

Focus on your key metrics

Duffy uses the Hammerhead Karoo 2 bike computer during her sessions, and her key stats to monitor include power, heart rate, lap time and elapsed time. Even if your stats will vary slightly compared with riding outdoors, they are still just as useful for getting your training intensity right.

“If I’m focused on a particular session, then I will analyse these metrics as I would do for any outdoor session, and I really focus on power zones to ensure I’m getting exactly what my coach Nate has prescribed,” says Duffy. “While the metrics may differ between an indoor and an outdoor ride, that’s OK – I’m able to understand the differences in my performance within different settings. Generally my heart rate can get a little higher relative to power if I am getting hot inside without wind chill.”

See related :

• The Best Turbo Trainers And A Cyber Monday Deal On One Of Our Top Picks
• Savage Turbo Trainer Workouts From Pro Cyclists
• Wattbike Workouts To Power Up Your Fitness

Enjoy your environment

Let’s be frank, being outdoors isn’t always that great. It can be too hot, too cold, wet and/or windy, all on the same ride. When riding indoors your environment is much more controlled, which allows you to focus on your training.

“When I ride indoors with my head unit, I can focus on my average power, current power and three-second power output, which are critical in making sure I can push myself each session,” says Duffy.

Spend the time you save on recovery

“Of course people’s first choice is to ride outside, but training on a bike inside actually has a lot of benefits, including being able to be very efficient with your time,” says Duffy. “You can get a really great workout in 45 minutes to an hour on the bike indoors, whereas it would take longer if you did that outside between things like getting dressed, traffic lights and stops.”

“Before the World Triathlon Championship, I would do a 45- to 90-minute workout, then go right back to rest, recovery and hydration.”

Summer is almost over, but with COVID restrictions easing it’s shaping up to be an adventure-filled autumn. If you discovered the joy of cycling over lockdown, one excellent option is to take your bike and attempt one of the country’s established cycle routes.

There are great cycleways all over the place – Sustrans and Cycling UK have plenty of suggestions, as does Visit Wales – but with driving becoming more of a hassle than ever, not to mention cars making the climate emergency worse, you might resolve to reach your route by train instead. But how do you even do that with your bike in tow?

Spoiler alert: it’s not always easy. We’ve given it a go and made a bunch of mistakes so you don’t have to. Here’s some tips to make the journey as smooth as possible.

1. Check the stations for step-free access

Despite the fact that more than seven million people in the UK are disabled, many train stations aren’t set up to accommodate people travelling with wheels. Before booking, check if your departure and arrival stations have step-free access such as ramps or lifts, and if they don’t, find out how many flights of stairs you may have to carry your bike up and down. In some cases, it might make more sense to start or end your journey at different stations that are better equipped to handle bikes.

2. Book through these train companies

The next step to stress-free train travel with your bike is to add a bike reservation to your ticket. Every train company has a different system for making bike reservations and some make it much harder than others. The good news is you don’t need to book your ticket through the train company you’re actually travelling with. Many people who regularly travel with bikes book their journeys through ScotRail or Great Western Railway, which make it straightforward to add a bike reservation as you’re purchasing your ticket. The best news of all: on most train services in the UK, reserving a spot for your bike is free.

Sometimes you may get a message that a bike reservation isn’t available for your journey. This can happen for a few different reasons. It could be that all of the bike storage places have already been booked, so try an alternative train. Or it could be that the journey you’re making only offers first-come, first-served bike storage. To find out if that applies, check out the website of the train company managing your route.

3. Get to the station early

Even with a bike reservation, it’s a good idea to get to the station early. This will give you enough time to ask station staff which carriage has the bike storage area so you can stake out the relevant part of the platform.

See related 

• The Best UK Cycling Events For 2021
• Sustrans’s Five Best Cycling Routes For A Late Summer Adventure
• Sustrans’s Challenge Rides Are Cycling Adventures Anyone Can Do

4. Practise getting your bike in the right position

For reasons no sensible person understands, most bike storage on UK trains is very difficult to use. Generally, bikes are hung vertically by a wheel, in lockers that can squeeze two small road bikes in. These lockers aren’t built for any other type of bike, like upright, electric, or mountain bikes. That doesn’t mean it isn’t possible to store them, but it is a challenge and will probably take multiple attempts, require two people, and leave your shins battered and bruised.

Sometimes station staff are willing to help get your bike on the train so don’t be shy to ask them. The best way to prepare yourself is to practise getting your bike upright before the day of your journey. On the day itself, you’re likely to have only a few minutes to get your bike in and out of the locker, and the train may be moving while you do it.

5. Pack strategically

The upright storage system is not only difficult to use, it also won’t accommodate panniers or baskets. If yours can’t be swiftly removed as you get on the train, consider using a backpack instead.

6. If all else fails, ship your bike

For those who use adapted cycles like trikes or cargo bikes, who can’t lift their bikes, or who just don’t fancy navigating the hanging lockers, there is another option: getting your bike couriered. Sending your bike to your holiday destination might be more affordable than you’d think – prices start at well under £30. There are multiple companies operating in the UK that will pick up your boxed-up bike one day and deliver it to your accommodation the next. They’ll even send you a cardboard box if you don’t have one big enough to fit your bike. Easy.

While we’d argue that enjoying yourself is an integral part of any sport, having a good time is absolutely at the core of mountain biking.

“A lot of people will say the best rider on the hill is the one who’s having the most fun,” says Martin Astley, director and founder of BikePark Wales.

While you’re unlikely to be having the most fun on your first try, we asked Astley for his advice for new riders, so you’re well prepared to have as good a time as possible when you’re just starting out. Here’s what you need to know.

1. You Can Hire All The Kit You Need…

The best analogy is a ski resort. You’ve got one group of people who are super-keen and they’ve all got their own kit, whereas people who are new to the sport will tend to hire all the kit and maybe get some instruction as well.

It’s the same at BikePark Wales. We’ve got super bikes you can hire, plus we can provide the helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, gloves – all that kind of stuff.

It’s worth going to a dedicated bike park or trail centre if you’re a beginner. They are all-weather, so you’re not going to be bog snorkelling, and you can pick a trail that’s been specifically designed and graded for your ability, plus you can get the equipment.

2. …But Take A Waterproof

The only thing that is important to have with you, which you won’t get at a trail centre or bike park, is a waterproof jacket. Especially in Wales!

3. The Trails Are Colour-Coded

Green is beginner. Blue is intermediate. Red is advanced and black is expert. We actually have something called a pro line as well, which is really, really challenging.

A beginner trail is less steep and much more predictable. Although there will be changes in gradient as you’re going down, it’s been designed so that the bike never runs away from you.

The surface that you’re riding on will also be more uniform. If you ride on a more advanced trail, parts might be really rocky and loose, and then parts might be really muddy.

4. You Don’t Have To Ride Uphill

We have a fleet of minibuses with trailers. You load your bike and we take you to the top of the hill, then you bomb your way back down and repeat. We’re one of four places in Wales that have that facility. Then there are lots of publicly operated local trail centres which are more like a cross-country loop, where you have to pedal up and down on your way around.

5. Do Use Your Front Brake

It’s a myth that you shouldn’t use your front brake because you’ll go over the handlebars. Definitely use your front brake, or you’ll be going too fast and skidding everywhere, but use it wisely.

6. Don’t Fixate On Your Front Wheel

Look ahead down the trail. You have to scan, looking 10 metres in front. Once you’ve become an advanced rider, your eyes will be constantly scanning from 10 metres to just in front of your wheel, then back up to 10 metres.

See related 

• Fat Biking: Cycling On Snow In Switzerland
• Take A Last-Minute Adventure Holiday In North Wales
• The Best Activity Holidays In The UK

7. It’s Not Uncomfortable

Modern bikes are incredible. They have about six or seven inches of suspension travel on them, really powerful disc brakes and very grippy tires. It’s really not uncomfortable.

8. Learn How To Fix A Puncture

Bikes have evolved greatly over the years, but punctures are still a big part of mountain biking. Unfortunately, if you ride mountain bikes a lot you’re going to have to fix punctures.

9. You Can Now Get Lessons

Mountain biking traditionally has been a sport where people don’t get instruction, because it doesn’t really have a club structure. But in more recent years coaching has become more and more common, and not just for beginner riders but also for more experienced riders too.

BikePark Wales in the Brecon Beacons is the UK’s largest purpose-built bike park. There are 40 trails now available including the new Kermit trail, which is ideal for beginners. Find out more at bikeparkwales.com

For a whole heap of reasons, now is a great time to start cycling to work. Even if you work from home, starting the day with a cruise around your neighborhood is going to do wonders for your powers of concentration and frame of mind. But if you’re digging out an old bike to start cycling again then there’s a lot of fun to be had by riding it outside of the working day as well.

In the past we’ve worked with Sustrans, the UK’s walking and cycling charity, to put together round-ups of great cycling routes in and around London, Newcastle and Manchester, so you can enjoy using your bike beyond trips to and from the office. And if you’re considering a cycling holiday in the UK this year as a better alternative to an overseas beach resort, then we also have some great ideas from Sustrans on that front as well.

