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cycling with benefits
due to a complete lack of audience research on my part, i truly have no real idea whether those who regularly read the post are predominantly in thrall to the competitive side of cycling, or veer closer to the simpler joys of cycling as evinced by the inimitable, jack thurston. from a daily scribbling point of view, this is no great disadvantage, for i'm inclined to write from a position of (quite probably misguided) independence. thus, even if you were all straightforward commuter cyclists, it's more than likely that you'd still be on the receiving end of monologues concerning wout and mathieu.
i confess that, over the years in which i have filled these black and yellow pixels, i have had more than a single opportunity to question the ultimate point of competitive cycling (or competitive anything, for that matter). the two principal occasions i recall, were the knightings of bradley and chris for effectively being successful at a sport at which they had chosen to be successful. for that has proved the nub of many a pelotonic discussion. is it not a tad iniquitous that those who profess towards excellence in sport, should, at the professional level be rewarded over and above their contractual remuneration, for participating in a sport that they themselves chose in the first place?
but, in tandem with rock'n'roll, folk or jazz heroes, in our specific case, victorious cyclists, such as wout and mathieu mentioned above, may act as incentives in our own lives. for example, though i doubt i have a competitive gene in my body, and have never pinned a number in anticipation of victory, watching road racing or cyclocross tends to have me redouble my efforts at the weekend to prevent my being left behind with only myself to talk to. in other words, those at the cutting edge can act as a source of inspiration to do better or to adopt a more healthy lifestyle, while they fight each other for dibs on the finish-line, even if your own participation is confined to riding to the shops.
though cycle sport may prove financially lucrative for a select few, many of those who are simply making up the numbers expend no less effort in the service of their 'masters' and sponsors, placing them, in that respect, on a level footing with the stars of the sport.
but professional cycling can also express a relevance to every day life in other ways, even if that arrives in more drab and mundane clothing, an aspect that is currently being trumpeted by media outlets north of the border. in august this year, scotland, or more specifically, glasgow, will become the centre of the competitive cycling universe as the first, all encompassing uci world championships occupy two weeks of the month. current hebridean conversation has revolved around whether the 'ride of the falling rain', taking place on sunday 6 august, ought to have its own striped jersey for the first one back for coffee and cake.
we've only just scraped at the opening days of february, yet scotland's mainstream media and national tourist organisation are already proclaiming this as scotland's big opportunity to grasp. visitscotland, in anticipation of a trickle down effect towards those with no interest in cycling whatsoever, has published an industry guide advising member businesses 'how to grow and develop cycling tourism.' though i have yet to see a copy of the guide, i am advised that it includes advice on attracting cycling visitors, cycling trends such as gravel and bikepacking, along with guidance on the services that velocipedinal visitors will require, such as bike hire and public transport.
it's possible that the velo club may follow a smidgeon of the proffered advice; depending on the dates of specific events, we might well position rotfr as a faux championship event, encouraging overseas visitors to make the trek to islay for the weekend to participate. after all, we have nine distilleries in our favour.
but, to quickly revisit the former paragraph, eagle-eyed readers will have taken note that none of visitscotland's advice concerns anything remotely compettitve. if markus stitz and mark beaumont are to be believed, bikepacking is the way forward, and assuming them to be correct, a loaded gravel bike is not one on which you'd choose to contest a world championship time-trial (though maybe it should be). but competitive cycling still possesses the ability to cast the velocipedinal net more widely. as advised by visitscotland's rob dickson...
"There has never been a better time to experience cycling in Scotland, with new cycling initiatives and experiences being created right across the country. Promoting cycling and helping businesses cater for this growing market will benefit communities right across the country."
see? not one mention of a yellow or pink jersey, integrated cables or feed zones. and this despite the expected crowning of 190 world champions over the two weeks, an anticipated one million spectators and a tv audience in excess of one billion, making it one of the top ten watched sports events in the world. of course, mr dickson will be well aware that cycle tourism is reputed to be worth over £37 billion to europe's economy, and eager to apportion some of that revenue for his members. cycle tourism in the south of the country has been forecast to boost the annual economy by up to £13.7 million.
however, along with the potential influx of the cycle tourists' pound notes, comes the realisation that much of mainland europe possesses considerably more developed cycling infrastructures than is currently the case anywhere in the uk, let alone scotland. the chairman of bike trossachs astutely pointed out that "...investment is needed on sustainable travel, accommodation and cycling facilities to give (visiting) cyclists the best experience."
rather obviously the vast bulk of the above can only be engendered by scotland's government in holyrood, so we can but hope they find as much inspiration from the uci's faith in scotland, as do those of us who like watching un-knighted people riding bicycles very quickly.
wednesday 8 february 2023
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the missing point
the well-worn phrase 'all good things must come to an end', is one that has endured for many a long year, and i can think of few circumstances that would be likely to undermine the veracity of that statement. whether you find yourself in an unsavoury predicament, or indeed, one of continued joy, there is little doubt that, at some time, both will come to an end. beatle, george harrison, summed things up nicely in the title of his well-respected triple solo album: 'all things must pass'. it can be found as one of the central tenets in both religion and philosophy, so its application to the bicycle industry would surely rank as one of its more superficial duties.
the covid pandemic saw great benevolence showered upon the small world of the bicycle. should you have been of a mind, it would have been an opportune moment to set forth your own version of 'i told you so', when many previous disbelievers gratifyingly turned to the bicycle in order to escape the professed vicissitudes of mass public transport and the potential to increase infection from the covid virus. at least alone on a bicycle, the opportunities for personal transmission became considerably lessened, while undertaking often necessary transport journeys.
similarly for those effectively housebound for the duration of lockdown, officially sanctioned solely to one hour per day exercise in the great, but ostensibly infectious, outdoors. subscriptions to zwift, online purchases of smart turbo trainers and distanced installation of peloton bikes offered physical escape from the day-to-day mundanity of lockdown life. and the makers of the latter and all manner of indoor trainers were more than grateful to the chinese-originated pandemic, recruiting staff like never before, in tandem with amazon whose online sales poured even more cash into jeff bezos' bank account.
from an economic point of view, all of the above, and more, acted as if the all things must pass mantra had never been invented. or, if they knew, essentially behaved as if they didn't. that has to be a contributing factor in the parlous state of wahoo's current finances, and the job layoffs implemented by others (including amazon).
and then there is the e-bike market, one which gained significant impetus from the pandemic, growth that can probably be attributed to the average brit's reticence to undertake any more exercise than absolutely necessary, coupled with far less than the archetypal protestant work ethic. in 2017, the e-bike market was reckoned to be worth £65million, a value that grew to a reputed £150million in 2019 before increasing to £290million one covid-fuelled year later. by 2021, that number had increased yet again to £330million.
considering the relatively short journeys undertaken by e-bike, its substitution for four wheels conveniently avoided the knowledge that the average individual was perfectly capable of riding such distances under their own steam, on bicycles that featured no batteries and no motors. however, despite this, there are continued calls for government to subsidise the purchase of e-bikes, predominantly at the behest of the damocles sword of climate change, clamouring that, to the best of my knowledge, has singularly failed to take note of the more environmentally sound analogue bicycle. has it really come to the point where nothing can be achieved in any particular field, unless augmented with electricity?
