News

Kids shouldn't have to beg for safer streets

March 21, 2023

Prendergast Ladywell School in Lewisham, London, was first promised a pedestrian crossing in 2012. They're still waiting. And that's despite three children having been hit by cars on the road outside their school gates. Over the years, frustrated parents have been been told by council officials that a safe crossing would reduce parking...

ETA project

Carbon frame FAQs: How to repair carbon fibre

March 17, 2023

There's no shortage of people who'll offer to repair your carbon frame bike should it get damaged. If you don't have an insurance policy that offers replacement over repair, how do you know your bike is in safe hands. A few years ago we thought it would be interesting to use test the quality of carbon frame repairs for ourselves. We sent a...

Cycling

How to foil bicycle theft (on the cheap)

March 14, 2023

A lack of police enforcement and secure parking, coupled with the advent of cordless angle grinders, has created a perfect storm for cycle theft. It got us thinking about how we might foil a bike thief if we applied a little lateral thinking - and channelled our inner Heath Robinson. Using little more than a standard water bottle, a...

Cycling

Let's make our cities car free

March 14, 2023

It's easy to overlook the fact around five people every day are killed on British roads. One of the victims this week was a 12-year-old boy was was killed by the driver of a van who is currently being held by police on suspicion of being unfit to drive. We tolerate a level of killing on our roads that would be considered entirely...

Cycling

Fixing Flats - Replace and Repair

March 13, 2023

It's not always convenient to fix a flat at the roadside so it makes perfect sense to carry a spare inner tube and take the damaged one home to repair at your leisure. To encourage this kind of re-use, we've got a puncture repair kit to give away. Up for grabs is a dhb micro saddle bag, Topeak Micro Rocket pump and a Park Tool tyre and tube...

Cycling

How do we solve a problem like cycle theft?

March 10, 2023

Nobody knows for certain how many bicycles are stolen each year in the UK. A figure of 70,000 is banded about, but estimates vary wildly and it's accepted the vast majority go unreported. Worse still, nobody seems to know how to reduce bike theft. The problem has been made worse by the advent of the cordless angle grinder - a tool that's...

Cycling

Carbon frame FAQs: Checking for cracks

March 10, 2023

If your carbon frame gets a knock it's bound to be a butt-clenching moment - not least because bike shops aren't equipped to assess damage that's not visible. We're not in the business of forcing repairs on our customers if they'd rather replace a damaged component, but we work alongside specialists with the knowledge, experience and...

Cycling

Cycling in spring - time to wrap up

March 10, 2023

It doesn't matter how often you remind yourself it's spring - the promise of warmer weather does nothing to fend off the bitter chill. The best we can do to help is give away a Merino wool jersey. Breathable, naturally anti-bacterial and lightweight properties make Merino wool ideally suited for cycling in the month known to 'come in like a...

Cycling

The history of the SUV - How farm vehicles invaded our city streets

March 9, 2023

The commercial success of the SUV is one of life's mysteries. After all, they have inferior fuel economy, handling and boot space than an estate or MPV, and their size and weight pose far more risk to others in the event of a crash. The reasons why the car industry hoodwinked we motorists into thinking we need to drive what are essentially...

Driving

Post-pandemic pop-up: Our mobile zebra crossing travels to London

March 8, 2023

We haven't had a chance to use our inflatable pop-up zebra crossing since before lockdown, so when we heard from a primary school in Balham, London, who are desperately campaigning for a safe crossing, we leapt into action. https://vimeo.com/805883047 What is a pop-up zebra crossing? When we were approached 10 years ago by a school whose...

ETA project