The July 2013 issue of Cycling Active magazine goes on sale from Wednesday, May 22 and as ever it’s ram-packed with bike reviews, product tests, real-world fitness advice, great places to ride and a whole lot more healthy goodness.

If you’ve entered the London to Brighton bike ride on June 16, and the thought of 54 miles to the coast is giving you palpitations, fear not. Our last-minute tips to get you safe and smiling to a well-deserved ice cream on Brighton’s Madeira Drive is in the July issue.

But really, you only have to get a few basic things right to enjoy a day out on the bike. And being fit enough is quite far down the list of priorities. The priorities are being comfortable in the saddle and pre-servicing your bike. Get those things right and your little steed will be the most helpful of companions. Let our London to Brighton guide ease your day on what is one of Britain’s greatest rides.

Plus, we present our usual comprehensive selection of bike tests, with models from Trek, Genesis, B’Twin, Frog, Brompton and Roux all reviewed. And we round-up the best bib-shorts, sunglasses and summer tyres.

Struggling with your weight? Think your riding technique could improve? Let our experts lend a hand with friendly advice that yields real results.

And we take rides in Wiltshire, Wakefield, Scotland and New Zealand, presenting some fantastic places to go and explore.

Cycling Active July 2013 issue is on sale from Wednesday, May 22, at WHSmith, major supermarkets and all good newsagents priced £3.99.

Contents

BIG READS
How I lost three stone: Cycling back to happiness
London to Brighton: CA’s ‘How To’ for the big one

TECH
Sunglasses: Seven of the best cycling-specific shades
First rides: B’twin, Genesis and Frog
Head to head: Trek hybrid goes up against Brompton folder
Summer tyres: Lighten up this season
Bespoked Bristol: Real deal steel
Bibshorts: Seven of the best put to the test
Something special: Roux Carbon Drive G8
Longtermers: A catch up with our resident reviewers

FITNESS
Effort gauge: Lactate threshold explained
Hollywood: Behind the scenes on cycling action movie Premium Rush
Nail it! Perfect your one-handed confidence

ESCAPE
Salisbury Plain: Scenic vistas and historic landmarks
Wakefield: Into the ‘village of the mansions’
New Zealand: Antipodean adventures
Whisky galore: A whisky-tasting tour of the Scottish isles

REGULARS
Cafe: Hot off the press comment, news and products
Ride to live: Angelo Calilap talks cycling in New York City
Spoken word: CycleLogistics: moving Europe forward
In depth:  How Scotland is promoting cycling
Letters: Thankful praise, froth and bluster, it’s your letters
Calendar: The events season is in full flow, time to get going!

Words Matt Lamy | Photos Chris Catchpole

As we reported back in CA March 2013, Scarborough’s own Bamboo Bikes has expanded its range to include a 29er, a hybrid and this cross machine — BB’s first foray into the world of drop-bar bikes.

We’re proud to say Cycling Active was the first magazine to test Bamboo Bikes’ prototype mountain bike, more than a year ago. Contrary to our prejudices, it rode just like a ‘normal’ bike.

Even so, if the folk at BB remain slightly self-conscious about the perceived strength of their material, that’s fully understandable. The first question everybody seems to ask when they see a bamboo frame is: “How stiff is it?” (While barely concealing their belief that it must be little better than corrugated cardboard.)

Bamboo Bikes CX Disc

In fact, this made-in-the-UK Bamboo CX Disc is plenty stiff enough. I took it for a test on mixed surfaces, including post-snow, flooded gloopland and there was certainly no lack of strength. The back end popped out when things got über slushy and then bobbled along when conditions under-tread firmed up.

Which of the established frame materials is it most like? You might expect a slightly spongy steel experience, but in this case it’s not far off aluminium. There is a strange difference, though: while good aluminium frames are able to isolate you from little imperfections but often lose all composure when their abilities are pushed too far, this Bamboo Bike tends to just take the edge off all bumps. If anything, the bigger the hit, the more effective it is.

Racing folk
The small Bamboo Bikes team has a background in off-road racing, so the CX Disc is geared more towards competition than the general cycling tasks I had it doing. So, there are little quirks, such as the lack of bottle cage mounts. However, despite its mtb heritage, I found the CX Disc was best on asphalt. It was certainly good fun and very controllable in the mud, but on the road it felt really rather relaxed. Apparently BB has relatively few enquiries about making road bikes, but with a few geometry tweaks it could make an interesting sportive machine.

I won’t talk about components and finishing kit, mainly because our test bike was slightly different from the version available to buy (the spec list on this page is as per the production bike). But the Shimano 105 drivetrain is the same, which is a good thing, obviously.

Just as reliable, although reliably polarising, are the aesthetics.

I’ve never thought of myself as a tree hugger, but I do like the look of bamboo. I’m fully aware, though, that not everyone shares my opinion. (Incidentally, the novelty wears off and — as with the CX’s riding experience — you quickly start thinking of it as just another bike.)