however, as mentioned in a recent disparagement of electrons within these very pixels, the e-bike has become known as the saviour of the bike business, the guiding light of an industry that has seen a sharp downturn over the past eighteen months, one that the majority of practitioners behaved as if would never happen. so just before the e-sector becomes too self-congratulatory, it might be pertinent to point out that, despite mintel's optimistic long-term forecast for the e-sector, revenues declined by £20million last year ahead of a predicted slowdown in 2023. i'm pretty sure they didn't see that coming. but if they did, once again, behaved as if they hadn't.
according to a spokesperson for mintel, the biggest barrier to e-bike ownership is that of cost, a factor that seems unlikely to alter in the short-term, due to the vast majority of e-bikes being imported and the weakness of the pound. mintel too, seem to think that a lack of government subsidy continues to act as a barrier to e-bike sales. which, to my skewed mind at least, seems blatantly to miss the point that very few actually need electrons to get about; in many cases, an analogue bike would fit the bill just perfectly, almost always at lower cost.
still, all good things must come to an end.
tuesday 7 february 2023
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the classic years
rapha founder, simon mottram's rationale behind creating the business in the first place, was a lack of the kind of cyclewear in which he himself wanted to dress. from what i can recall of the early noughties, i can see from where he was coming. it was eminently possible to acquire team-replica jerseys, with the caveat that the material from which they were carved was considerably less than 'technical' and was rarely any thicker than the toilet paper to be found in the average bathroom.
the alternatives were possibly from santini, assos or castelli, the designs of which was not necessarily conducive to wearing in the sunday morning peloton, unless you exhibited exhibitionist tendencies. mr mottram's inspiration came from a book subsequently republished by rapha, entitled kings of pain, a book that conditioned the early rapha imagery by the inestimable ben ingham, leading to all manner of parodies, but which evoked the roadie spirit from the 50s and 60s. pain and suffering in black and white, matched by the original classic jersey that appeared as if from nowhere in 2004.
that was also the beginning of merino wool's popularity, featured as a component of those classic sportwool jerseys. it's a range that rapha continues to offer today, though substantially outweighed by companion ranges that often appear to replicate the bright and sparkly jerseys that brought mr mottram to create rapha in the first place.
the other principal feature of the classic range was a more relaxed fit than the race-fit offerings brought to market by the likes of assos, castelli, santini et al. the recognition that, though we may be inspired by the context of pain and suffering and obsessed with the spring classics, few of us were built like the average professional whippet. this not to suggest that those early rapha products were baggy, but there was no need to pull tight to fasten the zip, as is often the case with their expansive pro-team range. not 'fat lad at the back', but style without having to adopt mathieu van der poel's diet.
in 2007, imperial works, as was, kindly sent me a pair of their bib-threequarters, the so-called bibknickers as frequently worn by the hardmen of cyclocross and the spring classics. bearing in mind my contention that hebrideans are the flandriens of the west, these constituted the very personification of pain and suffering, clearly identified by the appearance of white rapha emblazoned patches below each knee. and given that islay's weather tends to vindicate billy connolly's contention that scotland has but two seasons, july and winter, the bib-threequarters gained more than just regular use. so much so that, after five or six years, they wore out.
and only one year following the introduction of the bib threequarters, rapha added to their attraction by releasing a classic winter jersey, constituted a tad more heavily and cosily than the standard issue classic jersey. it was black, with regulation pink trim, a warm, high collar and the authentic white hoop on the left arm. and aside from its thermal properties, it seemed to garner an unprecedented level of casual wear. while attending city centre racing in edinburgh's grassmarket a couple of years later, i happened upon two attendees wearing said jersey simply to ward off chilly evening temperatures, with no intention of riding.
so here we are, in 2023, fifteen years after the original release of this particular winter jersey, and sixteen years after perren street's bib-threequarters were first introduced. as mentioned, my original pair of bibs went to the great cyclocross course in the sky over ten years past, ultimately leading to my desire to turn back the years when the modern equivalent appeared with an enticing discount in the recent winter sale.
though i have no wish to brag, sixteen years after the event, i still fit into a size small in everyone's bibs, tights etc., ordering that very size in the latest edition of bib-threequarters. no longer do they feature a small rear pocket in which one might conceal one's race-radio, and disappointingly, gone are the identifying white patches on the shins. the rapha logo is writ large in white on each thigh, though i cannot recall whether the originals did likewise, and my review photos from 2007 do not provide verifiable evidence.
but perhaps the most notable factor, given what i imagine was a cornerstone of the 'classic' philosophy, is the fit. don't get me wrong; the modern-day bib-threequarters offer an impeccable fit, but they're a tad harder to put on than their original predecessors. perhaps more akin to the pro-team experience. lest you think that i flatter myself by continuing to order size small when perhaps i have grown in recent years, two of my sunday colleagues also ordered the same bibs from rapha's sale, in medium and extra large, and both report similar constraints when kitting up in the morning.
mrs washingmachinepost, while tidying out a wardrobe in the croft, came across the original winter jersey of which i have spoken. though the black colouring is a smidgeon less dense after all those years of wearing and washing, the jersey is pretty much immaculate, offering a fit, comfort and degree of insulation that seems unavailable from rapha in the present day. they do indeed offer a classic winter jersey, but it follows the pattern of the successor to that of which i speak, a jersey that garnered internal windproofing panels and two vertical zips to allow ventilation.
i also own such a jersey, though happily bereft of the rather large rapha logo across the shoulders. but in terms of style and pragmatism, i fear it does not compare to the original. that was a garment the likes of which we will probably not witness again, unless rapha decides to revisit its roots as part of next year's 20th anniversary (which i presume is currently the subject of deliberation in the disappointingly monikered 'rapha works', having dropped the word 'imperial' originally applied to the ex-piano factory in kentish town in which they were born).
but then, i don't suppose they still have the pink sofa either.
monday 6 february 2023
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unaccustomed as i am
this past week was but a few hours old, when a video appeared on youtube, offering a gopro view of the world cyclocross course at hoogerheide, several days ahead of the event. and in order to appear up-to-date and topical, i might offer congratulations to the gb team's second place behind the netherlands in the team relay event. this was the first 'proper' edition of the event, following last year's trial version in fayeteville, usa.
a cyclocross relay race team consists of an elite female and male rider, along with another two male and two female riders to make up the six allowed by the rules. thomas mein, gb 'cross champion from 2022 and zoe backstedt topped and tailed the team, mein eventually finishing 31 seconds behind fem van empel. however, i would hasten to point out that this is one of the few times you will read even a remarkably brief précis of a cycle race within these pixels. far better coverage can be found elsewhere.
and while we're discussing 'elsewhere', that's also where you'll find a wide array of prognostications as to how sunday's men's race might play out. the past season has seen regular battles between mathieu van der poel, wout van aert and tom pidcock, but with the latter having mysteriously opted not to defend his world champion's jersey in hoogerheide, punditry seems concentrated on which of the other two will take top honours. i really must question how much of a difference to pidcock's classics season, one 'cross event was likely to make, as opposed to continuing with a southern spain road training camp? perhaps, while the uci considers how to ruin yet another aspect of cycle sport, they might instigate a rule requiring jersey holders to defend that jersey, unless illness intervenes. it's a rule that ought to apply to all disciplines.