Three Cycle Routes Around Newcastle To Try

All three of these routes start at the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, then head off in different directions so you can choose whether you want to visit Durham Cathedral, the Roman town of Corbridge en route to Hexham, or the seaside town of Whitley Bay as you head up to Blyth. See the Newcastle cycle routes

Four Manchester Cycle Routes To Try

All these Manchester-based cycles are nice and short, so they can be tackled by anyone, and you can always ride them twice or carry on along the National Cycle Routes they use if you’re looking for a longer ride. There are riverbank and canal towpath rides, along with a trip along the Irwell Valley Sculpture Trail, which has 70 sculptures to enjoy while you cycle. See the Manchester cycle routes

Four London Cycling Routes To Try

If you’re a London commuter then you’ll definitely benefit from the odd cycle away from the city centre on the network of quiet and scenic paths available. Sustrans recommends routes in Richmond Park, along the river Thames from Hampton Court Palace, a traffic-free route along the River Wandle and a landmark-laden route from south London up to Greenwich Park and the Cutty Sark. See the London cycle routes

Five Cycling Routes For A Late Summer Adventure

Once you’ve fallen well and truly in love with cycling again you’ll definitely want to make it part of your holiday plans. These five scenic routes recommended by Sustrans are all in lovely parts of the UK to visit on holiday, whether it’s the Cornish coast or the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales, so use them for inspiration if you’re planning a late summer getaway. See the UK cycle routes

You might assume that any advances in cycling fabric technology are only for pros looking to shave milliseconds off their times or extremely keen amateurs seeking any advantage possible to make their weekend slog up Box Hill easier.

You would be wrong. Those marginal gains in fabric tech also trickle down into clothes for the everyday cyclist – the commuter, the lazy-ride-to-bruncher, the warm-weather weekender. The result of that is that you can now wear what appear to be entirely regular-looking clothes that actually contain sweat-wicking, odour-dampening, water-repelling tech.

Fill your wardrobe with these ride-ready garments and you’ll never need to carry a full change of clothes with you again.

The definitive urban cycling jacket resists all but the very worst weather, has a cycling fit and magnet-sealed back pocket (magnets are easier to open on the go and, of course, as any five-year-old will tell you, magnets are cool) and has a style that can be carried off anywhere. It’s expensive, but this jacket will serve for almost all occasions in almost all conditions from autumn through to spring, making it worth the outlay.

Buy from Vulpine | £200

Just about the most comfortable T-shirt you’ll ever wear in any conditions and one that really excels when riding. Cut to look good both on and off the bike, it’s made of 100% pure Merino wool, so it dries rapidly and resists smells like a champ, and it comes in seven colours, of which mustard is undoubtedly the best.

Buy from Vulpine | £65

Given how many hoodies are out there, it’s bold to the point of absurdity to call any of them “the best hoodie”, but this is the best hoodie. We’ve probably worn one version of the Cobra or another more days than we haven’t over the past couple of years. It’s soft and comfortable and has a fit that sits in the sweetest possible spot between baggy and tight. The Merino wool fabric wicks sweat and resists odours too (fortunate, given how much we’ve worn it), and there are pockets on the sides and back that are well placed for grabbing stuff when riding.

Buy from Chrome | £170

We sincerely hope this jacket was named after the Premier League’s greatest Peruvian, but even if no Nobbys were considered in its manufacture the stylish Solano jacket will be eyed with approval by all cyclists. It has a Gore-Tex Infinium liner which, while not fully waterproof, will fend off all but the most intense downpours, and it is more breathable as a result.

Buy from Arc’teryx | £170

This shirt typifies what we’re looking for from smart cycling gear, in that it really doesn’t give the impression of being cycling gear at all. It’s just a lovely cotton shirt, with a cut that makes it more comfortable when leaning over your handlebars. Vulpine has four shirts in its range: white and light blue Brixton cotton shirts, and charcoal and dark green Vauxhall shirts made from a mix of cotton and Merino wool, so you can fill your wardrobe with bike-ready button-downs.

Buy from Vulpine | £75

A true do-it-all pair of trousers which suit the saddle, the office and the pub. The fabric’s quick-drying, tough and breathable, and the cut makes sure you don’t flash your arse-crack while riding. There are a couple of high-vis details on the back pocket and each turn-up, which can be discreetly tucked away, although why you’d want to hide that distinctive flash of Rapha pink is beyond us.

Buy from Rapha | £110

You can check your weather app as compulsively as you like, but one day you will be caught in an unforeseen shower while riding, which makes wearing jeans a bit risky. Unless you wear this pair, with their water-resistant treatment. There are also reflective details in the turn-ups and a mini U-lock holder by the waistband. Otherwise these are just a classic pair of indigo denim no-one will look twice at, except perhaps to admire the cut.

Buy from Spoke London | £145

These slim-fitting, stretchy shorts have a high-cut back for cycling, and the fabric is also crease-resistant, so you can stash them in a suitcase without needing to find an emergency iron when you unpack. The breathable material dries quickly, making the shorts ideal for hot summer rides when you don’t want to change at the other end.

Buy from Rapha | £90

These excellent chinos have several cycling-friendly features subtly woven in, the best of which is the water-repelling fabric, which sees off showers with ease. There are also reflective details on the piping of the leg, which show when you roll them up for riding, and a reflective flash in the back pocket. Spoke also makes sure every pair of its chinos fit superbly with three build options, so if off-the-peg trews don’t sit right on you, these will delight.

Buy from Spoke | £135

Like most trousers designed for cyclists, these Swrve jeans have a higher waist at the back to stop you revealing more than you’d like when bending over the handlebars, but they also have a lower waistline at the front to stop your belt digging in while riding. There’s also a seamless crotch for comfort, reflective details that reveal themselves when you roll the leg up, and a back pocket designed to fit a small U-lock

Buy from Swrve | £90

See related 

• The Best Hybrid Bikes For Commuters
• The Best Cycling Backpacks For Commuters
• Six Real-Life Benefits Of Cycling To Work

Stylish cycling gear can get pretty pricy, but you can stock up on the basics via American brand Swrve without breaking the bank. Its long- and short-sleeve tees and polo shirts are made with Modal fabric – which is comfortable and wicks sweat away in a similar manner to merino wool – and they’re available in several colours at a superb price.

Buy from Swrve | £20

There are so many advantages to cycling to work that before long you’ll begin to regret not starting sooner. It’s good for your physical health, of course, and it will also save you a packet on public transport or petrol.

Those are the obvious benefits, but there are also a couple of other notable ones. The first is that in many cities, cycling is actually quicker than most other modes of transport. The second is your mental health, because a little physical activity before and after the working day does wonders for clearing your head.

Naturally there are some negatives too. The danger posed by careless and aggressive drivers tends to be the thing that puts most people off, but rush hour traffic is much lighter at this time of year because schools are out and people are on holiday. In the UK another off-putting thing is the weather, but in summer – aside from the odd freakishly heavy downpour – the weather is great for cycling even here.

That’s why Cycle To Work Day traditionally falls in the summer, and in 2021 it’s on Thursday 5th August. Whether this is your very first time cycling to work, your first time since the last Cycle To Work Day, or your fourth commute of the week, it’s well worth taking part in the event and helping to share the joy of riding to and from the office.

See related 

• Six Real-Life Benefits Of Cycling To Work
• What Is The Cycle To Work Scheme?
• Of Course Cycling To Work Is Healthy, But We Were Surprised By Just How Healthy

The big day is partnered with the Love To Ride campaign, which encourages people to ride to work by offering prizes to those who do so (and log their rides on the website). The whole scheme is free and designed to motivate you to keep cycling, so it’s worth signing up before you take part in Cycle To Work Day.

If you’re looking for more ways to keep you motivated to commute by bike, then read our interview with Chris Bennett, head of behaviour change at walking and cycling charity Sustrans. Here are a couple of the top tips Bennett gave us to help people get into cycling regularly.

Avoid busy roads

“You don’t need to go the quickest route while you build up confidence,” says Bennett.

"Route-planning apps are ideal when looking for traffic-free routes – things like traffic-free cycle paths, canal towpaths and parks, which are all much easier.”

You don’t have to ride every day

“There’s nothing wrong with being a fair-weather cyclist,” says Bennett. “Start doing it on the nice days or when you have time the night before to prepare, or when you don’t have a nine o’clock meeting.”

Make it social

“Cycle with somebody else or chat to people about your cycling – about gear or routes, that kind of thing,” says Bennett. “There’s a great social element to it that all cyclists should enjoy.”

So you want to start cycling in London, but you’re not sure how to begin? Don’t worry, I’ve been there too. Even a year ago the idea of cycling in the capital felt like a total fantasy, but I underestimated what I was capable of. I got a lot of encouragement along the way, but the following discoveries and tips are the ones I found most helpful when I got started.

1. Rent Before You Buy

I spent a long time telling myself that I couldn’t give cycling in London a go before I had my own bike. I also spent a long time telling myself that buying my own bike would be a waste of money if I didn’t know how to use it. I was at an impasse. In the end, I bit the bullet and went out and bought my own bike before I had any idea what I was doing. Looking back, I think that was a mistake.

London has plenty of opportunities to try cycling before you invest in a bike of your own. Between Santander Bikes, Jump Bikes and even foldable electric Bromptons at King’s Cross Station, it’s possible to try a range of different bikes as you build your confidence. You may be a beginner but you’re just as entitled to use them as anyone else.

2. Start With Pleasure Rides

In my first couple of weeks of bike ownership, I made lots of plans. I started riding in the summer of 2020 when lockdown was easing and outdoor picnics were possible. Since I wasn’t using public transport, my bike felt like my ticket to a social life, but it didn’t work out that way. Often, I would end up cancelling at the last minute, too daunted by the difficulty of the ride ahead. If I did manage to get myself to where I was going, I’d be so on edge that I was terrible company.

The best rides in those first few weeks were always the ones I was doing for the rides’ sake – with nowhere to go and nowhere to be. You don’t have to have a destination or an occasion to take a ride – and often that can add too much pressure. Instead, just cycle for the sake of it.

3. Join A Cycle Buddy Scheme

One of the best ways of building confidence on a bike quickly is to take part in a cycle buddy scheme. These are free programmes where folks who have been cycling for ages go on a ride with someone who’s just getting started. Having someone with you who knows where the quiet roads are and how to fix a puncture can be a great way of taking some of the anxiety out of early rides. We’re lucky to have loads of groups like this in London – from JoyRiders Britain, which caters to women, to London Cycle Campaign, which will match you up with someone local to your neighbourhood.