Bamboo Bikes CX Disc

Big bucks
Another question mark is price: £1,899 is a lot of money for a niche product, and for the same outlay you could find quite a stunning — although mass-produced — cross bike from an established brand. However, by the same token, if you were looking for a quality steel bike with a similar spec, the CX Disc is on the money. Try finding a similar made-in-Britain steel bike for this price and you’ll have to look very hard.

But perhaps the biggest obstacle to the success of bamboo bicycles is perceived wisdom. Cycling has a well-established volunteer army of armchair experts, and many of them seem to know all about bamboo as a frame material — particularly its alleged faults — without ever having ridden one. In fact, how many other cycling media outlets have you even seen test a bamboo bike?

I’m not saying that at CA we have incredible foresight and this is a wonder material that will revolutionise the bike industry. But we can say with rare authority that bamboo is a perfectly functional frame choice that should be seen as more than a novelty.

Here endeth the lesson.

So the CX Disc is a fine bike that handles very tidily and rides really rather comfortably, especially on the road. If Bamboo Bikes could somehow create a budget version priced under the Cycle to Work scheme limit, there might be an audience of new cyclists willing to give them a try. As things stand, this is a great but specialised option for a special type of rider.

Specification

Bamboo Bikes CX Disc

Bamboo Bikes CX Disc
Price £1,899
Frameset Bamboo frame with carbon forks
Gears Shimano 105
Chainset Shimano 105 compact
Brakes Tektro Lyra
Wheels Cycle Lucha
Tyres WTB Cross Wolf
Bars/Stem FSA Omega/FSA OS
Saddle Flux saddle
Seatpost FSA SL
Size range TBC
Weight 10.3kg (22.7lb)
Contact www.bamboobike.co

Words Kenny Pryde | Photos Daniel Gould

We can try to resist as much as we like, but none of us is immune to the snake-oil charms of marketing. The fact that an object (a salt cellar! A pair of jeans! Shampoo!) has a label or a logo on it somehow imbues it with some magical added value. It’s largely bogus, of course, but we can still fall for it.

In some cases, a brand name has credibility because the company has a long history and a hard-won reputation for producing the goods and knowing what it’s doing. In cycling, one such name is Bianchi. The Bergamo-based company was founded in 1885 by Eduardo Bianchi and claims — reasonably — to be the oldest surviving bicycle manufacturer in the world.

Bianchi bikes have been associated with some of the most famous names and moments in racing history. Even if the names of Fausto Coppi, Felice Gimondi and Marco Pantani don’t mean anything to you, you can be assured that, over the decades, input from some of the world’s best riders has found its way into Bianchi designs.

Which is a long-winded way of saying that this Vertigo is a sweet-handling, good-natured bike that you could ride from Lombardy to Loch Lomond and still feel fresh. It looks like a ‘racer’ and it pretty much rides like a ‘racer’ but with added comfort engineered in. If you are looking for the stiffest and least forgiving frameset on the road, this is not it. Which is absolutely not a bad thing.

Bianchi Vertigo 105

Top comfort
The carbon monocoque frame has been designed with comfort at the top of the must-have list. It’s all very well looking for a rigid and unyielding frame if you are a full-time bike rider and your body is accustomed to taking a beating every time you cycle. If you’re not, why put yourself through the post-ride, next-morning ache-fest?

If you’ve been used to riding a bike with an on-trend, oversized, tapered headstock and fork crown, you’ll notice that a lot less road buzz gets through to your hands — that’s because the front-end of the Vertigo is a more finely sculpted affair. In fact, the frame and fork both offer a more cosseted ride; they are mated to a Shimano WH-500 wheelset and fat Hutchinson Equinox 2 tyres, which absorb vibrations on rougher roads.

Some modern bikes have front ends (headstock and forks) that hit bumps and ripples in the road like a powerboat smacking a wave — they just hit it, skim over it and plough on. The Bianchi’s front end is more like a surfboard being paddled out to a break; it seems to rise and fall with the waves, more riding the crest than battering both self and rider. That’s an exaggeration, of course, but you get the general idea.

The overall comfort of the ride is helped by a rather more relaxed C2C geometry than on Bianchi’s racier frames. The combination of more laid-back head and seat angles allied to a slightly more stretched-out wheelbase adds up to handling that’s lively and responsive without ever reacting to your input like a nervous racehorse. The combination of frame construction and geometry makes this a bike that’s very easy to get on with and just… ride.

On the money
The components on the bike are spot-on for this price-range. It’s rare that you find Shimano 105 cranks and geartrain as well as a wheelset, and the shifting is a slick step above the mix ’n’ match options you often find on bikes this price. The San Marco Ponza saddle is a decent touch, while the costs have been kept down with the own-brand Reparto Corse stem, non-ergo bars, seatpost and brakes. The brakes might look pretty, but they felt rather wooden — some initial bite but not much more, regardless of how much harder you squeezed those nicely sculpted Shimano 105 levers.

