..........................................................................................................................................................................................................
company
cycling is, as has often been said, many things to different people. i think we all understand what cycling is in an empirical sense, but how i go about it is almost certainly different than the way that you do. some of that will be the fact that we all have different aspirations; what it is we want from cycling. for some, it is mere transport, an economic and pragmatic means of getting from a to b. the fact that so doing might have regular health benefits is of almost passing interest if, indeed, it is of interest at all. for me, and many others, cycling is an obsession that really has very little to do with transportation. the sunday morning ride might eventually take us to debbie's for coffee and a toastie, but we're all aware of a considerably more direct route, if that were the sole objective. i'd imagine it's the same for sunday morning bike rides all across the country.
around a decade ago, when i was invited to sub for a drummer in an arrochar hotel, as i awaited the arrival of the citylink coach to take me back to the ferry on sunday morning, each week i witnessed a peloton arriving from glasgow's environs stopping at a nearby café for a well-earned breakfast, before they retraced their tyre tracks and headed home. in purely superficial terms, there was no real point to their lengthy bike ride; glasgow features many coffee stops that could have been reached within minutes, but the point of their ride, as with all of ours, was to get out in good company, and where the ride itself was/is, the whole point.
on the island, we are somewhat restricted in our parcours; there is nowhere else to ride other than islay, and if at all possible, we'd prefer to stick to the roads less travelled (though on sundays, a good many roads are less travelled). it also makes sense to curate a route that naturally brings us within reasonable proximity to debbie's, and with winter approaching, a route that keeps us within shouting distance of civilisation, should any unforeseen malfeasance force any of us to resort to shanks's pony (a scottish reference to walking). there have been more occasions than there should have been, when i have found myself as thse sole protagonist on sunday mornings, so anything hindering my progress at any point, becomes solely down to yours truly to resolve. it's worth noting that the selfsame conditions demand paying closer attention to apparel: yesterday's ride was very wet and very windy, in temperatures that the garmin displayed as seven degrees. if having to stop for any reason, i'd have cooled down very, very quickly.
but, once again, it's probably worth highlighting that our sunday morning bike ride is completely pointless. none of us have to get up at 9am on sunday morning, and in fact, on a weekly basis, it's notable that some, who shall remain nameless, do not arise at 9am on sunday morning. but those who do, undertake precisely the same parcours week in, week out. that, ironically has received comment from visiting cyclists, who, by their own admission, do precisely the same at home, despite having literally the whole of scotland as their playground. that's just the way the cookie crumbles.
but no matter the weather, no matter the temperature, that sunday bike ride keeps us all fitter than we would be if we simply sat at home. and in my case, it makes me work a lot harder than i'd be likely to do if riding on my own. i'm a good 15 years older than the next man, and thankfully, rarely is this taken into consideration. therefore, when (not if), i drop behind, it's up to me to redouble my efforts in order to stay within reasonable proximity. i might be a tad knackered on reaching the croft, and there may be considerable creaking as i ascend the stairs for a shower, sincerely hoping that the saying 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger', is as true as it purports to be. but i think the end result is worth the sometimes considerable effort.
the sunday ride also keeps open the lines of communication. the only time we see each other is on the sunday ride; we all have very different lives and vocations, but for me, and i'm sure, for many others, between 10am and 1:30pm each and every sunday, we are the superior beings, unconsciously goading each other to ride harder than absolutely necessary.
as i made my way to the newsagent's the other day, the lady walking in front of me, stepped aside on the basis that i probably walked quicker than could she. as i passed, she said " every time i see you out on the bike, i'm exhausted just watching." it would be inexcusable for me to enquire after her age, but i'm pretty sure she's younger than am i. if that's the case, then cycling continues to confer benefits, even when undertaken for no discernably practical reason.
for some of us, the revolution has already arrived.
monday 28 october 2024
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................colour
though the neighbouring island of jura is commonly referred to as deer island (there's estimated to be around 6,000 red deer - about 30 per head of population), there's a not inconsiderable number of the beasts on islay. though i've not seen it myself, friends have reported seeing stags swimming across the sound of islay from one island to the other, a not inconsiderable feat, given the strength of the tide. what i have seen, and quite frequently, is a group of as many as five deer crossing the road during my morning walk. given that the croft is but a few minutes from the centre of the village, it's testament as to how brazen they have become. a colleague at work has an infestation of deer in her garden; they've eaten virtually all her flowers and the edges of one or two bushes. if she knocks loudly on her kitchen window to scare them off, they simply stare back and continue munching.