4. Take Short Journeys To Build Your Confidence

I still remember the first time I took my bike out by myself. It was a Sunday morning, and I was in bed listening to my boyfriend singing in the shower and thinking how nice it would be if I could surprise him with fresh croissants from the local bakery when he got out. I was doing the maths: 15 minutes’ walk there, 15 minutes’ walk back – there was no way I’d have the time. And then I remembered my bike. Without even thinking about the fact that I’d never cycled before, I quickly got dressed and cycled the couple of minutes down the road to the bakery. I was back in bed by the time my boyfriend was out of the shower, laden with baked goods and incredibly proud of myself. Tiny solo journeys like these play a massive role in building confidence on a bike. They might be short-lived, but the sense of accomplishment isn’t.

5. Take A Quiet Route

Once I was ready to try longer journeys on my bike, I quickly fell in love with Citymapper’s quiet route function. While many cyclists will swear by Google Maps, Komoot or Strava for getting them to their destination as quickly as possible, I swear by Citymapper for getting me where I’m going as pleasantly as possible. Its quiet route will weave you through London’s back streets, parks and segregated cycle lanes. You’ll discover parts of the city, stop for coffee and snacks at a previously unknown cafe that will soon become your regular, and genuinely come to love your commute. Taking this option will never be the most efficient way of getting you to your destination, but what does ten minutes matter when you’re having this much fun?

See related

• The Best Bike Phone Holders And Mounts For Urban Cycling
• Rebecca Charlton’s Cycling In London Tips For Beginners
• The Best Hybrid Bikes For Commuters

6. Invest In A Quad Lock

Before I started using a bike to travel, a big question I had for friends when they turned up at my house and asked to store their bikes in my backyard was, “How the hell did you know how to get here?” Navigating London was tricky enough with both hands free to use a map app on my phone.

Then a friend introduced me to the Quad Lock, a little device that attaches to your handlebars and comes with a not-so-stylish phone case. You can attach your phone to your bike and use it the same way you use a GPS while driving. Thanks to mine I’ve never once got lost while cycling, which is saying something.

7. It’s OK To Be Nervous

Last but definitely not least, it’s totally fine and normal to feel nervous. Starting to ride a bike in London is overwhelming. I promise you this, though: that feeling won’t last very long. Before you know it, you’ll be pedalling across the city with the wind in your hair and freedom at your feet, and the only thing you’ll feel is joy. All you need to do is get started.

Like many cycling events, Red Bull’s Timelaps race went virtual in 2020 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. And also like many events, the organisers are choosing to retain a virtual option for 2021 even as the live event returns.

In fact, the race has added even more ways to take part this year, offering people the chance to ride live at either an outdoor or indoor venue, or do so virtually by uploading their activities on Strava.

Wherever and however you choose to take part, the Red Bull Timelaps race involves logging as much distance as you can in 25 hours. The event always takes place on the
weekend in autumn when the clocks go back, and to mark that moment there is a “Power Hour” that starts when 2am becomes 1am again, where the distance you ride in that 60 minutes is doubled.

The race is traditionally a team event for groups of four, with one person riding while the others rest. This year sees the introduction of a solo category for those who want to see how much distance they can log by themselves.

The race is divided into several categories – Male, Female, Mixed and Under 25s – with separate leaderboards. Virtual riders log their distance on Strava and have their own leaderboard too, which will update live so you can track how you’re doing against the completion.

See related :

• The Best UK Cycling Events For 2021

The outdoor in-person event takes place at Goodwood Motor Circuit near Chichester, West Sussex, while the indoor one will be at Red Bull Studios in London.

However you plan to ride, taking part in Red Bull Timelaps 2021 is free. Start the registration process by linking your Strava account, then select how you want to get involved. If you plan to join an in-person ride it’s worth moving fast because places are limited.

Red Bull is currently hosting a challenge on Strava to help riders prepare for the event. The challenge, set by Red Bull cyclist Tom Pidcock, involves riding 50km between 26th and 27th June. Anyone who completes the challenge goes into a draw for prizes including bike parts and, of course, a year’s supply of Red Bull, while the person who rides the furthest in that 48-hour period will win a jersey signed by Pidcock.

Register for Timelaps | Free

Every keen cyclist knows that they should commit some time to recovery work after a long ride, but it’s fair to say that most skimp in this area. It’s understandable – after a few hours in the saddle, taking another 15-30 minutes to stretch and foam roll your aching muscles feels like a big commitment when you could be lounging on the sofa instead.

However, your muscles really won’t thank you for skipping recovery work and you’re liable to feel twice as tight the next day, as well as putting yourself at greater risk of injury if you’re following something like our 100-mile cycle training plan. We spoke to Phil Burt, former head physiotherapist at British Cycling, about the importance of stretching and other recovery work, and asked him for a simple routine to do after your long rides.

Why is it important to stretch after a ride?

“You’ve got tight muscles, and as you try and move them towards their full length you either meet resistance or pain. That’s why we stretch – so we have more muscle length available to us that’s restriction-free. That’s especially true after a long ride, because it’s a forced postural position set by the parameters of your bike set-up.”

How long should you spend on your recovery work?

“Everybody is time-poor – even athletes. I remember Bradley Wiggins coming up to me once in 2007 or so. He’d been assessed by a California outfit and they gave him 26 different exercise and stretches to do each day. He said, ‘I did these yesterday and I didn’t have any time to ride my bike.’ Every one of those stretches was valid, but what I preach is golden bullet exercises, where you’re stretching different things at the same time.

“Do the exercises [recommended below] three to five times, for 30 to 60 seconds. If you get to 60 seconds you know you’re getting a good stretch, but you might find that too hard to do at first, so do it for 30 seconds and build up to a minute, knowing you’re doing it well.”

When should you stretch?

“I don’t think anyone needs to do it before a ride – unless they have specific reasons to, like an injury or restriction – but after the ride it’s very important. Nutrition is key in the first hour, so sort that, shower and clean yourself up, then ideally do the stretches straight after you’ve showered, when you’re still warm. Do it then and again later on that evening if you want to.”

Post-Ride Recovery Routine

You’ll need a trigger point massage ball and a foam roller for this routine. If you don’t have a foam roller, browse our picks of the best foam rollers and buy one. 

Burt has designed to target all of the areas of the body most likely to be stiff after a long cycle. As mentioned, do each stretch for between 30 and 60 seconds, three to five times, then move on to the next stretch.

Rectus femoris, hip flexors and lower back

“The rectus femoris is the middle quad muscle and it’s really important in cycling. If that gets tight then it glues down your hip and your kneecap, and it can be the muscle responsible for kneecap pain when cycling. You don’t use the hip flexors in cycling unless it’s an all-out sprint, but they are important because they connect to your lumbar spine. So when you stand up they pull your back into an extended and maybe painful position.

“You can stretch your rectus femoris and hip flexors with a modified Bulgarian stretch. Stand on one leg with the other behind you on a chair. Squeeze your glutes as tight as you can and push through your hips, and then squat down on the standing leg.

“For people who have very poor flexibility through the pelvis and lower back, the modified Bulgarian means your pelvis can move where it wants to and it decreases the load on your lumbar spine. If I asked you to touch the floor now and I blocked your pelvis you’d have to do it all through your lumbar spine, so you’d feel more of stretch there and maybe some pain. It’s the same on a bike – you want your hips, pelvis and lower back sharing the workload.”

Glutes

“Glute stretches are great but I suggest using a trigger-point ball on your glutes. Get the ball up against a wall and lean right into it around your glutes. It’s really easy to get a good release on your glutes. You’ll feel great afterwards!”

Iliotibial band (ITB)

“Cyclists’ ITBs can get very tight because of the forces the knee has to deal with from pedalling, and this can be a major cause of knee pain. Foam roll the ITB [which runs down the outside of the thigh], because it’s very hard to stretch. All I can say to you is that whatever the foam roller actually does, and there is controversy about the mechanism, it works! It’s eye-wateringly painful, but if you do it every day for two weeks, three minutes each side, it stops hurting. Vibrating foam rollers are really good for this, because they make it less painful.”

Thoracic spine

“When cycling, the thoracic spine [the upper part of the spine] is in a similar position to when you’re looking at the ceiling when you’re painting it. Foam rolling the thoracic spine will pay big dividends in your neck and decrease the workload for your lumbar spine. Often people don’t feel like the thoracic spine is painful, but foam rolling that area can help with problems in your neck and lower back.”

Lats

“Problems arise here because you’re holding the handlebars for ages. The lats come all the way from your neck down to the bottom of your spine. They’re a big stabilising muscle. Put a trigger-point ball against your armpit to roll them, either lying on your side or against a wall. This can really help your thoracic spine to move, and therefore your lumbar spine and neck. Again it’s a muscle that itself isn’t painful but if restricted will cause aches, pains and restrictions elsewhere.”

Phil Burt, former head physiotherapist at British Cycling, has launched Phil Burt Innovation, offering a range of services including cycling-specific injury assessment, treatment and bike fitting. For more information visit philburtinnovation.co.uk

More Off-The-Bike Work For Cyclists

• Improve your cycling speed and endurance with this home workout for cyclists.
• Try these home exercises for cyclists to build your strength and injury resilience.

If you use the right sessions, you can make huge improvements in your cycling on the turbo trainer. And what better way to ensure you’re doing the right kind of stuff than asking a couple of pro cyclists what they do?

Below you’ll find seven brutally effective training sessions: three from former hour record holder Alex Dowsett, who rides for the Israel Start-Up Nation team; two from Continental pro cyclist Rory Townsend, who rides for the Canyon DHB Cycling Team and coaches with Grinta Coaching; and two from Joss Lowden, rider with the Drops-Le Col Cycling Team, which is partnered with Ribble.