statistically, i'm led to believe that, of the races in which both have participated, van aert leads the way with outright victories, but i'm sure i can recall a previous world championship in which mvdp was expected to walk off with the jersey, having been pretty much victorious throughout the preceding season, yet come the day of reckoning, van aert rode off into the sunset, winning by some considerable distance from his reputed arch-enemy.
the latter has also been the subject of discussion in the peloton; are they truly 'arch-enemies', or is that simply the cycling media drumming up interest that, to be honest, was already there? isn't it just a tad more likely that wout and mathieu join the same sunday morning ride, taking turns to pay for coffee and a double-egg roll? and it seems quite possible that wout pops round to mathieu's bike shed to borrow a track pump before nipping out for a training ride.
i don't doubt that no centimetres are given in the heat of battle; in benidorm, mvdp hardly left a lot of space against the barriers for wout to begin his sprint. but just because you want to win a race, there's no good reason to take a dislike to any of your competitors.
pidcock, however, was proved entirely correct when he prophesied that he'd struggle to stay within the tyre tracks of van aert and mvdp as the season progressed. though the brit has enviable bike skills and a tenacity rarely seen in the modern sport, he lacks the impressive power and acceleration of his belgian and dutch peers.
so that brings us neatly back to this weekend, and who might stand atop the podium on sunday afternoon. though i have frequently found the women's racing to be closer and often more exciting, there simply isn't the level of close rivalry that has featured throughout the current cyclocross season in the men's racing. i apologise if you only read this far in the hope of discovering my inside tip for victory, but quite honestly, i have no idea. and, also to be perfectly honest, i don't really care. yes, i do have a favourite between the two, but i am firmly of the opinion that whomsoever crosses the line in first place tomorrow, probably deserved to win.
the unfortunate fact is, that, while the majority of online velocipedinal outlets fill pixel space with lengthy features, offering a blow-by-blow defence of their reputedly informed choices, i appear to have done precisely the same thing, without offering succour to the strategically bereft in the process. in which case, do as i say and do as i do; watch the racing on sunday and enjoy it for its own sake.
you'll thank me for it later.
saturday 4 february 2023
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joi de vivre
there is a slight downside to remaining independent from the review side of the velocipedinal milieu, and that can be categorised as choice of subject matter. i always promised myself that i'd only write a daily article if i felt i had something worth saying, though as i type, i plainly see the subjectivity of such a statement. however, in order to discover if such is the case on a daily basis, i am prone to perusing the trade and cycling press in order to gauge whether my previous statement might prove to be valid. i would be guilty of a particular strain of narcissism were i to think i hold all the answers, but just as guilty were i to consider that my own, remarkably small sphere of knowledge could provide me with daily inspiration.
no man is an island, and that sort of thing.
the fatal flaw, as i have discovered, is that, in the present economic climate at least, many items that feature in my research (such as it is), tend towards the negative. such topics as have been recently explored in these pixels have incorporated the current state of the cycling industry, including staff layoffs and necessarily reduced prices. then there's the self-generated negatives, such as my public disdain for indoor, online training platforms, electronic groupsets that displace and disavow their mechanical predecessors, and the current trend for stuffing every visible cable inside the frame.
you see what i mean?
cycling, in my opinion at least, ought not to be like this. imagine, just for a few ethereal minutes, that a cycling aspirant happens, by chance, upon thewashingmachinepost, earnestly seeking cycling inspiration or knowledge, despite the aberrant title of the blog. i think there is every danger that my recent tone would be likely to send them elsewhere for succour, such as golfing websites or magazines such as 'when saturday comes'. that is not to deny, however, that the machinations of the cycle industry incur lengthy philosophical perturbances, nor indeed that many offer glaring opportunities for comment, either affirmative or negative. to paraphrase 'the big bang theory's sheldon cooper, "how else will they learn?"
but, at the risk of over-simplification, those are surely of mere peripheral interest? the cycle industry exists to fulfil an often heartfelt need, that of a hopefully endless series of bike rides, whether conditionally necessary or simply for the sheer heck of it. once in the saddle and both feet firmly planted upon the pedals, any thoughts of groupset deficiencies, overly loud freehubs or illogically dropped seatstays are surely of incidental importance, and if aesthetics are uppermost on your tick box order, a lack of visible cables is less apparent to the rider than the innocent bystander.
so for any who may have stumbled here in the quest for knowledge, eager to embark upon the pelotonic ladder, i suggest you ignore everything you've read up until this point and step away from the golf clubs. just know this: there is truly no better activity in which to become involved than that of the velocipede. aside from its perfect positioning as an efficient and pollution-free means of transport, it harbours the ability to unravel any endemic mental health issues, while keeping you fit and healthy as you discover a sense of enjoyment and entitlement that promises to last far longer than the attraction of watching columbo repeats on sunday afternoons.
as a friend of mine was always keen to point out, 'nothing's ever worse after a bike ride', while another has been quoted as saying, once you've got the bike, 'outside is free'. and we're all well aware that cycling cures everything. negativity will always inveigle its way into every situation, even when you don't go looking for it; to this, the world of the bicycle is no exception. but every now and again (definitely more now than again), the bicycle, however yours is constituted, deserves veneration and celebration.
but you probably didn't need me to tell you that.
friday 3 february 2023
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will the tide turn?
one of the sunday morning peloton recently recruited, experienced slight shifting difficulties with his mechanical groupset on a relatively new bicycle. as expected, the fundamental problem was that of cable-stretch, where everything had worked precisely as designed when new, but as the cables bedded in through constant use, the amount of stretch incurred meant that the lever was taking up the slack before moving the derailleur. consequently, the chain rattled a bit on the sprockets as it attempted to shift to the adjacent gear. a couple of turns on the barrel adjuster and all was well with the world.
those of you who are converts to electronic shifting will have no doubt issued haughty guffaws, with little sympathy for the mechanically inclined. the algorithms in campagnolo, shimano and sram electronic groupsets are perfectly adept at ensuring everything stays just ginger-peachy, adjusting everything on-the-fly without so much as a bye-your-leave. this is indeed a step forward, since from personal experience, very few cyclists have even the faintest idea as to where to begin, should their mechanical groupset fail to perform its singular duties.
but it's an undeniable truism that the more complex systems become, the more there is to go horribly wrong. and if, as i have known happen, the electronics malfunction at any point, there is very little that you or i can do, other than take the bike to the nearest shop authorised to work on the specific system in question. however, that in no way undermines the relative simplicity of indexed gear changing in the first place.
at the risk of teaching my granny to suck eggs, the amount of cable pulled by a single press of the gear lever, equates to the space between each rear sprocket. thus, if the chain currently sits in the third largest sprocket, pushing the lever in the intended direction will either pull the desired length of cable, or release the same, where it is pulled by the spring tension built into the rear derailleur. when the cable stretches, as mentioned above, the lever simply takes up the slack before pulling any cable, hence the mis-shifting usually experienced at that point. the adjuster on the cable entering the rear of the mech should then be tensioned further to remove the slack.