For those who still believe that stiffness or rigidity is the one true way for a road bike frame, well, walk away now. On the other hand, for those sportive riders who don’t enjoy having their fillings rattled out or bouncing sideways, this bike is worth throwing a leg over.

Newcomers who fancy a slice of cycling history but don’t want to suffer for the privilege should book a test ride and start practising essential Italian — Vai, non è lontano!

Bianchi Vertigo 105

Specification

Bianchi Vertigo 105 £1,600
Frameset Carbon monocoque
Fork Carbon fork, aluminium steerer
Gears Shimano 105 10-speed
Chainset Shimano 105 (50/34)
Brakes Reparto Corse
Wheels Shimano WH-R500
Tyres Hutchinson Equinox 2
Bars/stem Reparto Corse
Saddle San Marco Ponza Power
Seatpost Reparto Corse
Size range 49, 51, 54, 57, 60cm
Weight 8.6kg (18.96lbs)
www.bianchi.com

Alternative

Cannondale CAAD10 5
£1,399.99

If Bianchi is old, then Cannondale is a thrusting young brand from the new world — Bethel, Pennsylvania, to be precise. In the Eighties, Cannondale was one of the original trailblazers when it came to making oversize-tubed aluminium frames and this is a fine example of its art. This frame is 6069 aluminium alloy, the fork is full carbon, the head tube is tapered and the geometry is a tad racier, though the finishing spec is broadly similar.
www.cannondale.com

Just a small chunk of MK’s 200-mile cycle network with a mix of traffic-free towpaths, bridges and tunnels

Distance: 14 miles (22.5km)
Big hills: 0
Challenge: 2/5
Cafe stops: 3

Words: Ann Virco | Photos: Chris Catchpole

The redways in Milton Keynes are the most extensive network of cycle routes and footpaths anywhere in Britain. So why haven’t you heard of them, you may well ask. Well, probably the main reason is that, although Milton Keynes is generally referred to as a city, it is in fact still only a town, so not eligible to enter  ‘Best cycling city in the UK’. Were Milton Keynes to enter, I don’t think anywhere else could beat it.

So exactly how many miles is ‘extensive’? Well, that’s hard to put a figure on as Milton Keynes is continually evolving and expanding, as are our cycle paths, but it’s well in excess of 200 miles.

Milton Keynes came into being on January 23, 1967, encompassed 13 villages and three towns already in existence, and covers 40 square miles. As 20 per cent of Milton Keynes is kept as green space, it’s an ideal town for cycling. In fact Milton Keynes is often referred to as ‘the city in the country’.

As a resident of Milton Keynes I’m very proud of where I live, and especially proud of our redway cycle paths. When it came to choosing a route for this magazine it was hard to know which one of the many to go on, but in the end I plumped for the Millennium Circular Route, a varied and pretty route with lots to look at on the way round.

I’m joined on my ride by Chris who has come up from Cycling Active’s offices, armed with a camera and a new bike to test. For ease I’m starting the route at Willen Lake as it has all the facilities you could want on your return, especially if you have children. And it has the added bonus of only being a couple of minutes’ drive from Junction 14 of the M1.

On leaving Willen Lake we follow Route 51 and cycle along one of the many leisure routes past the new camping and caravanning site till we go up and over a canal bridge. This bridge crosses the Grand Union Canal, built in the early 1800s and which now winds its way through Milton Keynes. Once over the bridge, we have joined the Millennium Route and are on our way. This route is clearly marked all the way round so following it shouldn’t be a problem.

As we turn right after the bridge, we emerge at the permanent canal moorings at the bottom of Campbell Park. We need to make note of this, remember the pretty little pond with its wildfowl, because this is where we turn off the Millennium Route at the end of our ride.

By the canal

Following the well-marked route, we cross back over the canal, and follow the cycle path alongside until we pass Great Linford green and emerge into Great Linford High Street. No bustling shops here — but there is a lovely pub — the Nag’s Head — and, as we are on a cycle route, you’re more likely to meet a bike here than a car! After a very short ride along this road, we enter some iron gates leading to the beautiful Linford Manor Park. Here you will find the Manor House, 17th century almshouses and the quaint 14th century church of St Andrews.

Information boards alongside the cycle track will tell you all about the area, and there are plenty of grassy areas and picnic tables if you wish to stop. Chris takes some more photos, then it’s time to move on.

Leaving Linford Manor Park, Chris and I follow the cycle track up a gentle slope to emerge on ‘Railway Walk’. This five-mile stretch of cycle and footpath used to be the Wolverton to Newport Pagnell railway line until 1961 — another line cut by Dr Beeching. We only travel a short distance before turning left at the top of the slope. (Had anyone turned right before the railway was built, they would have got very wet as the railway followed the line of an old canal which ran to Newport Pagnell via a series of seven locks)

As we reach the end of the tree-lined railway walk we see a sign indicating we should cross over a quiet road and go straight on.
However, if you turned left here, before crossing the road, you would come to Bradwell Windmill. Built in 1805 and last used in 1876, this lovely old mill has just been restored; you can read all about its history on the information boards within its grounds.