For the workouts you’ll need to know your cadence, power output and ideally your own personal functional threshold power and power zones too. (No idea what any of that means? Our beginner’s guide to turbo training explains all.) You can try to replicate the power Dowsett puts out in his workouts, though that’s probably not a smart idea unless you are a highly accomplished rider, so scale it back according to your own ability.

Joss Lowden’s Turbo Training Workouts

Progressive 5min Reps

Begin with a 15-minute warm-up. Take your time building up to high intensity, just above the power level you can hold for five minutes – so really open it up – then do a few more minutes at an easy pace before starting.

Reps 5-6 Time 5min Rest 5min

Start at about 6/10 RPE (95% of your CP60 or FTP), building up the intensity each minute to about 8-9/10 RPE (120% of CP60) for the last minute. Cycle easy between efforts, and warm down at the end with more easy cycling.

“This is a session I like to do when my legs are feeling snoozy and motivation is lacking,” says Lowden. “Each five minutes is like a ramp, pushing a bit harder every minute. I like it because it eases you in so by the time you are having to really push each time, you have the blood flowing, the endorphins are there and you feel up for it. But it’s not to be taken lightly! It’s still five minutes above threshold so of course it’s going to be tough.”

Zone 2 Sandwich

Begin with a progressive 10-minute warm-up. Build up the intensity, then take a couple of minutes easy at the end.

1 Time 40-60min Effort Zone 2

Keep it steady, you’re working, but at a low to medium intensity you can sustain comfortably (3/10 RPE) – maybe watch something!

2 Reps 3 Time 15min Rest 5min

Turn off Netflix, put on some tunes and get stuck into three reps in the sweet spot. This is just below your threshold, so it’s a level you should be able to sustain for an hour (6/10 RPE).

3 Time 40-60min Effort Zone 2

Back to zone 2 for another block of 40 minutes to an hour. It might ache a little at first but fuel well and you’ll be good to churn away!

Finish with five to 10 minutes of very easy riding to warm down.

“I’m a big believer in training in zone 2 and also at the sweet spot,” says Lowden. “It’s incredibly good for your endurance and getting a really good aerobic stimulus without causing too much damage or putting you in a hole which can affect the next training session.

“Over the winter when the weather was really bad and it was hard to ride outside to get the hours in, I was really dependent on these sessions on the turbo, so it was important to break up the time to make it more manageable and more interesting. If you have the head for long reps in zone 2 and 3, it does wonders for building a good base. Just be sure to add some shorter, high-intensity sessions to get you firing before race season starts!

“You can break this workout up however you like. You could do blocks of 10 minutes or 20 minutes; you could do three or four blocks. Just don’t beast yourself too much in the middle block because you have still got the zone 2 section to finish. It’s endurance, so work at an intensity you know you can hold.

“Fuelling well is crucial. You’ll get through a lot of energy in this session so have your bottles with carb mix in, have your snacks lined up, and have someone on hand to shout at if you need a top-up!”

Rory Townsend’s Turbo Trainer Workouts

Russian Steps

“This is a short, sharp session with nothing held back,” says Townsend, “designed to increase your anaerobic capacity and bike fitness.

“Begin with at least a 15-minute warm-up – five minutes’ steady riding, five minutes steadily increasing the intensity up to 85% of max heart rate or 7/10 RPE [rate of perceived exertion], then five more minutes of just steady riding.

“Like the title suggests, the session works in steps. The active parts are maximal efforts done as hard as you can go, then the recovery part is an easy pedal but not a complete stop. One set is eight minutes long. The structure looks like this:

• 15sec active, 45sec recovery
• 30sec active, 30sec recovery
• 45sec active, 15sec recovery
• 60sec active, 60sec recovery
• 45sec active, 15sec recovery
• 30sec active, 30sec recovery
• 15sec active, 45sec recovery

“Then do at least five minutes of easy riding before attempting another set. You can start with one set and build on your fitness until you can take on multiple sets in one workout.”

VO2 Max Intervals

“This is a session I would typically include while out on a longer ride,” says Townsend. “If you want to challenge yourself, try it after a few hours of riding. It’s a session used by some of the guys at Team Ineos, so you could say it has proven results! It is designed to improve muscular endurance – you will feel it in the legs afterwards.

“The active part of this session should be executed just below maximum effort – 9/10 RPE, or for those that have power meters, 125-150% of FTP. You should be able to maintain a similar effort across each repetition. The recovery part should be an easy pedal but not a complete stop. The structure goes like this:

1 Sets 5 Time 60sec Recovery 60sec

2 Recovery 5min

3 Sets 5 Time 60sec Recovery 60sec

“There are a few ways to increase the intensity of this session. You can increase the number of repetitions in each set, increase the number of sets, or decrease the recovery time spent between each repetition.”

See related 

• The Best Turbo Trainers And A Cyber Monday Deal On One Of Our Top Picks
• The Beginner’s Guide To Turbo Training
• Improve Your Road Riding With These Two Cycling Roller Workouts
• The Cyclist’s Home Workout
• Exercise Bike Workouts

Alex Dowsett’s Turbo Trainer Workouts

Workout 1 – “Big Gears”

Sets 6 Time 6min Cadence 50RPM Power 350W Rest 4min

If you’re looking to increase your strength during the winter, you can keep your workouts pretty simple. Not easy, of course, but simple.

“During the winter months a lot of the training is strength-based,” says Dowsett, “which means big gears and any variation of multiple minutes on followed by not so many minutes off.

“It’s important to do it with a really big gear, a really low cadence and a high resistance. For example: six minutes on, then four minutes off at 50RPM and 350W. I would typically take that on for an hour, so six rounds in total.”

Workout 2 – “Disgusting”

1A Sets 6 Time 30sec Effort Sprint Rest 0sec

1B Sets 6 Time 3min 20sec Effort Zone 4 Rest 0sec

1C Sets 6 Time 10sec Effort Sprint Rest 6min

“This one is really tough,” says Dowsett, ominously. “It starts off as a 30-second sprint, which is disgusting, but then you go straight from that into 3min 20sec of zone 4, so for me that’s 400 watts. And then you round that off at with a ten-second sprint, then six minutes’ rest. Do a total of six sets.

“It is hideous. You finish the 30-second sprint absolutely full of lactate. You can’t sprint for 30 seconds – it’s actually a 15-second sprint, then ten seconds of hanging on and five seconds of crying. And then you have to try to bring that back. You can’t rest. You have to then bring that power down gradually to 400W and then sit there. The ten-second sprint to finish is just sprinting on tired legs which you’d do on a regular basis.

“It’s like replicating a breakaway – you attack, then you settle in, and then you might have to sprint again.”

Workout 3 – “Absolutely Horrendous”

Reps 8 Time 2min Power 530W (adjust for your level) Rest 2min

Heads up – this workout is certainly not one for the faint-hearted.

“It’s miserable,” says Dowsett. “Just horrendous, absolutely horrendous.

“It's two minutes on, three minutes off. I don't know how the watts are worked out, but it's trying to hold 530W for two minutes, then three minutes’ rest. And you do that a maximum of eight times.

“If you get to a point where you can’t maintain the power, you stop and do one minute on, three minutes off at the same number. I’ve never managed more than four lots of two minutes.”

I never thought I would be the kind of person who would ride a bike.

A whole bunch of factors led me to reach that conclusion. Firstly, I’d never been very good at it. As a kid, when my friends left their training wheels behind and started to embark on wild adventures on our wide suburban streets, I stayed stubbornly in my comfort zone. The training wheels stayed on and not only did I keep to the pavement, but I got off my bike to wheel it across any driveway I crossed, anxious that the slight incline would send me tumbling into oncoming traffic. An accident involving a small hill and misbehaving brakes was all I needed to decide that cycling was not for me: the bike went back into the garden shed, never to be seen again.

By the time I reached adulthood I was even more assured that bikes and I just didn’t mix, mostly because I never really saw anyone who looked like me riding them. Most of the cyclists I saw braving the streets of London were men who looked like they were dressed for battle in armour made entirely of Lycra. I was an awkward fat woman who almost always wore dresses – all things that felt like marks against me in the cycling aptitude test I assumed I’d have to take the minute I stepped into a bike shop.

But then, COVID-19 happened and my world suddenly got a whole lot smaller. As someone who never really took to driving, I always relied on buses and trains. But all of a sudden, taking a spot on the Tube to visit friends or get a change of scenery felt like something I couldn’t justify. If I wanted to leave Brixton, I’d have to do it by bike.

A few days after I came to this realisation, a letter arrived that would change my life. It was from my local council explaining that they would soon be introducing changes to make it safer for people to walk and cycle. After all that time feeling like cycling wasn’t for me, it turns out this tiny nudge was all I needed. That afternoon I set off to the local bike shop and, with the help of my boyfriend who knew what he was doing, bought my very own pink bicycle with a helmet to match. And even though I was still too frightened to actually ride the thing home, it felt like the start of so

See related 

• Sign The “Bike Is Best” Petition To Support Better Cycling Infrastructure – We Are
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• The Best Hybrid Bikes For Commuters

From there I started small. A ride up and down the street in the early hours of a Sunday morning, when everyone was still asleep. Slow laps around the park, terrified of crushing a toddler or a terrier. And then, one morning when I was feeling brave, sneaking out while my boyfriend was in the shower to ride the five minutes to the local bakery by myself for the very first time. By the time he stepped out of the bathroom I was back – puffing, sweaty and smiling, with some pain au chocolat and a sense of pride much larger than warranted.

From that moment on, something had genuinely changed in me. To be clear: it wasn’t my cycling ability. Despite nine months of cycling under my belt I still can’t signal and I regularly fall off my bike. But not being a good cyclist or even a typical one just didn’t matter to me any more. My local council had given me the permission I needed to get on my bike, to make me feel like it was OK to take up that space even if I wasn’t an experienced rider. That was all that was needed to transform me into the cyclist I never thought I could be. And I’ve never been more happy to be proven wrong.