if you've done this more than once, knowing how far to turn becomes second-nature.
but shimano and sram have effectively electrified all the groupsets with which most of us harbour desires to affix to our prides and joy. and in the process of so doing, they have sidelined their mechanical antecedents, while also removing a rim brake option. campagnolo, on the other hand, have kept their italian electrons special by confining them to super-record; record and chorus join the lower orders by existing as mechanical-only options, along with vicenza's successful ekar gravel groupset. however, the italians continue to offer every which way: it's possible to purchase super-record eps with either rim or disc brakes and unlike shimano's dura-ace, you can still have super-record mechanical in either rim or disc guise.
granted, it has been pointed out that mechanical 105 is likely to be around for a wee while longer, but ultimately it will evaporate from sight.
for me, remaining true to my ingrained luddite tendencies, it's mechanical all the way, a sentiment that would appear to be shared by cyclist editor, pete muir, who has penned a pro-mechanical article in the current issue of the magazine. and only yesterday, i watched a video by the inestimable dave arthur (just ride bikes), wondering whether shimano might have shot themselves in the foot by removing a mechanical dura-ace option. presumably he intended that conclusion to apply to ultegra and 105, but his revelation arrived following a comparison between his electrified colnago c68 and a more elderly colnago c50, the latter of which featured a 2017 dura-ace mechanical groupset.
pete, dave and i are not the only ones who think this way. i have come across others bemoaning the lack of a mechanical option, but i'm also aware of the feature in road.cc pointing out the glaringly obvious: that we're in a diminishing minority. as a confirmed campagnolo aficionado, for the time being at least, i'm alright jack, but if what road.cc says is true, shimano and sram don't actually care, easily able to afford to live without our miserly pennies, because everybody else is completely sold on electronica.
however, i might modestly point out that pete, dave and i come into the category known as influencers (far more them, than me) as do many others, and if we're less than impressed with the electronic compulsion, maybe those we supposedly influence might eventually constitute a backlash?
but now that i see that written down, it just seems as stupid as it probably is. oddly enough, following years of weight-weeniness, the fact that electronic groupsets combined with hydraulic disc brakes are heavier (and considerably more expensive) than their mechanical rim brake ancestors, seems not to matter anymore.
perhaps we could form the velocipedinal equivalent of the flat earth society? we could call it 'wire-weenies'. after all, vinyl is experiencing a practical and economic resurgence.
thursday 2 february 2023
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you have to be kidding me?
in 2013, i travelled from civilisation across to scotland (glasgow, to be precise) to attend the british road-race championships, the parcours negotiating several of glasgow's inner city streets, starting and finishing from glasgow green at the east end of the city centre. as was my wont in those halcyon days of yore, i had applied for a press pass, ostensibly to allow access to the parts that other audiences could scarcely reach. the hard part was accessing the restricted area from which passes were being distributed.
as i attempted to reach the portakabins, believe it or not, i was asked to show the pass that i was attempting to acquire. it's a funny old world.
however, in the days prior to the event, i had chanced my arm and enquired of rapha jlt team manager, john herety, whether i might occupy the passenger seat in the team car for a lap or two. (if you don't ask, you don't get). disappointingly, mr herety advised that a noted cycling journalist had already been offered safe passage, along with one or two notable sponsors. but then, as my departure date approached, i received an e-mail enquiring whether i liked fish, because 'there's a place for you'.
it turned out that the journalist had been despatched to an alternative event elsewhere, and the sponsors had both indicated they'd be no shows. so, far from gaining only a pedestrian's eye view of the race, i was treated to white-knuckle inside the peloton view of proceedings from start to finish. i can but relate that it was easily the fastest trip i have ever experienced round central glasgow.
and while glasgow had been nominated as 2013's host for both road and time-trial events, there may have been a smidgeon of subterfuge, allowing the city to put all its ducks in a row for the following year's commonwealth games road cycle events, the parcours for which was due to have closely resembled the route used in the road-race championships.
one can only assume that the scottish city's handling of both years' velocipedinal events impressed the blazers in aigle, for later this year, glasgow is due to host every uci cycling championship you care to mention (always assuming you think of fort william as a suburb of the city). it is highly likely that work commitments here in civilisation will preclude me from having to spend a veritable fortune in the attempt to find accommodation befitting a famous member of the cycling media for the duration of the aforesaid championships.
however, it seems that, were i to disavow every one of my deeply held principles, there would be no real need for a ferry and bus trip to the heartlands of scotland this august. yes, those stalwart fellows and fellowesses at zwift have taken care of everything by releasing scotland as a virtual scottish playground for their possibly misguided acolytes. and though scotland is home to five and a half million people spread over thousands of square miles of relative emptyness, it appears zwift had only a sufficient number of scottish pixels to offer a total of just under 59 kilometres. that's roughly the distance from port askaig on islay to port ellen and back again.
fortunately, for the armies of zwifties studying kevin bridges and billy connolly videos to bone up on their colloquialisms, those 58.8 km are divided across five often embarrassingly named scenarios: rolling highlands, city and the sgurr (gaelic for 'rocky peak'), glasgow crit circuit, loch loop, and a paraphrasing of billy connolly's nickname, the muckle yin (the big one). i will spare you the descriptions of pixelated scotland by querying the veracity of their verisimilitude.
for instance, though situated in the central belt, glasgow is more westerly than central, a part of the uk renowned for its rainfall (even in august). and while the so-called muckle yin, reputedly takes indoor aficionados "...out to the sheer cliffs on Scotland's west coast..." if you've been reading thewashingmachinepost for longer than five minutes, you should have learned by now that those cliffs are often strafed by galeforce winds. so unless zwift have perfected the virtual reality experience to include horizontal rain and the feeling of riding into a mattress for 58 kilometres, perhaps i should alert trading standards?
markus stitz and mark beaumont have done a remarkably good job of highlighting some of the best locations to ride your bicycle north of the border, so i'd be inclined to advise you check their twitter feeds and youtube channels, and arrange to visit scotland in person.
rules #5 and #9.
wednesday 1 february 2023
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who knows?
i am currently reading a biography of scots poet, humorist and eccentric (though he would dispute the latter), ivor cutler, recently published by equinox publishing, and written by freelance music journalist, bruce lindsay. in hardback format, it consist of 208, tightly packed pages of narrative, followed by a copious bibliography and comprehensive index. though not aimed at thewashingmachinepost, i am reading it for review purposes, something of a pleasure, as i have been a long-time fan of cutler's work. he died in london in march 2006.
at the time of writing, i'm a shade over two-thirds to completion, and expect to have my review completed by the end of the week, in time for publication in early february. and though it may come across as a rather blunt statement, when i've read it, a very much doubt i'll read it again. in fact, with the possible exceptions of bill bruford's autobiography, a biography of buddy rich and the late richard moore's 'in search of robert millar', i rarely re-read any of the books i own.
i like to think this is the fault of domestic circumstances, but in truth, i fear that is something of a construct to hide the truth. until relatively recently, mrs washingmachinepost held gainful employment as a childminder, a sitation that has altered as she now plies a similar trade at two of the local primary school nurseries. however, during the twenty-odd years that the croft rang with pitter-patter of tiny feet, situating a bookcase (or several) in the sitting room would have been signing a death warrant for any publication sat upon its shelves.