Barges and bridges
Chris and I carry on over the road, and over another bridge, where, if you look to the right, you may be lucky enough to see a canal barge travelling parallel to you over the aqueduct. Once over the bridge, we keep an eye out for the Millennium route marker which points us down and into Loughton Valley Park. After the next bridge, we travel beside a pretty winding river that flows to our right.

As we cycle through Loughton Valley Park, we pass under a long wooden walkway. Once past this, you can turn sharp left and so visit the site of the Bancroft Roman Villa by riding over the walkway and over the river, where information boards again explain what you can see.
Retracing our steps, we rejoin the Millennium Route, and, with the river still on our right, past the famous concrete cows grazing on the opposite bank. (The day we visited the cows were still showing off their Halloween painting so their skeletons were visible!)

Bradwell Windmill

Shortly we reach one of the most peculiar tunnels you will ever cycle through. The railway company built a long thin tunnel here for the river to babble through, and now Milton Keynes has built a raised wooden cycle and footpath so we can avoid getting our feet wet. We emerge on the opposite bank of the river. Many people happily cycle through but, if you are nervous, you could get off and push.

At this point you can visit Bradwell Abbey by following the cycle track which goes straight on along the hedge line. As you reach the end of the hedge you will see Bradwell Abbey, which is well worth a visit. Afterwards, retrace your steps to the river.

With the river now on our left, we carry on until we come across another wooden bridge — but there’s no need to dismount here. Soon we emerge at Lodge Lake with its wildfowl and picnic tables. A lovely place to visit in the spring when there are ducklings and cygnets waiting with their proud parents for any picnic scraps to be thrown their way. And, if we are lucky, we might see one of the resident egrets or a kingfisher.
Still following the signs, we cycle along the lakeside until the sign directs us away from the lake and back along the river. Eventually we cross another road, and rejoining the river we turn sharp right over a white iron-railed bridge. This brings us out onto the green at Loughton Village, another attractive place for a picnic, and with information boards on the left giving the history of Loughton.

As we move on to the next part of Loughton Valley Park, we can see, through the trees, the steel and glass building of Central Milton Keynes Railway Station. (Anybody coming by train could join the route here by simply turning right on exiting the station and joining Route 51 which eventually merges with the Millennium Route.)

Bowled over
We now go past the Teardrop Lakes, and skirt the perimeter of Milton Keynes Bowl. The Bowl has hosted some great concerts including Bowie, Jackson and Springsteen. It’s also heavily used by one of the local cycle clubs: Team MK. One of whose members is Ian Stannard of Team
Sky. There might even be something going on as you pass.

Following the signs away from the Bowl, we pass over a dual carriageway and another minor road before we freewheel down a tree-lined cycle path. As we pass under a bridge we take a sharp left turn, then a right up a slope. In front of us is a long downhill stretch tempting us to go flat-out — but beware — it is crossed by various other cycle paths so caution is required.

After emerging from under yet another bridge and crossing a minor road, we go over another canal bridge and into the vast and airy green which gives the village of Woughton on the Green its name. Anybody in need of refreshment has only to carry on along the road into the main village where they will find the Swan at Woughton pub. Continuing on our route, look out for the knee-high wooden post with the Millennium Route sign, where we need to turn left.

Our cycle path eventually winds its way back onto a particularly pretty path next to the canal, lined with elegant poplar trees which give welcome shade on hot summer days.

National Cycle Network signs point the way

However all too soon we reach another canal bridge where we are instructed to turn left, then sharp right. In a few moments we will be back at the permanent moorings and wildfowl pond where we joined the Millennium Route.

On reaching the bridge with the Route 51 cycleway on, we need to turn right and follow the straight path down to Willen Lake and some welcome refreshment. However, if you’re not yet ready to go back, and you’re still feeling energetic, why not follow Route 51 up to the viewpoint, passing the many sculptures en route? On a clear day you can see for miles, and the pretty little villages of Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire stretch out before you.

All told, when you reach the car park at Willen you will have covered 14 easy miles. But, despite doing this ride more times than I can remember, it doesn’t feel like 14 miles. The variety of interesting places you pass always make it seem much shorter.

I have tried to remember if Chris and I had passed or been passed by a car on our way round. Certainly all the roads we crossed had no traffic. How many other towns can boast that? Yet we had barely scratched the surface of the redway cycle system with its endless routes, cleverly and seamlessly linked to Milton Keynes’ green spaces and parks.

Saying goodbye to Chris, and thanking him for his wonderful company, I make my way, by cycle path, to a friend’s house, before — yes, you guessed it — taking the redway home, traffic-free, to the other side of Milton Keynes.