nature, however, has played a cruel trick upon deer. while they are well camouflaged with predominantly brown colouring, often augmented with spotted markings on each side, their backsides are white. that means that, when spotted or spooked and in the process of running away, should there be gun-toting stalkers about, they are presented with a bright, easily seen, moving target. whether they aware of this hiccup in concealment is surely open to debate.
there is no debate whatsoever, however, when asking th same question of the humble, squawking pheasant. while the male of the species is, admittedly, outfitted with an armoury of brightly coloured feathers, the dowdier female is effectively brown all over, particularly well hidden in the grassy verges that border virtually every road on the island. i doubt there's a single cyclist on islay who has not been seriously alarmed by one or two pheasants suddenly flying into the air as we pass. quite obviously, though nature has provided the birds with the ultimate means of hiding themselves from those they consider to be predators, apparently it neglected to let them know.
and then, there are sheep.
i doubt any of us would describe the latter as being camouflaged in any way whatsoever, but whereas they will often remain stubbornly in the middle of the road in the face of approaching motor vehicles, transportation that could obviously do them considerable harm, they will scatter at the mere hint of a cyclist. the trick, from the cyclist's point of view, is to predict in which direction the bulk of the scattering will move. i have frequently witnessed sheep on one side of the road, cross hurriedly to the opposite side, while their counterparts head in the opposite direction. rational thought is not something with which they were provided.
we, on the other hand, are particularly well aware of our place in the firmament, and how we fit into our surroundings. bereft of fur or feathers, we have the option of clothing ourselves to remain obscure, or opting for much brighter colours to ensure we are seen from a distance, particularly in conditions of low light. we have also been provided with the facility to predict or perceive any possible changes that might occur during a lengthy period of velocipedinal activity. like yesterday for instance. surprisingly, the morning dawned bright, sunny and windy, and though, following the disappointment of storm ashley, i had claimed i would no longer pay attention to weather forecasts, i did note that precipitation was likely after lunch. in fact, a massing of dark clouds could be witnessed over the atlantic even as i headed out for the morning portion of my bike ride. and i never leave home without a waterproof in a back pocket.
meeting two fellow cyclists only a matter of kilometres from the croft (we'd stopped to allow the herding of a few cattle), it was pointed out to me that i was looking particularly orange. it was a hard accusation to deny given the fluorescence of the bicycle frame accompanied by the brightness of my jacket and helmet. and, as if that were insufficient to confirm my visibility, the specialized featured flashing front and rear lights. yet later in the ride, despite being confronted by all of the above, a car pulled out from a junction on gruinart flats as i headed towards it, leaving me with nowhere to go.
perhaps it's not only birds and animals that remain unaware of their place in the firmament.
sunday 27 october 2024
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................no more yellow jumpers?
where once, cycling fans scrabbled for any information about the tour de france, never mind the giro and vuelta, channel four's innovative attempt to bring professional cycle racing to the masses in 1985 was, to quote a well-worn cliché, like manna from heaven. never mind that the half hour daily broadcast, fronted by gary imlach, was interrupted by adverts, actually seeing highlights of each day's stage on primetime television, was gratefully received by followers of a remarkable yet niche sport. the results of channel four's foray into cycle sport can be seen everywhere nowadays, but most importantly, through its natural successor in itv4, who not only offer daily live broadcasts of those three weeks in july, but offer an hour's worth of edited highlights at a highly convenient time of the evening. even those of us with access to eurosport/discovery+ coverage, often opt for the former due to the dynamic duo of ned boulting and david millar as a preferable alternative to the scattergun and inconsistent commentary approach of the former.
it should be pointed out, however, that itv4 invests the bulk of its cycling prowess in le tour; the tour of britain and la vuelta seem to receive less enthusiasm, while the giro d'italia is conspicuous by its complete absence from the tv schedule. but it now appears that even those three weeks in july may be soon wiped from itv's offerings following the eurosport/discovery acquisition of exclusive broadcast rights from 2026-2030, meaning, effectively, there will be no free-to-air coverage of le tour on british tv. so as matters currently stand, we'll lose the opportunity to listen to ned, david and gary after next year (unless itv4 decide to call it quits a bit sooner).