the thinking behind this long-held desire was not only to affect a status befitting my assumed learnedness, but to allow random picking of any volume of choice, immersing myself in chapters or paragraphs, in the search for wisdom, or simply to fill the occasional hour between compulsive television (the latter is intended as a smidgeon of hebridean humour). thus, the rather large collection of predominantly cycling literature i possess, is spread across two of the upstairs rooms, in no form of sequential order, and almost impossible to access, even if i could recall which titles i own.
this situation, if nothing else, surely parallels that applicable to the oft-maligned and occasionally updated highway code, setting out the rules and law to which britain's road users ought to adhere. a first reading of the highway code usually commences with young children learning small sections prior to sitting what used to be known as the cycling proficiency test. chances are it was not revisited until those same children, now allegedly more grown-up, began to learn to drive, during which time it was necessary to learn sizeable chunks to pass the legally required driving test.
as i not only passed my cycling proficiency test, but subsequently the uk driving test (at the age of seventeen), i freely admit i have not looked at a copy in the large number of intervening years. and i'd be willing to bet that the majority of drivers are in a similar position. after all, i hold a valid current driver's licence, as do almost 40 million others, so why would i bother to read the highway code again?
but, as many of us are aware, the information in the highway code is updated from time to time, most recently in january 2022, when constant lobbying by cycling uk brought a swathe of changes in favour of cyclists. such as the introduction of a 1.5 metre gap when passing in a car and the introduction of a new hierarchy of road user, placing pedestrians at the top and promotion of the 'dutch reach', a way to open car doors limiting the risk to passing traffic, especially cyclists.
the latter is the very reason i avoid bowmore main street when heading out on a saturday morning. it's easily possible to reach over 28kph freewheeling the descent towards the harbour, yet there are many who open their car doors with impunity and scarcely a look over their shoulder or in the rear-view mirror. using the side road is convincingly safer.
my contention that reading a book more than once is not a common situation can be almost conclusively proven by the knowledge that 25% of those questioned by yougov, were unaware that the highway code had been updated. that's a not particularly impressive ten million drivers unaware that they should leave the designated space between their cars and you and i on our bicycles. unsurprisingly, this has led to calls for a long-term awareness campaign, with the cycling uk ceo saying that "...the lack of understanding and knowledge of the changes is alarming."
i'm sure there's scarcely one of us who has not been passed a lot closer than 1500cm since the code was upgraded. even over here, it's a weekly occurrence, even on blind corners and summits. the mitigating factor in the hebrides is the distinct lack of surrounding traffic making matters any worse. it does, however, call into question just why rural drivers find it necessary to pass in close proximity when there is frequently no oncoming traffic that would prevent them leaving buckets of room.
so, though i don't expect you to read this again, i'd commend it to any motoring colleagues who had no trouble seeing the whites of your eyes when passing you on the road. and get them to read the highway code once again.
tuesday 31 january 2023
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as always, if you have any comments, please feel free to e-mail and thanks for reading.
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washingmachinepost videos
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clothing reviews
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- showers pass little crossover kids' rainjacket
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- svelte clothing s/s jersey and classic bibshorts
- this is cambridge waxed cotton cycling cap
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- showers pass spring classics waterproof jacket
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- this is cambridge hors categorie s/s cycle jersey, socks & cap
- rapha pro team windjacket
- hilltrek greenspot double ventile jacket
- magliamo merino wool molteni l/s jersey
- rapha shadow armwarmers + kneewarmers
- n+1 cycling t-shirts
- rapha core l/s team wiggins jersey
- showers pass club shoe covers
- vulpine urban cycling jeans & merino boxers
- rapha cyclocross long-sleeve jersey
- rapha mips helmet
- shutt vuelta winter jacket
- rapha merino stand collar windproof jersey
- this is cambridge s/s baselayer
- hilltrek greenspot double ventile jacket - getting it wet
- endura pro sl bibtights
- rapha commemorative peace race jersey and game
- cafe du cycliste lucette gilet
- specialized deflect reflect hybrid jacket
- rapha classic winter jacket
- cafe du cycliste mid-season gloves
- wabi woolens winter weight jersey
- rapha shadow long-sleeve jersey
- rapha festive 500 jersey and core range waterproof jacket
- dexshell biking socks
- rapha brevet thermal jacket
- dexshell thermfit neo gloves
- maratona classics jersey
- rapha classic bibshorts ii
- endura pro sl bibs ii
- rapha shadow blazer
- showers pass atlas reflective jacket
- rapha pro team bibshorts ii
- rouleur + velominati rule#5 s/s jersey, bibshorts, socks and t-shirt
- rapha packable backpack
- louison bobet softshell gloves
- louison bobet bibshorts, long-sleeve and short-sleeve jerseys
- t-labs stelvio t-shirt
- rapha fausto coppi merino jersey
- velobici premgripp and merino socks
- rapha pro-team lightweight gilet
- louison bobet porticcio 69 merino pullover and letouquet74 merino cardigan
- cafe du cycliste boubou collection zahira diamant s/s jersey
- rapha classic crochet mitts
- rapha lines pro team flyweight jersey
- shutt vr custom jersey and pro bibshorts
- arrivee intermediate l/s jersey
- hilltrek greenspot single ventile lightweight jacket
- snek merino armwarmers and lightwieght merino cycling cap
- rocket espresso s/s jersey and bibshorts
- endura movistar team issue gilet and l/s jersey
- this is cambridge men's bibshorts
- rapha colombia kom s/s sportwool jersey
- new ardbeg celtic cycle jersey
- assos r.s. sturmprinz evo waterproof jacket
- this is cambridge a bloc long-sleeve jersey and socks
- hilltrek greenspot single ventile jacket - getting it wet
- snek merino kneewarmers
- rapha ultramarine pro team softshell
- endura pro sl thermal jacket
- rapha city riding range insulated sweatshirt
- endura pro sl thermal jacket
- assos habutightsmille thermal bibtights
- rapha pro team thermal l/s baselayer
- rapha classic rainjacket ii
- giessegi redoute winter bibtights
- t-labs road riding t-shirt
- rapha pro-team insulated jacket
- rapha quarter zip reflective knit jersey
- showerspass trailhead merino/bamboo hooded sweatshirt
- pedal ed nachi waterproof jacket
- pedal ed essential jersey and team winter bibtights
- assos mille gt spring/autumn l/s jersey
- pedal ed kaido l/s merino jersey
- rapha check windjacket
- q36.5 hybrid que l/s jersey, s/s baselayer, wolf bibshorts and merino socks
- assos t-equipe evo bibshorts
- rouleur cycle clothing collection
- this is cambridge omloop l/s jersey, mesh baselayer, thermal bibshortsm kneewarmers and socks.
- rapha transfer hoodie.