Coach is supporting the Bike Is Best campaign and hopes to inspire more people to cycle with stories like Sarah’s. Visit the Bike Is Best website for advice on how to get started and read more from Sarah Berry on Medium.

Updated 30th March: A fourth wave of vouchers have just been released, hot on the heels of the third wave released on 11th March. 

Back in July 2020, the government launched a bike voucher scheme for England, offering £50 to get unused bicycles roadworthy again and help more people to travel by bike. To make sure bike shops weren’t completely overwhelmed with demand, only 50,000 vouchers were made available on a first come, first served basis. And there appeared to be plenty of demand when that first tranche was snapped up in little more than the blink of an eye. Another 50,000 came and went in November, but here’s a third bite of the apple. A total of 150,000 vouchers have been made available, but we can imagine demand will still be strong, especially with summer just around the corner.

To claim the money, register to receive a code on the Energy Savings Trust website, where you’ll also be able to search for a participating bike shop near you. Bear in mind each shop will offer its own service packages, with some costing more than £50. Depending on the state of your bike, you may need to brace yourself for the price hitting three figures. The £50 is designed to cover a brief maintenance service and safety check, and minor repairs like replacing brake pads. There’s also a limit of one voucher per household.

Try not to be put off if you have to wait a long time for an appointment, though. Pressure on bike shops means more bikes on the road, and having more bikes on the road is generally regarded as making cycling safer for all. And with the government announcing ambitious plans to improve cycling infrastructure, there has never been a better time to start cycling.

See related

• Bike Maintenance Basics For Commuters
• Spring Clean Your Bike With This Five-Step Plan
• The Best Bike Helmets For Commuters
• The Best Bike Locks

National chain Halfords offers free 32-point bike checks that identify areas that need work. The £50 voucher can then be used towards the cost of the repairs. Visit the Halford’s Fix My Bike Government Voucher Scheme to book the next available slot near you.

Hopefully, this little sweetener will give you that final nudge you need to dig out your old bike out and make it roadworthy again. Then you can join the swelling ranks of cyclists, many of whom turned to bikes as the only practical “COVID secure” means of transportation. Others, of course, just rediscovered the joys of riding during lockdown, taking the chance to range far and wide when otherwise confined to their homes.

Register for a £50 Fix Your Bike voucher | Free

There are, of course, far worse things to suffer from than hay fever, but that’s cold comfort when every outdoor excursion during the sunnier months results in fits of sneezing and eyes that itch for hours.

Hay fever, or more properly allergic rhinitis, can be particularly awful for those who have to train for a big event during a period of high pollen levels, or are simply desperate to get outdoors for a bit. For advice on how to stop hay fever ruining your summer of outdoor sport, we spoke to Dr James Hull, respiratory physician at The Centre for Health & Human Performance.

How can hay fever affect athletic performance?

It can have a massive effect. It can really stuff people’s events or their season, because many events occur at a time when pollen is high. And it’s not just the symptoms that a standard hay fever sufferer might struggle with—sneezing, itchy eyes, feeling fatigued—it’s also the fact that you can’t sleep very well.

Another common complaint is that people tend to get infections as well. Part of that is that if your nose is blocked you’re forced to breathe through your mouth. It’s not so much when you’re doing sport, but at night-time or when you’re sitting around, you breathe through your mouth and that means you inhale the toxins in your environment, including bugs, and that makes you more susceptible to infection.

What can you do?

I advocate this thing called PEAK. It has four components to it:

Prevention: By the time you realise you’re getting hay fever, the histamine release has already occurred and often the histamines are bound to the receptors, so you’re chasing your tail the whole time. Whereas if you know roughly when your hay fever occurs each season, you can start treatment at least two weeks ahead of symptoms starting – then you start the season in a much better place. This has been shown to be effective in improving hay fever control significantly.

Elimination: Secondly, it’s important to try and eliminate the amount of pollen you are exposed to. When you get in from a run, wash your hair to get the pollen out otherwise it hangs around your face. Wear sunglasses and, when washing your kit, don’t hang it outside where it can pick up pollen – hang it indoors to dry. You can spend money on things like nasal filters or air clearance systems in cars if it’s a really big issue for you.

Action: Then there’s treatment, which is generally quite mild. Start with a tablet form of antihistamine, which is non-sedating. You don’t want things like Piriton which have a sedative effect and make your performance go downhill. If that doesn’t work you can add a nasal steroid, and if that doesn’t work you can now get sprays which have both steroid and antihistamine combined, which treat both the nose and the eyes together. Competitive athletes can’t take certain types of nasal spray or decongestant tablets—UK Anti Doping has good, clear information [PDF] about what can and can’t be taken for hay fever.

Keep re-evaluating: People start off with good intentions to manage all these different aspects, and then after about three weeks they forget all about it. Or they drop the tablets because their symptoms get better, then it flares up again after a few days. Be proactive like you would with your nutrition or hydration – don’t just give up after two weeks and go back to square one, keep going back over things and thinking if you can improve the other aspects.

The British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology website has more information. Occasionally people who have very severe symptoms can consider being referred for immunotherapy, which is a desensitisation to the allergens. There’s information on that website about how you might get referred for that.

•  The Hay Fever Remedies That Work (And The Ones That Don’t)
• How To Handle Running In The Heat
• The Best Sun Creams And What To Look For When Buying

Are there certain times of day when it’s better to exercise?

There’s conflicting evidence but it’s thought that the middle of the day is best. And sometimes very early in the morning is OK.

Can you do anything special for race day to reduce the impact of hay fever?

It’s all about the preparation. So on race day think about when you’re going to take your medications, how you’re going to package and travel with them. When you’re travelling to a race can you limit the amount of pollen you’re exposed to on the way? Or when you’re waiting for the event to start? Sitting in a field is not going to be the best preparation.

If you’re in a city where air pollution is a concern, is it better to run in a park or on the street?

There are some studies now that show that pollutants may interact with the pollen’s structure to amplify the antigenic effect. The best place to go in a city is a park but it depends on your exact sensitisation profile. Some people are sensitised to London plane tree for example. Most are sensitised to grass pollens.

If you work out what you’re sensitised to you can avoid the environment. There are two ways to do that. One is to think about what time of year your symptoms typically start. The tree cycle starts a bit earlier in the year. There’s lots of information online about what you might be sensitised to based on the seasonal variations. The second is to get a skin test or a blood test that tells you exactly what you are sensitised to. Then you can work out where certain plants might be, and train in certain environments. But a lot of people don’t have that luxury. I’d suggest running around a park is more pleasant and you don’t want to be running alongside roads anyway. In many ways, being pragmatic is the way to go.

After being forced to cancel both the 2020 and 2021 events, RideLondon will return in a new form in 2022, according to a press release from Transport for London (TfL).

The event has traditionally been a multi-day festival held over a weekend in the summer to coincide with the end of the Tour de France. However, after Surrey County Council withdrew its support from RideLondon and Prudential ended its sponsorship deal, change is afoot. The route will be different, as will the organisers, with London Marathon Events stepping in to plan the event for the next ten years.

RideLondon will now take place on a single day in the spring with the aim of encouraging more people to cycle through the warmer months. A more family-friendly format is promised as well.

There will be no professional men’s race in 2022 but that may be a bonus for the women’s  RideLondon Classique, allowing it to take more of the limelight.

It’s certainly good news for charities, which will have desperately missed two years of fundraising, especially seeing as the organisers appear to have no desire to scale back the event.

“Globally, [RideLondon] is one of the biggest charity one-day cycling events and we aim to engage more than 100,000 people on an extraordinary day when London celebrates cycling,” said Hugh Brasher, event director of London Marathon Events

There’s no word on how and when places in the mass-participation events will be allocated, and unfortunately the RideLondon website has not been updated – all it has is information on 2020’s virtual event. Watch this space.

Training Advice For RideLondon

• 100-Mile Cycle Training Plan 
• How To Train For A 100-Mile Sportive
• The Best UK Cycling Events
• What to Eat and Drink to Ace RideLondon

As more and more people take to two wheels for their daily commute, it’s only natural that some consider tackling something a little tougher in their spare time.

Clearly, tackling a sportive is very different to riding 10K to the the office and back, but if you’re a regular rider it should only take a few months’ training to get up to speed for a 100-mile (161km) event (our 100-mile cycle training plan takes 12 weeks). For advice on how to train for your first sportive, we spoke to Mike Gluckman from Haute Route, which runs multi-day cycling events for amateurs all over the world. And then, for what to eat to support all that effort we turned to Alan Murchison, Michelin-starred chef and world duathlon champion.

How To Train For A 100-Mile Sportive

What kind of sessions should you do?

There are broadly three types of sessions which are useful to most riders:

• Long rides – 2½-3hr or more at a fairly low intensity.
• Interval sessions – 1-2hr with several 8- to 15-minute intervals at a high intensity.
• Hilly rides which provide a natural interval session. If there aren’t any hills close to home, you can always use your gear selection to simulate the inclines.

How To Fuel For A 100-Mile Sportive

No matter how fit you are, you’re not going to perform well in training or at your event if you don’t fuel correctly. For all the info you need on what to eat here’s Alan Murchison, Michelin-starred chef, world duathlon champion and author of The Cycling Chef: Recipes for Getting Lean and Fuelling the Machine.

Our colleagues at stablemates Cyclist have partnered with PedalTripr to create a new cycling holidays website called Cyclist Tours. Cyclist Tours aggregates all the best cycling holidays in one place, making it easier for you to find the best places to go for a cycling holiday in 2021.

Cyclist Tours includes custom tours, epic rides and weekenders. All the holidays listed on Cyclist Tours are managed by reputable specialist travel companies which will be able to advise on what happens if the COVID-19 pandemic throws a spanner in the works of your dream cycling holiday. A safer (if not entirely risk-free) bet is to tackle the Lands End to John O'Groats ride on these shores.