ironically, amaury sports organisation (aso) has made an agreement with the european broadcasting union to help support free-to-air broadcasts across europe. it seems that brexit may have wrong-footed britain once again.
so might this be considered a backward step, or in a world where channel subscriptions have become the norm, should we accept that following international cycling is going to require some sort of financial outlay on our part? after all, if it is indeed true that the only part of the bicycling market to experience growth is the expensive bit, surely a few pounds/dollars each month is not too high a price to pay? a few years ago, after viewing one of itv4's highlight shows from the tour de france, i rather idiotically posted on twitter that itv4's cycling coverage had become the home of advertising, following four lengthy ad breaks in a one hour show.
this provoked an almost immediate response from ned boulting, disparaging my comment and pointing out that there was a lot of work and money went into providing us with free cyclesport coverage. i could do little but eat humble pie, because he was (and is) absolutely correct. those helicopters are expensive to fly; police helicopters are reputed to cost £3,200 per hour in flight, a price that is possibly exceeded by those filming a three-week cycle tour. given the number in that particular squadron, not to mention the camera motorbikes and the aircraft at high altitude, beaming the signals from the foregoing back to headquarters, and there's little to doubt mr boulting's contention. and if those broadcasts are free-to-air, the money has to come from somewhere.
but if free coverage is about to evaporate, in britain at least, from where will the latest group of acolytes arise? cycling's sponsorship model depends to a great deal on tv coverage. granted, it costs a great deal less to sponsor a cycle team than it does to build a single formula one car, but unless those moving billboards are seem by potential customers, the house of cards is likely to fall in on itself. my daily tv habits, such as they are, come via freesat, which by its very definition, comes at no personal cost. however, freesat's channels do not include eurosport, necessitating a subscription to the late-lamented eurosport player which allowed me to airplay from my ipod app to the tv. eurosport player was discontinued following this year's tour de france, with all willing subscribers transferred to discovery+, benefitting from a discount until december this year.
despite my misgivings over some of the commentary teams assembled for the grand tours, i couldn't possibly live without the excellent cyclocross coverage available on discovery+. the fact that my smart tv affords the opportunity to install the discovery+ tv app has more than compensated for the fact that the smartphone app does not work on my ageing ipod. even better, the tv app allows unfettered on demand availability, so if i don't quite make it home in time for a particular race, i can still watch it later.
however, the more niche corners of cyclesport notwithstanding, it's highly unfortunate that those in charge don't always appear to have the best interests of the fanbase at heart, when it comes to rights negotiations. and it's very disappointing to think that 2025 might be the last time we benefit from the trio of boulting, millar and imlach.
saturday 26 october 2024
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................less
in 2004, as i'm sure many are tired of hearing, simon mottram, along with luke scheybeler, acted as an industry 'disruptor', by founding rapha racing, a cycling apparel provider created because, according to simon, he'd been unable to find the style of cycling apparel for which he was looking. according to my opinion, he was probably the last person who could legitimately have used that as justification for 'inventing' a cycle clothing company. rapha was initially housed in one half of the third floor of a former piano factory (imperial works) in london's kentish town. i recall many a pleasant trip (i'm easily pleased) on the underground to the station at kentish town, followed by a walk that took me past the professional percussion store on kentish town road, en-route to the iconic building overlooking a railway line.
at that time, if i phoned in advance, simon actually answered the phone, and on the wall adjacent to his desk in the corner, was the wall of pain, a collection of cycling photos and prospective advertising ('it's good that you're used to pain and suffering. now, about our prices') that latter point is one that still surfaces to this day, despite it not being compulsory to wear rapha when road cycling. the reference to pain and suffering was one that recurred often in early rapha marketing, extending to the immersive and arguably inspirational imagery of ben ingham. the latter was the result of simon mottram having handed the photographer a book whose title translated as 'kings of pain'. an updated version of that very book has recently been released by rapha as part of their twentieth anniversay celebrations.
and they had a pink sofa by the window.
they brought to the fore, enterprises such as the rapha continental, originally managed from the now defunct north american office in portland, oregon, a property situated on the upper floor of a wooden building, with hens and chickens wandering freely in the courtyard below. the continental, brainchild of daniel wakefield pasley, rode gravel on hand-made steel almost ten years in advance of the invention of the now ubiquitous gravel bike. in essence, it previewed the very riding in which most of us desired to participate, but didn't yet know it. sadly, the meme did not translate quite so well across the pond.