- endura long-sleeve movistar team jersey
- rapha limited edition gavia collection
- haramaki - japanese body warmer
- hommage au velo bahamontes lightweight climbing jersey
- prendas/santini bordeaux-paris jersey & cap
- hilltrek hebridean ventile gilet
- dexshell ultralight waterproof socks
- endura fs260 adrenaline cape and threequarter shorts
- rapha explore range, insulated goose-down jacket
- assos mille gt hashoogi winter jacket
- prendas/santini peugeot bp inverted long-sleeve jersey
- rapha classic bibtights
- rapha milano-roma collection
- rapha tweed softshell
- prendas pro rain overshoes
- showers pass crosspoint waterproof gloves
- campagnolo c-tech winter jacket
- frahm utility field jacket
- velobici rene l/s jersey
- velobici rene thermal bibshorts
- ashmei bibshorts
- this is cambridge omloop rain/windcape
- assos equipe rs bibshorts
- endura apparel cleaner and re-proofer
- rapha core range cargo bibshorts
- endura humvee shacket
- prendas cordura oversocks
- this is cambridge omloop rain/wind gilet
- santini/prendas greg lemond l/s agrigel/adr/bottechia jersey
- prendas lisboa rain cycling cap
- rapha pro-team lightweight shadow jacket
- rapha explore winter cargo bibtights
- café du cycliste petra gilet
- rapha + gore-tex explore hooded pullover
- prendas primaloft cupron socks and winter thermolite socks
- endura pro sl primaloft jacket ii
- albion cycle clothing rain jacket
- rapha pro team insulated gore-tex jacket
- prendas/santini vetements z l/s jersey
- rapha+gore-tex explore hooded pullover
- rapha pro-team road shoes
- rapha pro-team training jersey 7 pro-team training bib shorts
- robert millar/pippa york t-shirt
- endura pro sl bibshortst
- rapha special edition belgian country jersey
- prendas ciclismo - omloop van vlaanderen
- vulpine long and short-sleeve polo shirts
- btr waterproof hi-viz waterproof jacket
- endura hummvee chino shorts with liner
- pearson cycles greg coulton illustrates s/s baselayer
- ashmei breton jersey and cycle bib shorts
- this is cambridge yellow tour socks
- prendas/santini watneys red barrel s/s jersey and cap
- ritchey cycling socks
- dexshell lightweight overshoes
- craft fuseknit s/s baselayer
- rapha core long-sleeve jersey
- prendas omloop van vlaanderen sleeves baselayer
- rapha classic winter gore-tex jacket
- rapha pro team bibshorts ii
- rapha sonic collection
- velobici cobalto thermal jersey and thermal bibshorts
- prendas shell peugeot cap
- endura urban luminite 3 in 1 jacket ii
- prendas/santini peugeot shell michelin s/s jersey
- endura xtract roubaix l/s jersey
- rapha long-sleeve calssic jersey ii
- le col hors categorie bibshorts ii
- vulpine merino alpine l/s jersey
- prendas super roubaix deluxe gloves
- sole active thin insole
- endura custom kit pro sl l/s jersey
- rapha explore lightweight jacket
- rapha gs imperial sportwool s/s club jersey, bibshorts and cap
- tic-cc hc short-sleeve jersey
- vulpine organic cotton tee
- vulpine omnia cycling jeans
- endura fs260 thermo bibknickers
- endura pro-sl three-season jacket
- quoc pham mono ii road shoes
- souke sports l/s jersey, bibtights and thermal jacket
- endura freezing point ii overshoes
- endura mt500 burner clipless offroad shoes
- endura gv500 reiver s/s jersey and bibshorts
- showers pass basecamp merino hoodie
- endura gv500 waterproof jacket
- rapha brevet s/s jersey
- rapha brevet gore-tex paclite plus jacket
- vulpine ultralight quilted gilet
- vulpine men's merino v-lux neck sweatshirt
- quoc weekend sneaker - part one
- quoc weekend sneaker - part two
- rapha powerweave bibshorts
- rapha trailwear technical t-shirt
- rapha trailwear gore-tex infinium jacket
- endura pro sl waterproof shell jacket
- rapha pro team training bibtights
- soukesports graphene l/s fleece jersey, lightweight windproof gilet, winter bibtights and padded winter gloves
- rapha men's trail merino long-sleeve t-shirt
top of page.
clothing reviews above
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equipment and other reviews below
- equipment review: | carbonsports lightweight wheels
- equipment review: |fi'zi:k pave saddle
- equipment review: |handlebar camera mount
- thewashingmachinepost colnago c40hp review
- the bicycle as art | taliah lempert
- tour of britain start 2006
- 2006 braveheart ride
- schwalbe ultremo tyres
- ortlieb sling-it
- catlike whisper and kompact pro helmets
- on-one il pompino fixed wheel
- colnago clx
- science in sport nocte
- srm power crank from cylepowermeters.com
- fsa ceramic bearing jockey wheels
- lightweight ventoux carbon wheels
- colnago c50 2007
- fibre-lyte carbon chainrings
- vittoria 30th anniversary shoes + vista pedals
- fulcrum racing one wheels
- eddy merckx chm carbon + wheelsbike 2000s
- fibre-lyte carbon jockey wheels
- rapha fixed backpack
- mavic r-sys carbon spoked wheels
- oval concepts r700 stem and r710 classic bars
- muc-off optix lens cleaner
- brooks swallow leather saddle
- lumie bodyclock light
- ride of the falling rain 2008
- pro-lite piemonte cyclo-cross frame
- ultimate pro-ultralight bicycle repair stand
- rebecca charlton's review: alan a-matrix
- effetto mariposa giustaforza torque wrench
- fsa k-force carbon compact handlebars & os-99 stem
- rapha musette
- chris king classic cross wheelset
- eddy merckx racing alloy
- nokia n82 gps phone & sportstracker software
- independent fabrication featherlight
- garmin edge 705 gps unit
- sportique active body products
- sportique body soap
- sportique century riding cream & deodorants
- fixie inc. betty leeds steel race bike
- bonk breaker energy bars
sportique warming up cream and cooling cream
- sportique massage oils
- vittoria revo kxs twin tread tyres
- nokon gear and brake cable sets
- knog gator front light
- chain-l no.5 - huile de chaine
- museeuw mf5 carbon/flax frame
- brompton p-type folding bicycle
- schwalbe ultremo 'r' road tyres
- alchemy goods courier bag
- mule bars
- carbonsports lightweight rd
- trp r960 caliper brakes
- colnago cx-1
- singular peregrine
- independent fabrication club racer fixed gear
- flip ultra video camera and sport mount
- miniature cyclists
- mavic race sl ti pedals
- focus variado expert
- cyclepowermeters powertap rear wheel
- chris king cielo review
- mavic cosmic carbone slr
- shimano di2 review
- fsa sl-k pro carbon compact chainset
- zero g titanium brake calipers
- muvi micro digital video camera
- colnago clx centaur
- squirt dry lube
- crud roadracers mudguards
- bikefood
- hides
- 2010 colnago ace
- muc-off cleaners and dry lube
- ta specialites 42 campag replacement chainring
- reynolds assault carbon clincher wheels
- cyclo tools workshop tyre lever
- bike box alan
- garmin edge 500 gps
- chris king cielo - the story begins
- a graze box of healthy snacks
- sleepathlete pro-sound pillow
- park tools frame fit pump
- full wood fenders
- two'n'fro claqs
- bikefood carbo powder and munchie bars
- dromarti strada lugged steel frame
- a2z components campagnolo single speed convertor
- 9bar energy bars
- iphone/ipod bike doctor app
- crud roadracers mark two
- lazer helium helmet
- 2011 campagnolo centaur ergopower levers
- the legacy of john boultbee brooks part 3 - colt saddle
- van nicholas titanium skewers
- purple harry's bike cleaning products
- mavic k10 wheel/tyre system
- motorex lubricants and sprays
- sram red groupset
- clif choc chip bar and shotblok
- rapha skincare range
- purple harry's bike cleaning range
- ibis hakkalugi cyclocross bike