Head to Cyclist Tours to see what’s on offer and make an enquiry with an agent.

One of the most exciting features to arrive on fitness trackers in the past few years has been the daily rating of your stress levels out of 100. Admittedly for a while we found it mystifying, being unsure how to interpret or act on the information. That was until we chatted to an expert at Firstbeat, who explained that the rating is in part a measure of your heart rate variability using the optical heart rate monitor on the tracker.

Firstbeat is the company behind the algorithms that brands like Garmin use to rate your stress levels, and it also provides in-depth lifestyle assessments (£199) using chest monitors for extra accuracy. We took this test – which involved wearing a monitor for three days – then spoke to Nigel Stockill, performance director at Firstbeat UK, about heart rate variability, what it can tell you about your stress levels, and the limitations of the stress measurements on fitness trackers.

We also spoke to Ben Williams, head of human performance at America’s Cup sailing outfit Ineos Team UK (which are supported by Garmin), about how professional sportspeople use HRV to guide their training and what us amateurs can learn from that.

What Is Heart Rate Variability?

Your heart rate variability (HRV) is tracked by measuring the time between heartbeats – your heart rate rhythm. Even if your heart rate remains pretty constant, your heart rate rhythm can vary, and this shows whether or not your body is in a stressed state.

“When you look at heart rhythm rather than heart rate, we show a slightly different rhythm when we’re in relax and rest mode,” says Stockill. “What we typically see is a very gradual speeding up of our heart rate when we breathe in and a slowing down of our heart rate when we breathe out. This is when our body is undistracted by external or internal forces. It’s in a perfect state for recovery – it’s not busy digesting, or detoxifying alcohol, or dealing with a rapid rise in our cortisol release.”

In the Firstbeat lifestyle assessment these rest periods are marked in green. This shows a higher level of HRV, which indicates the body is relaxed and recovering.

“It’s a sign of less stress. If we go into fight-or-flight mode, it doesn’t mean we’re stressed per se, it just means we’re in that ready state. What happens then is that our body stops the speeding up and slowing down of heart rate and it becomes regular. You’re in a state of readiness – ready to pounce, or run, or whatever.”

The lifestyle assessment plots your HRV over the three-day period. The hope is that you see a good balance of green – where your HRV is high and your body is in a resting mode – and red – where your HRV is low and you’re in a more ready state. If you’re in the red all day and don’t get much green at night, over time you’re going to get more and more run down.

What Causes Low HRV?

You don’t need to feel stressed for your HRV to fall; it’s caused by anything that gets your body going. And the less fit you are, the longer it can take to get back into a resting state.

“It can be just meeting someone,” says Stockill. “It doesn’t mean you’re stressed, but it does mean you spark a little bit of adrenaline, of cortisol. Some people are a lot better at switching that off, whereas others, perhaps because their cardiorespiratory fitness isn’t that good, are not able to regulate that. It tends to be when they’re awake they’re always in red, and they’re only in green in the latter stages of sleep.”

Bodily functions are also key factors, such as digesting food or dealing with alcohol, which both put you into the red zone. This means drinking alcohol in the evening can affect how much you recover during your sleep.

“When the body detects alcohol it sees it as a poison or toxin, so it prioritises detoxifying that alcohol before it can relax. So if it was just one unit you can see that within one hour it detoxifies that, so you can relax quite quickly afterwards. For a lot of people alcohol may be used consciously or subconsciously as a sleep aid, therefore any alcohol that’s still in the system as you go to sleep will delay the onset of green, to the tune of an hour per unit of alcohol in the system.”

Other factors that keep stop you from going into a relaxed state include temperature and exposure to blue light, so staying away from screens last thing before bed and ensuring your bedroom is the right temperature for you are both important.

How Accurate Are HRV Measurements On Fitness Trackers?

One of the key differences with the lifestyle assessment is that an expert talks you through the results and gives you goals to help improve your recovery, rather than the simple stats provided by a wearable. However, perhaps even more important is the difference in accuracy between the chest monitor and a wrist wearable.

“They [wrist-worn trackers] use radial pulse, which isn’t bad compared with five years ago, but it’s obviously not as accurate as [chest straps],” says Stockill. “I wouldn’t be doing any lifestyle interventions based on those [wrist-worn trackers], but they do give you a bit of a guide to time asleep and that kind of thing.

“The difference between being in the red and in the green is so minuscule that if you’re trying to do that from what’s effectively blood flow estimate, you’re always going to be guessing a little bit.”

You can use a wrist-worn tracker to identify trends in your HRV that might highlight how factors like alcohol affect your stress levels, but if it’s something that you’re considering using to shape your lifestyle, a more accurate test is worthwhile. You can get the Firstbeat lifestyle assessment through experts like physios, personal trainers and nutritionists.

How Do Professionals Use HRV In Their Training?

“Knowing these kinds of metrics is very important in elite sport because we push our athletes hard in the quest for performance gains,” says Williams. “We don’t want them to overreach and become overloaded, physically or mentally. Instead we want to make sure we’re pushing them just hard enough so they gain the best training benefit.

“HRV enables us to accurately measure how the team is absorbing the training we give them. It allows us to ensure we periodise recovery in the best way, to make sure we find the sweet spot of training vs recovery for optimal performance gains. We can also use HRV to inform our tapers leading up to competition to ensure we field athletes at a state of readiness with no underlying fatigue that may hinder performance.”

Do You Have Any Tips For Amateurs On How To Use HRV?

“Your HRV is a snapshot of your current autonomic nervous system [which controls many of your body’s mostly unconscious processes] and can change throughout the day,” says Williams. “So my first tip would be to measure each morning at a similar time. This will give you consistency in your measurements.

“Next would be to understand why you are using HRV as a measure. We use it to understand how our athletes are reacting to the stimulus of training and the balance of recovery – nutrition, rest, sleep and so on. Once you know why you personally want to measure it then you can better understand what you will do with the data.

“For exercise it’s a good measure of when is a good time to push and when is good to rest. For example, if your HRV is low, then it probably isn’t a good day to do that hard session because your body is already at an increased rate of stress for one reason or another. Whereas if your HRV is high, today could well be a PB day if you get other variables like strategy and fuelling correct.

“Once you get the hang of using HRV for telling you when to push and when to rest, you can step up your analysis to include how good nutrition and hydration affects your HRV balance.”

Once you start cycling to work it soon becomes the highlight of a working day – unless you turn up late because your bike fell apart on the way. Regular servicing by a bike shop is essential to keep your ride in a safe condition, but there are some things anyone can do to head off problems and save money in the long run. And we say that having had to replace a drivetrain because we didn’t spend the occasional five minutes cleaning and lubing our chain.

To help you avoid a similar fate, we asked James Witts, author of The Bike Book, for what jobs beginners should get to grips with and how often to do them. We’d recommend getting a copy. It’s exceptionally handy and since reading it we’ve found ourselves – with a little help from YouTube tutorials – completing work on our bike we’d completely failed at in the past.

Bike Maintenance Basics For Commuters

The Job: Clean Your Bike

Arguably the dullest job in cycling, but one that’ll ultimately extend both the longevity of your bike and its appeal (you’re more likely to mount a shiny steed than a filthy workhorse!). Hot soapy water, a sponge and degreaser are all you really need to keep things rolling smoothly. Degreaser is essentially a bike-specific cleaning agent. Finish Line and Muc-Off are two brands to look out for. Finish by lubing your chain. Go with wet lube in the winter because it’s water-resistant and will last longer. Just bear in mind that its downside is clinging on to dirt – but you’re cleaning your bike regularly now, so that’s less of an issue.

How often: You might not want to hear it but once a week is the ideal. However, as time rolls by, we reckon you can cut cleaning time to a mere five minutes.

If you don’t: Your bike’s a reflection of you; in other words, would you leave the house covered in dirt? Hopefully not. Beyond the aesthetic, the build-up of detritus will corrode parts of your bike, particularly the chain, and will ruin its efficiency, especially around the derailleur (the genius component that shifts your chain to a different sprocket).

The Job: Inflate Your Tyres

Your tyre is your only connection point to terra firma. So why is it so neglected? Give it some love by inflating your tyres to the pressure printed on the sidewall. This isn’t set in stone, however. You can increase or decrease this pressure slightly depending on riding objective. If you’re after maximum speed, crank things up slightly to reduce the contact point with the ground and so reduce friction. If it’s raining, let a little air out to increase contact and thereby grip.

How often: Before every ride is ideal, albeit arguably unrealistic. So stick with a weekly hit unless weather conditions dictate otherwise.

If you don’t: Not only will you and your bike underperform, you’ll increase the likelihood of a puncture. (As an aside, always arm yourself with a spare inner tube, mini-pump and tyre levers.)

The Job: Adjust Your Gears

Erratic gears shifts are the bane of many a cyclist’s commute. Often the solution is as simple as turning the barrel adjuster (this is the barrel-shaped object on your rear derailleur). Simply turn it anti-clockwise a quarter to a half turn at a time, because when it comes to smooth shifting, small adjustments equal big changes. The front derailleur – if you have one – is a little more complicated. If your efforts fail, it might be that your gear cable’s worn and needs replacing. You can try this yourself but it’s tricky, so seek out a bike shop. Ask them to replace your brake cables while they’re at it.

How often: No set frequency because it’s down to the smoothness of your gear shifting. Just note that gear cables often stretch slightly on the first few rides, so don’t be surprised if gear shifting on your new bike is less than seamless after a few weeks. Don’t be alarmed – this isn’t your new bike collapsing on you!

If you don’t: Simply put, you won’t shift between gears properly. It’ll reach such a stage where irritation may lead you to catch a bus instead!