assuming you might agree that rapha has never been the same since, it's possible that the beginning of the downward turn came with the sponsorship of team sky. though rapha had, in partnership with condor cycles, successfully curated a racing team of their own, the original jerseys had been fashioned from a merino/polyester mix known as sportwool, a remarkably comfortable and stylish alternative to the thin polyester that had preceded the advent of imperial works. entering the professional peloton, however, demanded technical apparel of an entirely different order, to say nothing of an almost wholesale abandoning of the minimal colour palette.
a few years ago, i was moved to mention to the now retired simon mottram, that rapha's current range surely resembled the very style of cycle clothing which had caused him to found rapha in the first place. he did not disagree.
rapha was purchased for £200 million in 2019 by steuart and tom walton, grandsons of america's walmart founder, and administered in the uk under the auspices of carpegna ltd, since when its financial fortunes have hardly prospered. having moved the north american headquarters from portland to bentonville, arkansas, and added a trailwear range to a company originally conceived to make road-racing the most popular sport in the world, it subsequently closed the north american office, and has recorded a financial loss for seven successive years. aside from its recently reported £21 million loss for the last financial year, the company also revealed that web customers have decreased by 30,000 and membership of the rapha cycle club (rcc) has dropped by 4,000. the appointment of fran millar as ceo in august this year - sister of former pro, david millar - hasn't yet had an opportunity to make any appreciable difference.
there are, as always, economic mitigating circumstances for such a substantial financial loss, which includes a decrease of £8 million in turnover; the two worst performing markets are the uk and asia/pacific, while europe and usa/canada have remained stubbornly static. rapha are putting on a brave face and presenting an optimistic front. independent auditors, while painting a reasonable future, have done so with confidence extending only as far as the next twelve months. of course, rapha are not the only cycle-related business to have suffered a downturn, and it has to be admitted that several others went out of business altogether. but the cycle industry has frequently mentioned that a major growth sector is the one at the top, the one that can afford to buy a pogacar replica colnago for almost £18,000, and a portion of the market that has traditionally been occupied by rapha racing.
hopefully the pain and suffering will end with next year's financial results.
photo: rapha
friday 25 october 2024
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................law and order
i have long maintained that what was once referred to as the cycling proficiency test, but probably more readily recognised as bikeability training has, as it were, no teeth. by this i am referring to the fact that undertaking said training courses is entirely voluntary. it is many a long year since i regularly assisted with cycle training at the local primary school, though for a few years, i did undertake mechanical checks on the bicycles being used by the pupils for their training course. cycling proficiency training ultimately resulted in a certificate and triangular enamel badge for those who successfully passed; i'm unsure whether bikeability has retained the badge, but it's a sad fact to learn that those certificates are, in effect, scarcely worth the paper on which they're printed.
it is an inequitable fact that the youngsters who studied hard, kept their bicycles in good working order, who practiced the manouevres taught at school and passed the test with flying colours, could be joined on the open road by those who couldn't have cared less about learning to ride responsibly and who either failed or didn't bother to try. and to make matters worse, aboard bicycles with non-functioning brakes, under-inflated tyres, and headsets but a few millimetres from falling apart altogether. those who sit and fail their driving tests are legally prohibited from driving solo on public roads. and to help foster a more responsible attitude amongst the latter, mandatory vehicle insurance policies are invalid without a bona-fide driver's licence.
the law against unqualified drivers not only prevents them from harming themselves through any lack of control over a moving vehicle, but from harming others through such inaction. granted, the weight of modern cars hovers around the one tonne mark, depending on make and model, while their advertised top speeds promise to turn them into dangerous projectiles. in the hands of an unqualified driver, you can but imagine the propensity for carnage on our roads. however, if the tv shows following the daily lives of traffic cops are anything to go by, there is still a notable percentage of the driving public who like to tempt fate by driving bereft of a full licence and without suitable insurance. into the latter scenario, totally unprepared youngsters on bicycles are legally allowed to insert themselves, even if having ingloriously failed to pass their bikeability test, and riding mechanically unsafe bicycles. and often without helmets, given no legal onus to do so.