- high five zero tabs and 4:1 carb/protein powder
- moonlights rechargeable lights
- edge16 magnetic bottle 'cage'
- crank brothers eggbeater and candy pedals
- respro hump waterproof backpack cover
- pedros workshop vise whip
- andystand
- zimbale leather saddle and saddlebag
- lezyne floor drive track pump
- continental speed king cyclocross tyres & chris king cyclocross wheels
- bbb microboard computer
- demploi canvas belt bag
- aszure team issue carbon bike
- traitor luggernaut three-speed
- vittoria open pave cg tyres
- rapha tour de france cd
- enve 25 carbon sprint wheels
- mavic r-sys slr exalith wheels
- san marco mantra saddle
- cole c24 lite wheels
- trp 970sl brake calipers
- milani acciaio puro columbus xcr road bike
- trion-z magnetic therapy bracelet
- trp eurox magnesium cantilievers
- giro aeon helmet
- rapha seat pack
- bbb digiboard cycle computer
- colnago world cup 2.0 cyclocross bike
- garmin 200 gps cycle computer
- vittoria diamante pro radiale clinchers
- swift little dear bar-bag/saddle bag
- mavic plasma slr helmet
- ibis hakkalugi black lung
- nightrider lights
- beloved every day bicycle
- rapha race bag
- purple harry sanitising spray
- rapha summer embrocation
- shand cycles stoater
- sugar wheelworks ghisallo wooden rimmed wheels pt.1
- sugar wheelworks ghisallo wooden rimmed wheels pt.2
- colnago clx 3.0 di2
- ventoux event bag
- sugar wheelworks/chris king r45 ceramic wheelset
- nuun hydration tablets
- wheelsmith race23 wheels
- wheelsmith race23 wheels part two
- green oil white dry wax lubricant
- shand cycles skinnymalinky
- green oil eco bucket
- bike parka
- nilox 'foolish' hd action video camera
- condor bivio x cyclocross bike
- trakke mule waxed cotton messenger bag
- lezyne mega-drive headlight
- rapha post shave lotion
- morgan blue soft chamois cream
- morgan blue bike wash and polish
- morgan blue warming oil
- morgan blue chain cleaner and race oil
- kask vertigo helmet
- colnago c59 disc
- endura airshell helmet
- bakewell soap co. deep muscle relief rub
- dz nuts inheat embrocation
- rx sport prescription rudy project exowind cycling glasses
- dz nuts inheat embrocation
- portland design works bird cage
- purple harry travel pack
- ism adamo attack saddle
- purple harry wet lube
- rapha liveried pinarello dogma k
- festina tour of britain edition chronograph
- portland design works 3wrencho
- c originals sv888 helmet
- trek domane 5.9
- >colnago acr
- giro air-attack helmet
- gu energy slated caramel gel
- ursa major three musketeer traveler shaving kit
- rolf prima ares 4 carbon wheels
- protecht surface coatings
- fsa k-force cantilever brakes
- dz nuts bald shaving cream
- matrix waxy maize and scottish oats carb powder
- rolf prima vigor alpha wheels
- portland design works alexander graham bell
- ventoux gym bag
- silicon tidds
- wheelsmith race 24 wheels part 1
- 2013 cervelo r3
- unich mini-pump
- aerozine titanium wheel skewers
- mavic zxellium road pedals
- pdw aether demon tail light
- loksak mobile phone case
- a set of rouleur goodies including mark cavendish model
- wheelsmith race 24 wheels in 'cross mode
- axiom annihilateair track pump
- brooks cambium c17 saddle
- bridge street saddlebag
- green oil eco sponge
- ritchey torque key
- salsa celtica - the tall islands
- biologic pango folding helmet
- cervo rosso softshell case
- dmt vega road shoes
- poc octal road helmet
- shand cycles phat stoater
- bike repair app
- osmo hydration products
- multipower energy bars
- sugru flexible silicon rubber
- purple harry super sponge
- cielo racer stem
- kali phenom helmet
- bryton 20+ cycle gps
- secret training products
- ventoux training camp bag
- portland design works ninja pump
- honey stinger organic chews
- challenge limus cyclocross tyres
- fast forward f6 carbon clincher wheels
- brainy bike lights
- 24 bottles stainless steel water bottle and porta bottiglia
- purple harry rider care range
- shand rohloff stoater
- frog 55 hybrid kids' bike
- brooks brick lane panniers
- bellroy waterproof leather travel wallet
- green clean bike cleaner
- crunchy peanut butter clif bars
- chapeau cyclist's coffee
- anamaya meditation iphone app
- rapha cyclocross shoes
- look mum no hands stainless steel hip flask and cage
- rapha climbers shoes
- bodyglide products
- pedros yellow tyre levers
- mavic cxr helmet
- bar fly garmin handlebar mount
- cycling stars trump card game
- brooks cambium c15 saddle
- pedros synlube
- colnago c60
- pedros green fizz bike cleaner
- portland design works lars rover front light
- feedback sports velo hinge
- feedback sports velo hinge
- massif central tdf poster
- nixfrixshun chain lube
- richard mitchelson's cycling wallpaper
- manual for speed 2015
- the king of scotland's ibis hakkalugi disc
- tesco outdoor clothing wash and spray proofer
- clement las cyclocross clincher tyres
- pedros chain pig
- challenge gravel grinder 38mm 'cross tyres
- cherryactive concentrated montmorency cherry juice
- fox cycling online cycle training
- giro empire road shoes
- muc off hydro dynamic chain lube
- cyclops magnetic turbo trainer
- dromarti classic leather road shoes
- tern verge x-18 folding bicycle
- wheelsmith aero 38 wheelset
- sunwise hastings cycling glasses
- wheelsmith aero 38 wheelset part ii
- rapha/bang & olufsen h6 headphones
- flexiseq joint lubrication therapy
- muc off fabric protect
- brooks cambium c15 carved saddle
- mavic cxr ultimate road shoe
- frog bikes tadpole balance bike
- rapha sunglasses
- rapha rucksack
- giro vr90 offroad shoes
- colnago clx 2015
- portland design works owl cage
- vel components multi-tool with co2 adaptor
- ritchey classic series bars, stem, seatpost and saddle
- aldi bikemate bicycle toolkit
- withings activité pop watch
- selle san marco regal saddle
- led lenser b5r front light and b2r rear
- clement crusade pdx cyclocross tyres
- wickens & soderstrom bike cleaner
- bicycling magazine's emoji keyboard
- crank brothers candy 7 pedals
- muc off luxury chamois cream
- wheelsmith aero disc wheelset
- ridley x-ride 20 cyclocross bike
- break fluid blended ground coffee
- quoc pham hardcourt shoes
- crank brothers quattro cleat adaptor
- brooks carbon rail cambium c13 saddle
- crank brothers candy 7 pedal update
- ridley x-ride 20 update review
- specialized recon mixed terrain shoes
- specialized prevail road helmet
- axiom blastair mini pump
- specialized crux e5 x1 cyclocross bicycle
- cycliq fly6 rear light and hd video camera
- challenge baby limus cyclocross tyres
- crank brothers candy #7 pedals final review
- challenge strada bianca 700x33c road tyres
- green oil eco grease in a tube
- ortlieb6 plus, handlebar bag and seatpost-bag
- specialized awol elite adventure bike
- rapha + apidura bike packs
- portland design works bindle rack
- flexiseq active joint lubrication
- selle royal ta+too interchangeable saddle
- unior 1655fh multi-tool
- wd40 bicycle products
- unior tyre levers
- showers pass utility backpack
- lizard skins clear frame protection kit
- specialized crux elite cyclocross bike
- installing a campagnolo groupset
- campagnolo potenza groupset: the prologue
- lizard skins camouflage 2.5mm bar tape
- campagnolo potenza groupset: going for a ride
- specialized turbo cotton clinchers
- four months on a specialized crux elite
- wickens and soderstrom no.3 drivetrain lube
- wickens and soderstrom no.6 bike polish
- ritchey wcs xc clipless pedals
- restrap camouflage musette bag
- ritchey barkeeper levers
- campagnolo potenza; how's it doing?