STOP!

Pubs and grub
The Nag’s Head 30 High Street, Great Linford, Milton Keynes, 01908 607449
The Lakeside Brickhill Street, Willen Lake, Milton Keynes, 01908 235991
ONE 4 6 CAFÉ Brickhill Street, Willen Lake, Milton Keynes, 01908 241176

Bike shops
Phil Corley Cycles Unit 3, Stacey Bushes Trading Centre, Milton Keynes,     01908 311424
Trek Cycles Elder Gate, Milton Keynes 01908 671122

Places of interest
Bancroft Roman Villa
Bradwell Windmill
Bradwell Abbey
Details for all of these are available at
www.mkheritage.co.uk

Trains
Central Milton Keynes Station has several fast trains an hour — 35 minutes to and from London. There is also a frequent train service to Birmingham and Manchester

Road book

Millennium route

Start at Willen Lake south car park. Exit the car park next to Lakeside Inn onto Lake Shore cycle path. Follow route 51, NW, away from the lake towards and then over the canal bridge.

On reaching the opposite side of the bridge, turn right. Follow Millennium route until instructed to leave canal, towards Great Linford. Carry on to Railway Walk and Loughton Valley Park.

Leaving Loughton Valley Park, follow signs to MK Bowl, Leadenhall, then Woughton-on-the-Green. At small wooden marker post, leave green to eventually rejoin canal. At the bridge where we joined Millennium route, turn right onto route 51 back to Willen Lake.

Dynamic Sidekick 8

Words Derri Dunn | Photos Daniel Gould

There is an air of suspicion that hangs around bikes without a chain. The ‘real’ cyclists of the CA office seem strangely affronted by the notion of something without that most ideological piece of linked metal to drive them forth.

The Sidekick, though, is pitched firmly at a different classification of bicyclist — the ‘real-life’ riders. It has the distinction of being the first folding shaft-drive bike we’ve ever tested and in fact only the second shaft drive bike of any sort we’ve ever got our hands on at CA.

Coming fully equipped with neat mudguards, a wide, clip-down rear rack, bell, kickstand and hub gears, such a practically oriented machine, along with its innovative ethos as a folding bike, seems a natural home to a shaft-drive system.

If you’ve not come across shaft drive before, its benefits seem attractive, especially to those (like me) who laud the advantages of enclosed hub-gear systems. The
shaft is totally sealed from the outside world and the associated muck and grime, so there’s no sprocket scrubbing to be done, no chain-savaged trouser legs… basically you glide down the street in silence with no moving drivechain parts beyond the pedals themselves.

Hinge whinge
Nevertheless, one of the chief shaft drive bugbears was an issue with this bike: weight. Its folding nature defines that, at some point, you’re going to want to furl the thing up and carry it — which at 15kg is nothing short of excruciating. Exacerbating this, the folding mechanism was rather poor. We had some difficulty with the central hinge which involves undoing a QR then pulling down to unlatch — it’s clunky and not as robust as we’d like, considering you’ll want to trust it not to unhinge on you mid-ride.

The stem hinge was more interesting and the catch showed some promise as a refined design, but it too was a little awkward and unintuitive in use. Finally, the whole package didn’t neatly clip together, instead relying on a Velcro strap to stop it all springing apart. The whole folding package just really lacked the refinement of its competitors.

Dynamic Sidekick 8

Silent flight
Still, folders are always a compromise between fold and ride quality and the latter proved a more rewarding experience. With its short wheelbase and small wheels, the handling, particularly at slow speed, was a touch erratic, but it was a long way short of being unrideable. With the low gearing courtesy of a Shimano Nexus hub and the silent glide of the shaft drive, it’s a pleasant experience drifting along at chill-out speeds.

As a shorter rider I found I had a feeling of sitting rather far back behind the bottom bracket and having to pedal forward, although taller riders didn’t have this perplexing geometry issue. Such is the one-size nature of folding bikes though; if you’re anywhere off average height, you might get a feel of some curious geometry quirks.

Riding the bike, we were grateful for the quality of some of the parts on board. As well as the shaft drive itself, there’s the much-loved Nexus eight-speed hub with its bulletproof characteristics, plus the Tektro brakes were plenty sharp enough for the speeds racked up by the Sidekick. There’s even internal cable routing — a nice little touch to keep things looking neat and avoid a tangle during folding.

Unfortunately, beyond these highlights, quality was a little erratic elsewhere. The frame itself was probably the main culprit — its crude fold has already been covered but it really was a heavy and unrefined beast. Considering it is presumably made specifically for this particular model and shaft drive, there were some perplexing unused cable holes and guides that were a bit untidy.

The kickstand clattered annoyingly on the frame while riding — such a small point but so easily fixed with a stronger spring or rubber boot.

The notion of a folding, chainless bicycle is a sound concept overall, though, worthy of some investment, so we’re happy to hear Dynamic UK is continuing to develop the model with some changes for next year.

