News

Speeding and a dystopian age of motoring

February 1, 2019

There is no rational reason why motorised vehicles should be permitted to exceed speed limits on public roads. Putting aside the question of why it's possible to buy cars for the road that are capable of exceeding the national speed limit by 100%, neither the threat to other people’s lives nor the risk of penalties dissuades motorists from...

Driving

Heated gloves up for grabs

February 1, 2019

Keeping hands toasty at this time of year can be challenge - especially if you are cycling. Warmawear heated glove liners have a heating element running around the edges of all five fingers, right around the tips where you need heat the most. Heated gloves are of particular use to those who suffer from Raynaud's - a common condition that...

Cycling

Reducing household water consumption

January 17, 2019

It's easy to assume that Britain has more water than it knows what to do with, but we have less available water per person than most other European countries. In fact, South East England has less water available per person than the Sudan or Syria. Reducing the amount of water we use in the home helps safeguard wildlife in rivers and...

Environment

Bicycle culture and style

January 17, 2019

Once upon a time, around 5,600 years ago, 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...

Cycling

Unusual campervans for life on the road

January 17, 2019

If your travel plans for 2019 include a trip by campervan, feast your eyes on the Nimbus - a hybrid electric people carrier that combines styling elements of the iconic Airstream trailer and VW kombi van to produce a design far more radical than anything on the market today. Boasting far more window area, interior space and ground clearance...

Cycling

Case for presumed liability revisited by government

January 11, 2019

The pros and cons of introducing presumed liability to protect vulnerable road users are to be researched by the government. Presumed liability makes motorists financially liable for collisions with pedestrians or cyclists. Only when the pedestrian or cyclist is proved to be negligent does the driver avoid paying compensation through their...

Cycling

A bike for life, not landfill

January 11, 2019

In cities blighted by congestion and polluted air, bicycles offer a practicable answer by providing environmentally benign transport. However, most of the bikes we buy are heavy, poorly made designs destined ultimately for the shed or landfill. Our European cousins have embraced the concept of utility cycling and cargo bikes - the Transit...

Cycling

Cyclone offers cycling soundtrack

January 9, 2019

Cycling can be better with music, but earphones make it harder to hear the traffic around you on the road. The Cyclone is a shock-proof speaker designed to fit inside a water bottle cage. A rechargeable battery provides up to six hours of continuous music playback and its Bluetooth connectivity works at a distance of up to 10 metres from...

Cycling

Red lines over yellow lines: Our inability to tackle problem parking

January 4, 2019

As a driver, it's easy to feel a sense of entitlement over the road space outside one's home, but what value should be placed upon it? Southsea council has this week introduced resident parking charges based on the number of cars in a household. Residents in the zones have to pay £30 for one car, £100 for a second permit and £590 for a...

Driving

carryyymy: What a carry on

January 4, 2019

Like all the best ideas, carryyygum is simple. A variation of the humble bungee cord, the device straps to three points on your bicycle's handlebars or frame to safely secure smaller items like clothes, books, a newspaper, handbag, parcel, lunchbox etc. The idea for carryyygum...

Cycling