unfortunately, i can stretch only as far as periodic criticism, for i can think of no pragmatic solution to the situation outlined above. restrict youngsters from riding unless qualified, and there's a strong case for presuming that a great many would simply ignore cycling altogether, possibly preferring to skitter about every bit as dangerously on foot propelled scooters. during cycle to school weeks, many of the village kids are apt to ride safely to school on the pavement (sidewalk), but that brings all sorts of consternation from pedestrians, particularly the elderly. firstly, rule 64 of the highway code states that you must not cycle on a pavement, and section 72 of the highway act 1835 prohibits anyone from cycling on a pavement.
from casual observation, it would appear that any authorities who happen to be passing at the time (a little hebridean humour) are inclined to ignore such legislation when it pertains to children (though i've not seen any pavement cycling adults come close to even a telling-off, let alone prosecution). that may be a result of the large, 40ft tankers and articulated trucks plying the village streets at the behest of the distilleries, the latter surely being a convincing reason for kids learning practical road safety and cycling skills in the first place. except such training is simply not mandatory.
however, though thousands of miles from the streets of bowmore, it appears that a certain logic may soon prevail, though aimed squarely at e-bike users for the present. in california, two recent e-bike bills signed into law will establish pilot programs for san diego and marin counties, requiring anyone over the age of twelve without possession of a valid driver's licence to take an online e-bike safety training course and pass a written traffic safety test. Those without a valid driver's license must have a state-issued ID in order to operate an e-bike. i'm unsure of the rationale behind the lower age limit, given the bizarre and surely unnecessary availability of children's e-bikes, but this strikes me as a logical step forward. admittedly, it's only a pilot scheme in two californian counties, a long way from a nationwide directive, but every journey begins with a single pedal movement.
perhaps, if it proves successful, applying the same criteria to those riding, or intending to ride, acoustic bicycles. and mandatory third-party insurance wouldn't go amiss either.
thursday 24 october 2024
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................paint it black
i frequently meet one of the local schoolteachers during my morning travelogue along a nearby country road (yes, i know that all the island's roads can be thus categorised, but i'm attempting to set a scene). where once she would park her motor car at the foot of the road before taking her dog for a walk, she has more recently adopted the practice of riding her e-bike while the dog jogs alongside. and to be honest, the dog seems happier with this option than ever it did with what might be termed a regular walk. though this weekend's change to the clocks, providing an extra hour's sleep from saturday into sunday, will arguably effect a welcome change in the hours of daylight, presently, the hours prior to 8am can be a tad on the dark and dingy side. if the weather is found to err on the inclement side, the gloom is apt to be accentuated. therefore, her bicycle sports a bright white front light and the regulation red rear light.
however, on meeting her yesterday morning, she was keen to point out that the legality of her velocipedinal illumination was somewhat in doubt, due to a lack of orange reflectors on the pedals. though members of the sunday peloton rarely venture out after dark, it's only fair to say that our pedals are similarly outside the strict definition of the law. the saving grace, from a local perspective, is that members of local law enforcement seem to be of a similar mind, and rarely to be seen during hours of darkness, so the missing reflective illumination seems unlikely to be the cause of being apprehended by the local constabulary. however, irrespective, of any legal illuminative requirements, it's only going to get darker as we head towards christmas and new year.
yet totally unrelated legislation that has, in effect, outlawed the rather excellent goretex shake-dry, has engendered a further search for the holy grail of the ideal breathable waterproof. with the ban on so-called forever chemicals it has become necessary to find more environmentally friendly alternatives. don't misunderstand - if you own and regularly wear goretex shake-dry, the finished garment poses no risk at point of use. quite how it might be safely disposed of when its useful life comes to an end is a debate for another day. but the search goes ever onward to find its replacement.
for commercial and marketing reasons, many too many cycling apparel purveyors have been offering announcements that they, no matter the works going on around them, have found a solution that is worth our consideration and money. though i don't doubt all these alternatives have their relative merits, having been tested within a few centimetres of their existence, it will maybe take this winter to prove their avowed veracity. early adopters beware.