Buy The Bike Book from Haynes | £18.99

More Bike Maintenance Advice

• Spring Clean Your Bike With This Five-Step Plan
• Winter Bike Maintenance Tips To Keep You Riding Through To Spring
• How To Fix A Bike Puncture On Your Commute
• The Best Hybrid Bikes For Commuters

While riding a bike is famously a skill that you never truly lose, cycling on roads is a different kettle of fish altogether. Even the most steady cyclist may find themselves unnerved the first time they hear a vehicle approaching from behind.

It’s a perfectly understandable feeling, but the good news is that the perception of how dangerous roads are for cyclists is not always in line with the reality and there are techniques which can make cycling on roads about as safe as can be. One of the best tips we’ve been given is to make eye contact with other road users, because communication is essential whichever mode of transport you use.

For more tips, whether you’re a completely new or experienced rider, sign up for a free cycling proficiency webinar put on by Cycling UK in partnership with Clif, maker of energy bars. There are two sessions, and each is run five times so you should be able to find a date and time to suit your schedule.

The Beginner/Intermediate session runs through the basics of equipment, bike set-up and road skills. The first class is on Monday 28th September at 7.30pm, with sessions held at 12.30pm and 7.30pm the following two Mondays.

The Advanced course includes advice on how to stay safe at multi-lane junctions and filter past stationary traffic. This course mirrors the same schedule, but runs on Tuesdays. See the full schedule and register on the Cycling UK website.

To give you a flavour of what’s in store, and hopefully make you a safer cyclist just by reading this, we asked Matt Lamy of Cycling UK for some beginner tips. Here’s what he came back with.

Three Beginner Cycling Safety Tips

1. Set your saddle at the right height

When you’re new to cycling, it’s common to have your saddle too low, which means you have less leg power for pedalling. When setting up your bike, set your saddle height to allow a very slight bend in your knee when your foot is at the bottom of the pedal stroke. If you’re unsure of how to do this, your local bike shop will be happy to help.

See related

• The Best Cycling Backpacks For Commuters
• Six Real-Life Benefits Of Cycling To Work

2. Don’t hide on the edge of the road

It’s common for new cyclists to keep tight against the kerb to stay out of the way of traffic. The downside is that other road users may take advantage of this and often try to squeeze past you in places where there is not enough room to do so safely. You could be in danger of colliding with the kerb or puncturing your tyres from debris on the side of the road, and also risk not being seen by other vehicles. Be confident and ride about a metre from the kerb.

3. Make sure your helmet is on properly

While helmet use is not compulsory, if you do wear one it is important to make sure it is fitted correctly. First of all, check that it is the right way round – we often see riders with them on back to front – and ensure it is sitting level on your head, evenly protecting the front and back of your skull. The straps should be done up comfortably under your chin. When you purchase a helmet, the bike shop can also help you fit it and adjust it properly.

Photographs: Alex Broadway (male rider), Leo Francis (female rider); Red Bull Content Pool

In a normal year, Red Bull TimeLaps is a stand-out cycling event that pits teams of riders against one another to see how far they can go in a 25-hour period. Part of the success of TimeLaps is that everyone is at the same location, cycling through the night and creating a superb atmosphere. However, even more important is the fun of tackling the challenge in a team of four friends.

The event has gone virtual for 2020, which means there’s no special event atmosphere, but on the other hand more riders get to experience that camaraderie than ever before.

The TimeLaps virtual event will take place over 25 hours spanning Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th October. The aim is to log as many miles in the saddle as possible with only one cyclist riding at any time. You can do this outside or in, so if you have a top-notch indoor set-up then maybe pick out the fastest route on Zwift and have at it, jumping on and off the bike as each rider gets tired – once you’ve wiped down the handlebars with antibacterial wipes of course.

Make sure you keep the best rider fresh for the vital 2am-3am slot, because this is a Power Hour where the distance covered counts for double to mark the extra hour available to you as the clocks go back.

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You can sign up for TimeLaps for free on Strava for 28 days before the event, and you’ll also need to register on the Red Bull website, where you’ll have to upload proof of your rides to the live leaderboard during the event itself.

There will be prizes for the best teams and individual riders, and those prizes naturally include a lot of Red Bull. The teams finishing first, second and third will all get special jerseys, medals and 24 cans of Red Bull apiece, and the winners naturally also get a trophy. And we hope the individual rider who logs the most distance in the event loves Red Bull, because they’ll be getting a fridge with a year’s supply of the stuff. Don’t drink it all at once.

Register for Red Bull TimeLaps | Free

For most people, cycling is the very best way to get around London. It’s fast, cheap and incredibly liberating. It beats being stuck on the tube or in traffic hands down, and besides, active travel of this sort is a great way to fit a bit of light exercise into your daily routine.

There’s just one problem, which is that you have to park your bike somewhere. If you’re cycling to work your employer may offer secure bike parking, but otherwise you’re stuck locking it up and hoping London’s notoriously proficient bike thieves leave it be.

That’s far from ideal, especially if you’ve splashed out several grand on a carbon-frame speedster or an e-bike. And even if you’ve dug out an old bike from a shed to use, there’s always the odd butterfly as you wonder if your bike will still be there just before it comes back into view.

A new service in the very heart of London offers a solution – albeit an expensive one. Bike-Drop offers valet-style bike parking at three sites: Great Portland Street, Oxford Circus and Regent’s Street, open daily from 6am until 8pm. Those locations are all in W1, so the area covered is fairly small, but if you’re in that zone the opportunity to leave your bike at a secure spot could be invaluable.

See related 

• The Best Bike Locks
• Six Real-Life Benefits Of Cycling To Work

You will have to pay a fairly steep price for that opportunity – at least compared with a free bike stand, if not the £30-plus it typically costs to park a car. Book in for a single day and you’ll pay £6.50. This is probably your best option, because a weekly pass costs £38.50, which is quoted at £5.50 a day – but that’s only if you use it seven days a week. If you’re using it for the working week you’re paying £7.70 a day. A monthly pass is £135, £4.50 a day based on a 30-day month and using it every day, and of course the cost per working day will vary depending on the month. A three-month pass for £292.50 (£3.25 a day) is being offered until 7th October.

For some, that will be a price worth paying to have a secure parking service near the workplace, though we’d recommend also hassling your employer to provide that for you free of charge. It is perhaps even better suited to cruising in from the outer fringes of London on an e-bike for a bit of shopping at the weekend. More importantly, we hope it’s the start of services that provide a reliable and secure way to drop off your bike – services which we hope would cost less outside of central London.

Reserve a space with Bike-Drop | £6.50 a day

Working out the exact amount of calories burned by any single activity is not easy, because it depends on a number of factors. But don’t worry, we’re not going to completely stiff you if you’re looking for hard numbers on the calories that you’ll burn when cycling.

Before we dive into how you can work it out more exactly for yourself, here are some figures from Harvard Medical School for both indoor and outdoor cycling, which will give you a useful estimate of the calories burned in half an hour of cycling.

Along with providing a ballpark for calories burned, the above demonstrates how the precise number varies based on a range of factors. That starts with the individual – your age, sex, height and weight will all affect the number of calories you burn.

Then there’s the cycling itself. Effort level is clearly important – more effort means more calories burned – and if you’re cycling outdoors the elements come into play, because pedalling uphill into a headwind requires more energy to keep moving forwards than freewheeling downhill with the wind at your back.

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• How Many Calories Does Running Burn?
• The Best Heart Rate Monitors
• The Best Budget Heart Rate Monitors
• Burn One Pint’s Worth Of Calories With This Ten-Minute Workout

Using a fitness tracker can help provide better estimates of the calories burned on your rides, but do make sure you enter your personal details like height and weight to get more accurate results. The readings will use your heart rate to judge your effort, so it’s important for that to be accurate too. Many watches have built-in optical heart rate monitors that are reasonably precise, but you can pair a chest strap heart rate sensor to your watch to increase the accuracy.

There are also online calculators you can use to judge how many calories you burn on a ride, like keisan.casio.com. While these can be useful you’ll notice that you can’t add details like wind and incline, so you can’t expect perfect accuracy.

Even if you can’t get exact numbers you can rest assured that cycling is a terrific way to burn calories and lose weight if you incorporate it into your weekly routine. It’s also a discipline which lends itself to HIIT sessions, especially when riding indoors, which can help you burn more calories in a shorter span of time.

With the cancellation of so many huge fundraising events, 2020 has been a tough year for charities. It’s also been a tough year for anyone who loves to get involved in mass participation events and uses them as motivation to exercise all year round.

If that’s you, then the Cycle 300 challenge is something you should definitely take part in. The event raises money for Cancer Research UK and involves covering 300 miles (482km) on your bike throughout the month of September.

You can do this in whatever way most appeals, whether it’s logging 10 miles (16km) every day for 30 days, or opting for three epic 100-milers on Sunday long rides with friends.

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• Great Charity Challenges For 2020: Do Good, Feel Good
• The Best UK Cycling Events For 2021

The best way to keep your total ticking over is to commute by bike, if indeed you are heading into the office at the moment. And if you’re someone who enjoys spinning classes then make sure you have a way to track or at least estimate your distance covered during those, because you’ll be amazed at how much ground you cover giving it your all in a sweaty HIIT session.

If 300 miles sounds a little much you can also sign up to ride 200 miles (322km) over the course of the month, or you can ride the 300 as part of a team, splitting the distance between you.

When it comes to your outdoor rides you can track them using any number of free GPS apps such as  Strava or MapMyRide, or you can use a bike computer or sports watch to keep tabs on your progress.

This year Cycle 300 has integrated with Strava, which means you can link your JustGiving page to the app so your rides show up there automatically, making it easier to track the distance you cover during the month.