The thing is, the £525 price tag is right at the budget end for folding bikes, but at present there are many others at this price that beat it for ride and especially fold quality.

We wouldn’t mind seeing this developed as a more premium product with a robust and well thought out folding mechanism plus, crucially, some weight shaved from the frame to make hefting it about a more realistic proposition. That would allow it to really show off its novel shaft-drive technology at its best and give it an innovative advantage over its folding bike competitors.

Specification

Dynamic Sidekick 8

Dynamic Sidekick 8
Price £525
Frameset 7005 aluminium folding frame, cro-mo fork
Gears Shimano Nexus 8-speed hub
Chainset Dynamic forged alloy
Brakes Tektro linear pull V-brake
Wheels Alex DA16 rims, Nexus/unbranded hubs
Tyres Kenda 20×1.75in
Bar/stem Alloy anodised
Saddle Velo plush
Seatpost Alloy anodised
Size range 14in
Weight 15.1kg
dynamicbicyclesuk.co.uk

Alternative

Dynamic Runabout

Dynamic City Runabout 8 £490

The Runabout pretty much does what it says on the tin. Other than its shaft-driven credentials, it’s a fairly basic sort of bicycle, albeit with that handy Shimano Nexus eight-speed hub and a suspension seatpost. Perfect for jaunts around town for the low-maintenance bicyclist. If you don’t need the complications of a folding bike, it’s a low-priced, care-free ownership option.

www.dynamicbicycles.co.uk

In this issue we offer you some tips on riding safer, getting fit with limited time to spare, take a look at some great value sports bikes and present a great selection of articles to inspire you to get out and ride!

Cycling Active June 2013 issue is on sale from Wednesday April 24 at WHSmith, major supermarkets and all good newsagents priced £3.99

BIG READS
The seven deadly bins: Stay shiny side up with our guide for winners, not binners
Penny farthing: Laura Laker rides high in London on the original big-wheeler
Road bike test: Trek Madone 2.3 v Moda Echo. Can aluminium beat carbon fibre?
100-mile sportive: We thought it would be quite easy…

TECH
First rides: All-City Space Horse; Whyte Saxon Cross; Dolan FXE; Sensa Umbria
7 of the best: Comfy and affordable saddles
Union 34 clothing Fashion-led biking gear
7 of the best: Bike-friendly cars
Longtermers More miles in spring’s Baltic conditions

FITNESS
Get fit in five hours: Pressed for time? Read on…
The effort gauge: Tune up your top end
My first sportive: The dos and don’ts of a sportive newbie: deputy chief sub editor, Derri Dunn learns the hard way

ESCAPE
Destination: Coffee, cakes, bikes and peaks
Essex Epping Forest: A cycling gem hidden between two bustling motorways
Nottingham: Great Bike Ride sportive route
South Africa: Swapping snow and ice for sunshine and vineyards
Calendar: Tons of great events to get stuck into

REGULARS
Cafe: New stuff, comment, culture, laughs and biking banter
Ride to live: Jean-Cristophe Novelli
Spoken word: Marathon all-nighter in a dusk ‘til dawn mtb race
In depth: Why can’t we all just get along?
Ride mate: If cycling be the food of love, ride on…
Letters Your biking points of view in print
Autumn rides:  Mountain biking

Lace Market Hotel is located in Nottingham city centre claiming pride of place in the heart of Nottingham’s trendy and vibrant Lace Market area. Formerly a Georgian townhouse, the building has been refurbished to an exceptionally high standard, boasting 42 beautiful bedrooms, a newly refurbished restaurant, cocktail bar, and a quintessentially British gastro pub.

The Great Notts Bike Ride, which is now in its 32^nd year, takes place on Sunday 23 June this year and features three distances: 25 miles, 50 miles and the hugely popular 100 mile sportive, all of which take you through picturesque Nottinghamshire countryside. To find out more, go to www.cyclelivenottingham.co.uk

ENTER HERE!

BH Prisma 7.3

Words: Matt Levett | Photos: Daniel Gould

Making its debut in Cycling Active, Spanish brand BH has, in fact, been manufacturing bikes for over 100 years. It has a long standing presence in the professional peloton and a Tour of Spain victory under its belt. It currently supplies bikes to top pro team Sojasun and to a number of riders and triathletes.

BH’s current range offers an impressive array of road, mountain and cyclo-cross bikes as well as some award-winning electric bikes. There are a few budget models, but mostly BH presents a selection of well-equipped good quality bikes.

On test we have the BH Prisma 7.3. Similar to the Specialized Roubaix and Giant Defy that we tested in CA a couple of issues back, the Prisma range is designed for long hours in the saddle and for coping with rough road surfaces. So with comfort as a priority BH has designed a very compact frame for the Prisma, with a short seat tube and very tall head tube.

