News

Robbie Williams talks bicycles

March 1, 2013

When he’s not playing to sell-out crowds around the world he likes to ride a Bianchi road bike, but this week Robbie Williams took time out of his busy schedule to admire the Hornster – a custom bicycle...

Cycling

Electric cars that charge like mobile phones

March 1, 2013

If mobile phones relied on charging stations, it’s unlikely there would be six billion of them in use today. Why should it be any different with electric cars? Is it any surprise there is a paucity of charging infrastructure when the charging stations are expensive to install and at risk from misuse and damage? Lack of charging...

Driving

New London bus is entirely emissions free

March 1, 2013

With the average fuel consumption of a double-decker London bus a paltry 4.5mpg, the arrival on the capital’s streets of an entirely emissions-free bus could herald a new era of environmentally-friendly public transport. The Pedibus’s green credentials are courtesy of its passengers, all of whom have to pedal to keep it moving. The bus uses...

Cycling

VW launches 261mpg car

February 22, 2013

Volkswagen has announced it is to sell its long-awaited XL-1 - a plug-in hybrid car with a combined fuel consumption rating of 261 mpg. The XL1 is the most aerodynamic production car ever (Cd 0.19) and with a weight of 795kg it can cruise at a constant 62 mph while using just 8.3 horsepower. In all-electric mode, the two-seater requires...

General News

Beating the bicycle blues: a crumple-free commute

February 22, 2013

It doesn't matter how well you iron and fold a shirt, once it's spent an hour stuffed in the top of a rucksack it ends up looking like you've slept in it. The cheapest if not the most practical option is to buy an iron from Tesco value range for £5 and keep it at work, but a more sensible and less time-consuming approach is to invest in a...

Cycling

Ultra-Ever Dry: Never wash your bicycle again

February 22, 2013

A new chemical coating repels water, oil and dirt to such an extent that if you apply it to your mountain bike, clothes and shoes you will never again need to hose it down after a winter ride. Washing your bike after a muddy ride keeps it looking good and helps extend the life of your components, but it's a time-consuming ritual when all...

Cycling

Velo 2nd Gear – the world according to bicycles

February 15, 2013

Once upon a time, in about 3600BC, someone pegged a set of wheels to a cart; 4,400 years later the tracks of Baghdad were finally paved with tar. But it wasn’t until 1817 that German Baron Karl Drais von Sauerbronn put two wheels beneath a simple seat. Two hundred years later, the bicycle represents the most efficient ways to transform the...

Cycling

Are electric cars zombies of the road?

February 15, 2013

In the current economic climate, there’s much talk of zombie businesses; debt-ridden companies that would die if they were not kept alive by banks eager to see their loans repaid. Given the amount of money spent on their promotion and funding, could the same be said of electric cars? Almost three years ago, at a time when Nissan was betting...

Driving

Retro bicycle rides all the rage

February 15, 2013

A growing appetite for nostalgic cycle rides is as much in evidence across the channel as it is here. While we have the Tweed Run, an event held in London each year that grows in popularity by the year and currently has to hold a lottery to allocate places, the French have the Anjou Velo Vintage bicycle festival. With an emphasis on...

General News

Breathing bicycle for Beijing

February 14, 2013

With over 10 million bicycles on its roads, Beijing is one of the great cycling cities of the world, but its air is amongst the most polluted on the planet. British artist Matt Hope draws attention to the problem with his breathing bicycle, a piece of sculpture that filters dirty air courtesy of a collection of recycled components including...

Cycling