Cancer Research UK estimates that it will suffer a 30% decline in fundraising income in 2020, alongside hefty cuts to research budgets as a result of the pandemic, so any money raised will be very gratefully received. On top of that, you also get the perfect motivation to stay active this September, so head to the Cancer Research UK website and sign up for the Cycle 300 challenge right now.

There’s never been a better time to start cycling to work. Aside from anything else, the added incentive of avoiding public transport during a pandemic has probably induced more people than ever to enjoy getting around on two wheels instead.

Of course, that’s not the only reason to ride. Cycling is cheap, it’s often faster than other options if you’re in a city, and it’s a great way to add daily exercise to your routine without sacrificing any of your leisure time to exercise. And if you’re still not fully convinced that investing in a bike is a good idea, the good news is you can rent one on a long-term basis instead.

Brompton is launching a subscription service where you can hire its folding bikes for a month at a time or for a year. Your bike can be picked up from hubs all over the UK, though the majority of those hubs are found in London and Birmingham. It’s no surprise to us that the presence is greater in the UK’s two biggest cities, as one of the greatest advantages of a Brompton is how small and neatly it folds up, making it ideal for urban living and its associated storage limitations.

• NEWSFLASH: New Brompton Electric P Line Revealed

Sign up now to register your interest and for priority access to the service, which will be available to a limited number of people when it first launches. If you sign up for a year the cost works out at £30 a month, while it’s £42 a month if you sign up on a rolling monthly contract.

You get a few extras along with the bike, including essentials like insurance to cover theft and damage, and repairs and servicing with a loan bike offered during the service. There are also handy bonuses like discounts on Brompton products, including a bike if you decide to move off the hire scheme and get your own ride.

Once you’re on the scheme you pick up a bike from one of the lockers at the hubs. There’s a full list of locations on the Brompton website, and the option to get home or local delivery is expected soon.

See related  

• Six Real-Life Benefits Of Cycling To Work
• Brompton Announces A Folding E-Bike
• The Best Folding Bikes For Cycling To Work

Brompton already operates a pay-as-you-ride hire scheme from these hubs, which allows 24-hour use of a bike for £3.50.

“There is a significant shift towards cycling now more than ever, but not everyone wants to or can afford to buy a bike outright,” says Julian Scrivens, MD of Brompton Bike Hire.

“Our pay-as-you-ride schemes are already enormously popular, but we wanted to give the public another option which allows them to keep a bike for longer periods.”

Register interest in Brompton Subscription | £42 a month, £360 a year

In This Series

• Introduction
• London
• Birmingham
• Manchester
• Newcastle
• Late Summer Adventures

If you live in a big city, chances are that your best way to commute is by bike, which is both cheaper and more pleasant than driving your own car or taking public transport. It’s often quicker too, especially once you start getting clever with your route.

However, the joys of cycling extend far beyond a superior commuting experience. If you started riding to and from work in Birmingham lately, you’re in for a treat once you point your handlebars towards greener pastures. If you live elsewhere in the UK, we recommend heading for the West Midlands with your bike – you won’t be disappointed.

Sustrans, the UK’s walking and cycling charity, has detailed maps and information on cycle routes all over the country, so we asked for some recommendations for rides in and around Birmingham.

1. Birmingham to Wolverhampton

Distance: 13.4 miles (21.5km)

This route travels along a green corridor between the two cities. It starts just five minutes away from New Street Station and 90% of the route runs along traffic-free paths. Along the way, you’ll have the chance to take in wildlife-rich surroundings – if your luck’s in you may spot an otter.

2. Birmingham to Sutton Park

Distance: 8.2 miles (13.2km)

Leave Birmingham city centre for Gravelly Hill on cycle path 535 and you’ll take in a short stretch of the Tame Valley Canal before riding through the 970-acre Sutton Park. If you have the time, stop to explore the heathland, woodlands, wetlands, marshes and lakes therein.

See related 

• The Best Hybrid Bikes For Commuters
• The Best Electric Bikes For Commuting
• The Best Folding Bikes For Cycling To Work

3. Rea Valley Route

Distance: 5.7 miles (9.2km)

Another route that starts in the centre of Birmingham – right by the Tourist Information Centre, so if you’re new to the city you can load up on useful info before heading out for a shortish ride along mostly traffic-free roads that passes through several parks.

The route starts by taking you through Cannon Hill Park before joining up with the little River Rea and riding through the open space of Pebble Mill playing fields and the greenery of Hazelwell Park at Stirchley. At this point you can make a detour to Cadbury World, if you have kids and/or want to load up on chocolate yourself. If not, ride on to finish in Kings Norton Park.

While we all want to return to normal as soon as possible, it’d be great to return to a better normal – one where you can work from home when it makes sense, or one where all the people who rediscovered the joy of cycling aren’t squeezed off roads by returning traffic.

The number of people cycling rocketed during lockdown. Partly because it was a way to avoid public transport. Partly because it’s an awful lot cheaper than buying a car to avoid public transport. And partly because if you’ve got one outing a day for exercise you might as well make the most of it with a long, leisurely bike ride on near-empty roads.

We’re confident everyone who took it up has discovered cycling is a surprisingly quick way to get around, often quicker than any other means of transport, as well as a great way to get outside and enjoy the sunshine and to add some much-needed activity to the confined life we experienced during lockdown.

To try to get more people cycling, local councils took many short-term measures such as temporary cycle lanes. However, there is no guarantee that these will be kept in place. At Coach we’d love for these to become permanent additions – we’re eyeing the reduction in air pollution, and the improvement in people’s health and wellbeing the country could enjoy with more people cycling. And with more people on bikes and fewer in cars, we’re betting there’d be less congestion for the cars that are on the road.

If you’re on board with that, it’s essential we make our feelings known so local councils are assured they have the backing of the people they work for. One easy way to do that is by signing the Bike Is Best petition. It’s part of a campaign from a collection of leading cycling advocates and brands and it asks if you’ll put your name to this simple statement:

Click that statement to be taken to the petition.

See related

• Of Course Cycling To Work Is Healthy, But We Were Surprised By Just How Healthy
• Six Real-Life Benefits Of Cycling To Work
• Spring Clean Your Bike With This Five-Step Plan

According to research undertaken independently by YouGov on behalf of the Bike Is Best campaign, the majority of people want this. This research found that 77% of British people support measures in their local area to encourage cycling and walking, and 80% of those who expressed a preference want streets redesigned to protect pedestrians and cyclists from motorists.

Perhaps most importantly of all, 51% agree they would cycle more if these changes were made. People want to cycle – they just want to feel safe, and better infrastructure that makes cycling the obvious and easiest choice is central to that.

Will you join us trying to make this happen by signing the petition? We hope so.

Summer’s almost here, new cycling lanes are popping up all over the UK and avoiding public transport is recommended if possible – it really is a great time to start cycling. Or restart cycling, as will be the case for many of us who have let our rides go to seed. With cycle shops and bike brands struggling to meet demand, it’s well worth dusting your bike down and getting it back into a roadworthy condition.

If it’s in need of repairs, then from June you might be able to access one of the half a million £50 vouchers the government is set to make available to help with bike repairs. There are no details about how to claim these vouchers just yet, but keep an eye on announcements from transport secretary Grant Shapps for more news.

However, if your bike just needs cleaning and a general tune-up before you ride, then this step-by-step spring-cleaning plan from Tony Hetherington of cycle care brand Crankalicious will see you right.

1. Degrease Your Drivetrain

Step one is to ensure your gears are in good order. Nothing derails a ride as effectively as the chain coming off every time you try to shift gear.

“After a heavy winter of riding or a period of no use the drivetrain needs the most attention,” says Hetherington.

“Clean the grease, oil and gunk from your derailleurs with a degreasing product to make sure gear changes are crisp and sweet. Then use a chain-cleaning sponge or dedicated device to remove all the grit and grime from your chain.

“Make sure to finish off with some lubrication. Gear changes will never have felt better.”

2. Make A Clean Brake Of It

You know what’s really important when riding a bike? Being able to stop it. Dirty brakes can make that trickier.

“Make sure to clean both your brakes and the braking surfaces – the outer edge of the wheel, or the discs themselves – with a residue-free cleaner,” says Hetherington.

“It will remove all the dirt and grime without leaving a trace to ensure braking is as efficient as possible. Also remember the cables, pivot points and levers – a small amount of water-displacing spray and lubrication will help improve performance and feel throughout the braking system.”

3. Spruce Up Your Frame

The brakes and gears are the key parts to clean in terms of performance, but you also want your bike to look good, right?

“Use a foaming bucket wash with a wash mitt to remove mud and dirt while preventing further scratching,” says Hetherington.

“For stubborn stains use a spray cleaner and leave it for a few minutes, but be sure to rinse well afterwards.”

See related :

• Six Real-Life Benefits Of Cycling To Work
• The Best Bike Locks
• The Best Bike Helmets For Commuters

4. Buff Up Your Handlebars And Seat

You actually have to touch these parts of the bike when riding so obviously you don’t want them to be dirty.

“Your bar tape, seat and shoes see a lot of use, but rarely receive attention,” says Hetherington.

“Use a vinyl and fabric cleanser to remove the sweat, mud and grime that gets embedded in the fabric. Finish them with a spray sealant to prevent the contaminants penetrating so easily in the future.”

5. Spit And Polish

After steps one to four your bike will be clean and ready to ride with pride. Step five is all about getting it as close to factory-fresh perfection as you can.

“Now your bike’s clean, you have the chance to improve its finish,” says Hetherington.

“Use a mark- and scratch-removing frame polish like Crankalicious’s Mayo Jaune to perfect the finish. Then use dedicated cleaners where possible to bring your bike components back to life, such as a specialised tyre cleaner for tan wall tyres, or chrome polish for your vintage specials.

“You can protect the finish with a nano spray sealant or hybrid frame wax. They’ll also make your bike easier to wash next time. What’s not to like?”

For more guides on cleaning and improving your bike, head to crankalicious.com