But BH has also been mindful of performance. The full carbon frame weighs in at an impressively light 960g and takes a large BB30 bottom bracket in an oversized shell, making the bike stiff where it counts. The Prisma also has slightly shorter chainstays than usual, giving the bike a shorter overall wheelbase to aid snappiness and quick handling.

There is, of course, a carbon fork (with alloy steerer). The Prisma is primarily kitted out with Shimano’s ‘second-in-command’ Ultegra, in terms of the shifters, front mech
and, in a pleasing break from current trends, the brakes. There is a Shimano 105 front mech, a slight downgrade which makes little difference in performance or indeed cost, and an FSA Gossamer compact chainset.

BH Prisma 7.3

Clash of the Titan
The seatpost, stem and bars are Titan, which I found slightly cheap looking. We had a variation from the published specification with the saddle, getting a San Marco Spid, which I found a little flexible and would have preferred the advertised Prologo Kappa.

With the wheels, it is a somewhat familiar story. The Shimano RS10s are tough and dependable but don’t quite match up to the frame or other components. They’re a good start but will do little for the bike’s performance and are adding roughly 2kg to what is an otherwise light bike.

The choice of quality components do add to the quality feel of this bike though. The frame is probably as light as you have a right to find at this price point and is well constructed and nicely finished. It rides well, too: it’s stiff and the feel is typically carbon — soaking up the road nicely but feeling somewhat harsher over the big bumps.

The rough road capability derives mainly from the geometry that places the rider off the back wheel and keeps the position pretty upright. The handlebar is pretty wide too, at 44cm. This makes the Prisma more of a luxury saloon than a nippy roadster. Once up to speed it rolls really well, using the combination of effective power transfer and low weight. It climbs well too, particularly on long, consistent seated climbs but it’s also well balanced when you’re out of the saddle.

For me, though, the Prisma 7.3 lacked a little urgency, both in terms of handling and response. It’s a tiny bit slow out of the blocks and sluggish with changes of pace.
In the corners the story is similar. The handling is sure-footed rather than razor-sharp and cornering is serene rather than swift. The bike feels well balanced and I had plenty of confidence in the Michelin Dynamic tyres, so the Prisma is not going to let you down but lacks some of the agility of a true race bike.

Sportive friendly
So it may be a little low on thrills but after a four-hour ride it struck me that the Primsa had munched the miles at a good pace and left me feeling comfortable and pretty fresh.

This bike is perfect for budding sportivistes and challenge riders; it is a quality, considered build that acknowledges both the popularity and specific requirements of this sector of road cycling, bridging the gap between performance and leisure bikes.

BH Prisma 7.3

So you can only be impressed about this approach to comfort and sportiness, but riding the BH Prisma 7.3 got me wondering about the versatility of these bikes. The quality of the Prisma brings a slight frustration in that it would be difficult to turn into a true racing machine, owing to its slack geometry. With its long head tube, the riding position will remain high for all except those at the very top of the height range for each size.

Conversely, there are elements that restrict the Prisma at the other end of the riding spectrum. There are no mudguard eyes and the tyre clearance is very small. You would struggle to fit anything much larger than a 23c tyre, limiting the Prisma’s use as a winter trainer or commuter.

That said, in blending low weight, quality kit and comfort in the Prisma, BH is ticking a lot of boxes for a lot of people. If you are looking for a bike for riding sportives, or for long training and leisure rides, then the BH Prisma 7.3 may be for you. If not, BH’s approach to bike building, apparent in the Prisma, makes its range well worth a look.

Specification

BH Prisma 7.3

BH Prisma 7.3
Price £1,899.99
Frameset Prisma PF30 Carbon
Gears Shimano Ultegra (105 front derailleur)
Chainset FSA Gossamer compact
Brakes Shimano Ultegra
Wheels Shimano RS10
Tyres Michelin Dynamic
Bars/stem Titan/BH lite
Saddle Prologo Kappa
Seatpost Titan/BH lite
Size range S, M, L
Weight 7.9kg
Contact www.bhbikes.com

Alternative

KHS Flite 500

KHS Flite 500AK £930

Two letters or three? KHS are aiming the Flite 500 at exactly the same rider as the BH Prisma. The Flite 500 has an aluminium frame, with carbon chainstays, a carbon fork and carbon seatpost. A bit cheaper than the Prisma, the drivetrain components are generally down one notch comprising mainly of Shimano’s dependable 105 range and the brakes are Tektro 520. With the AK version though you get a pair of Mavic Aksium wheels. Sold out last year, the new bike should be available in April. www.khsbikes.co.uk

Words Matt Lamy | Photos Daniel Gould

Normally when I review bikes I have a pretty well established routine of slipping on the Lycra (I’ll spare you the graphic details), checking the bike fits, checking the controls work, and heading out on one or two pre-determined routes. But with the Dawes Galaxy Cross I felt a different approach was needed.