however, no matter the well-meaning intent of all to keep the rider warm, dry and as comfortable as possible, there is a often highlighted consideration that you would think each and every one would be keen to address. to briefly return to the earlier discussion concerning visibility, it is surely built in to the psyche of every winter cycling apparel designer, that, in the face of ever-increasing vehicle traffic, being seen during the hours of darkness is every bit as important, if not more so, than remaining dry in the face of adversity. however, it appears that such a supposition by you and i might be mistaken. only yesterday, i received a marketing release from santini cycle clothing trumpeting their collaboration with polartec in the production of a non-pfas (polyfluoroalkyl substances - forever chemicals) waterproof winter jacket manufactured with recycled polyester.
cleverly, it is branded as 'magic'
the release continues to state that this particular strain of magic features "...a recycled two-layer polyester fabric that revolutionises weather protection by offering best-in-class waterproofness and breathability." having never seen or worn said garment, i'm unable to comment on this particular marketing hyperbole, but what i do feel confident in disparaging is the fact that, for the winter season, it is only available in black. though i'm led to believe that it will subsequently be released in a variety of colours when santini releases its spring summer collection.
you really do have to wonder about some people.
wednesday 23 october 2024
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................you call that gravel?
'tis but a few weekends since i illustrated the myth and legend that gravel racing actually has much to do with gravel, or dirt, or mud. on the very same day that mathieu van der poel held his gleaming white canyon bike aloft at the finish line in leuven, clad in an almost spotless orange netherlands skinsuit, christophe laporte crossed the finish line as victor of paris-tours, a race that ultimately made it all but impossible to distinguish one jersey from another. the latter event featured several sections of muddy track leading through the vineyards of the region, in a race that took place in heavy rain. though i will admit to not having watched the gravel championship event from start to finish, the sections that i did view seemed remarkably bereft of anyhting that one might classify as gravel. this could be the result of transporting a genre of cycle racing from the country of origin, which sports many hundreds of kilometres of real gravel, to a continent that offers considerably less.
as occurred with the introduction of the mountain bike to britain in the early 1980s, a rather obvious lack of mountains ultimately brought the rugged offroad genre to inhabit sunday supplement advertisements, where two could be purchased for less that £100. i owned one of the original muddy fox couriers, which did encounter one or two big hills, but eventually found itself converted to a tourer, with front and rear racks, panniers and an extended, stainless steel stem. the majority of its offroad encounters were brief or inadvertent. and of those i am aware who have acquired a new gravel bike, though several have stated a desire to undertake a smidgeon of trail riding, i know of none who have actually done so. i have a sneaking suspicion that many a gravel bike will spend the bulk of its life seeing only the gravel residue from poorly executed council road repairs.
so, unless your livelihood depends on riding so-called gravel on this side of the pond, or your commute to work takes you across less than manicured roads, a gravel bike is an option that exists and one of which marketing would prefer that you take advantage. for the majority, it's hardly what you'd call a necessity. and a mountain bike would probably have done the job every bit as efficiently.
however, there are many for whom the daily commute would put the majority of gravel events to shame. let's face it, unless, as mentioned above, your livelihood depends on riding incredibly expensive gravel bikes for podium places, a gravel bike is rarely a necessity in western civilisation. but, as world bicycle relief has ably demonstrated, there are thousands in the african continent who literally have no choice but to ride gravel. and ironically, the bicycles on which they traverse said gravel, bear virtually no resemblance to mathieu van der poel's canyon, other than two wheels and a pair of pedals. the original buffalo bike costs only £120, weighs almost four times the uci minimum weight limit, and features only a single speed freewheel. its more recent sibling, the utility s2 won a gold award for innovation at this year's eurobike expo, and features a two-chain, two gear transmission, to make it easier for those living in zambia, zimbabwe, uganda, kenya, malawi, and colombia to get to school, get to work, and for medical workers to reach their patients, few (if any) of whom live in a two up, two down house in the suburbs.
having been involved in all of the above countries for almost twenty years, world bicycle relief is now expanding into tanzania. once again, this expansion is intended to directly addresses the challenge of distance by providing durable, purpose-built bicycles to healthcare workers, students, and entrepreneurs, empowering them to break free from the restrictions of mobility poverty. world bicycle relief has already distributed in excess of 800,000 bicycles to those in need, aiming to reach a figure of 1.5 million by 2026. alongside that realisable vision, they hope to create a 25% increase in average income and a 40% increase in productivity as a result of reduced and safer travel.
and that, charlie brown, is what gravel is really all about.
tuesday 22 october 2024
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................