You see, from the moment I clapped eyes on this little beauty at the Dawes dealer roadshow in January, I already had visions of what this bike would be. Nominally the Cross might be part of Dawes’s world-conquering Galaxy touring bike family, but with its cute-but-practical chromoly compact frame, rear rack, disc brakes, flat bars and 24-speed Shimano drivetrain, to my mind this looked like a commuter deluxe.

If I can dabble in romantic notions for a moment, I thought it would make an ideal daily companion for those who might not preen over their machines as much as shaven-legged roadies, but who undoubtedly engender a far closer relationship with their two-wheeled partner every morning and evening commute.

Jeans and jacket
So it made a nice change to be able to set the saddle height, ensure everything worked, and nip out for a spin wearing jeans, ‘normal’ shoes and a casual jacket. I also didn’t fuss about sweeping rural routes, preferring instead to hunt out cycle paths and lanes in an urban environment.

The Cross’s first surprise was a rather charming liveliness — no stodgy commute here. Part of that was down to the bike being a fraction too small (in CA’s continual quest to bring you commuter scoops we had got our hands on the only Galaxy Cross demo machine in the country). But even taking the size into account, the ride is a nicely involving experience, while the Cross’s reasonably long wheelbase means it is also a very stable performer. In fact, everything about the core of the bike treads a nice line between being responsive and relaxing: the chromoly frame might be compact but then it benefits from steel’s naturally forgiving qualities.

The rest of the set-up is equally built for purpose. Everything looks good to last and the bars in particular offer a very nice selection of handholds. Hardened mtb’ers might scoff at mechanical rather than hydraulic disc brakes, but on a town and touring bike like this, the Shimano stoppers are a significant and reassuring upgrade on v-brakes or cantilevers. Similarly the Vittoria Randonneur tyres balance comfort, control and speed nicely.

Whole lotta Rosie
So it rides sweetly and it’s a fine build — it’s everyone’s perfect soulmate, right? Almost, but love should never be blind, and there are a couple of considerations any potential Cross owner should mull over. First is the cost. The Galaxy Cross isn’t expensive — indeed for its range of abilities and the Galaxy name it’s a very fairly-priced package — but as one of my colleagues pointed out: for £600 people expect a great bike. The Cross is great at a lot of things, but there might be a specialist machine more suited to your unique requirements.

The second worry is more fundamental: weight. At 34lb this is a heavy old girl. In the saddle I don’t think that is a huge problem — in fact, it might even contribute to the Cross’s surefooted road manners. But if this is going to be a town bike, and needing to be taken up into apartment blocks or down into basement flats, then that mass could be an issue.

Despite all this, even after riding it, there really is something special about the Galaxy Cross. Using my head, I would say it is a perfectly utilitarian pedal transport machine. But using my heart I would say that for many commuters — and anybody who fancies some relaxed cycling holidays, charity rides, perhaps even a gentle sportive — this could be the little cracker you fall in love with. As with any life partner, though, tread carefully round the issue of weight.

Specification

Dawes Galaxy Cross £599.99
Frameset Double-butted chromoly steel
Gears Shimano Acera
Chainset Shimano triple
Brakes Shimano M375 mechanical discs
Wheels Alloy double-wall rims on alloy hubs
Tyres Vittoria 700x32c Radonneur
Bars/stem Dawes alloy
Saddle Dawes Touring
Seatpost Dawes micro-adjust
Size range 16, 18, 20, 22in
Weight 15.6kg (34lb)
Contact www.dawescycles.com

Alternative

Raleigh Royal £550

The Galaxy Cross combines flat bars with touring spirit but for many, the Raleigh Royal is more of a classic British tourer. In application the two machines have much in common.

The Raleigh also has a chromoly steel frame with rear rack and 24 gears on offer. However, the Royal is a smidge lighter at a claimed 14.5kg, Tektro cantilevers rather than discs handle stopping duties, and the Cross’s fun straight bars make way for traditional drops.

Contact: www.raleigh.co.uk

Get ready for spring with the May 2013 issue of Cycling Active, on sale from Wednesday, March 27, packed full of product reviews, riding tips, features and news.

Cycling Active May 2013 issue is on sale at WHSmith, major supermarkets and all good newsagents priced £3.99.

Spring clothing special
What to wear this topsy turvy season

Diabetes and cycling
It’s good for you (the cycling bit)

Pukka folding bikes for proper riding
Pacific IF Urban V Montague Boston

Helmets
For commuting and general riding

29ers shoot out
Ridgeback hybrid V Sensa MTB

Custom steel dream machine
Paulus Quiros Super Randonneur

Long rides on a meat free diet
It can be done!

Ride downhill safely
Our experts show you how

Big Feature
Women step up to the 100 hills challenge

PLUS! Great days out on the bike in Scotland, Ireland, Spain and Milton Keynes

AND loads of organised rides in the CA what’s on section

Cycling Active May 2013 issue is on sale at WHSmith, major supermarkets and all good newsagents priced £3.99.