- 100 climbs mobile app
- rearviz armband mirror
- six months on a specialized crux elite
- specialized sequoia elite
- ortlieb bikepacking bar pack and seatpack
- plan bee anti-chafe and embrocation
- schwalbe one pro tubeless tyres and wheelsmith ascent tubeless wheelset
- laura zabo's upcycled road tyre belts
- schwalbe one pro tubeless tyres and wheelsmith ascent tubeless wheelset part 2
- quoc pham 'night' road shoe
- specialized roubaix comp
- on the rivet chamois cream
- schwalbe one pro tubeless tyres and wheelsmith ascent tubeless wheelset part 3
- limar ultralight+ helmet
- rawvelo energy bars
- feedback sports bike tools
- more than a couple of weeks on a specialized roubaix comp
- veloeye bicycle theft protection
- ride skincare sunscreen and recovery moisturiser
- green oil spray lube
- campagnolo sarto carbon road bike
- hexlox anti-theft system
- chrome industries cardiel orp backpack
- fairbairn fabrication fangs
- chrome industries cinelli barrage cargo backpack
- sven cycles pathfinder light
- brooks weatherproof cambium c17 saddle
- chamois butt'r original and eurostyle
- wheelsmith pave wheelset
- campagnolo chorus groupset part one
- mavic yksion tubeless 28mm tyres
- campagnolo chorus groupset part two
- ritchey logic frameset
- neil pryde bura part two
- portland design works gravity tail light
- portland design works daybot tail light
- bicycle maintenance guide app for ios
- giro empire vr70 knit offroad shoes
- rapha classic saddle
- specialized turbo vado electric bicycle
- endura pro sl road helmet
- compass 700 x 28c chinook pass tyres
- brooks pickwick cotton backpack
- chinook pass tyres part two
- specialized turbo vado 2.0 - the real review
- crankalicious science friction chain lube
- ritchey micro road pedals
- rapha for apple macbook 13" sleeve
- coloral stainless steel water bottle
- campagnolo record twelve-speed bike build
- crankalicious pineapple spray was and frame sealant
- campagnolo record twelve-speed
- fassa bicycle protection
- rapha waterproof top tube pack and small seat pack
- campagnolo record twelve-speed
- specialized allez sprint comp disc
- ashmei domestique gin
- ritchey wcs ergomax alloy handlebar, wcs c220 84d stem and wcs pavé bar tape.
- goodyear eagle tubeles 700 x 30c tyres.
- specialized turbo tubeless tyres 700x28c.
- rapha explore shoes.
- specialized roval 64mm tubeless-ready disc compatible carbon wheels.
- ritchey classic zeta wheelset.
- specialized allez sprint comp disc, long-term review.
- brooks cambium organic light saddle.
- chater-lea grand tour pedals.
- ritchey chicane stem.
- rapha roll top backpack.
- zilfer cycling/activity wallet.
- rene herse hurricane ridge 700x42 gravel tyres.
- campagnolo bora wto carbon wheelset.
- limar air-pro and air master helmets.
- donnelly strada lgg 700x28c road tyres.
- basso diamante road bike-disc version.
- showers pass rainslinger waterproof hip pack.
- revolube bicycle chain lubricant.
- chater lea grand tour pedals - the story so far.
- campagnolo bora on and bora wto wheelsets.
- see.sense ace light set.
- revolube - part two.
- donnelly strada lgg 28mm road tyres
- basso diamante - part two
- clug bicycle storage solution
- revolube: the story so far
- bicycle quickguard
- ritchey echelon road pedals
- ritchey echelon road pedals - update
- btr waterproof saddle wedge
- kinesis jo burt signature bar tape
- btr waterproof bar bag
- bend 36 chamois cream
- kool-stop tyre bead jack
- rene herse steilacoom gravel tyres
- pirelli cycle-e wt winter tyres
- pirelli cycle-e wt winter tyres part two
- essence outdoors epicon glasses
- shapeheart smartphone handlebar mount
- mystery ranch hip monkey + in-and-out 19
- rene herse chinook pass road tyres
- jack the rack
- ritchey single-bolt carbon seatpost
- tyre glider
- hutchinson tundra 700 x40c gravel tyres
- hutchinson tundra 700 x40c gravel tyres part two
- green oil chain degreaser and dry chain wax
- green oil agent apple extreme degreaser
- condor cycles handbuilt wheelset
- squirt lube long lasting and low temperature versions
top of page.
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dvd reviews
- real peloton issues 1 and 2
- pantani-the pirate dvd bromley video
- the eddy merckx story - the greatest cycling champion. double dvd set - bromley video
- the brit pack double dvd set - bromley video
- scott coady's cobbles baby dvd
- cy-yo cycle yoga dvd
- battle of the bikes, obree/boardman - bromley double dvd set
- the final hour - bromley dvd
- ultimate cyclist cd/download. josh horowitz
- quest 2 dvd
- red zinger/coors classic 3dvd set
- flying scotsman - the graeme obree movie
- detour de france dvd
- 23 days in july dvd (1983 tour de france)
- le velo de ghislain lambert
- it's the tour baby! deux - scott coady
- the athlete's guide to yoga dvd - sage rountree
- the road to roubaix - masterlink films
- imperfection is perfection - richard sachs, framebuilder
- the high life - a life in the year of robert millar
- detour - the movie
- klunkerz dvd - the birth of mountain biking
- sportsfreund lotsch
- bicycle dreams - a movie by stephen auerbach
- pure sweet hell - a cyclocross dvd
- a ride with george hincapie
- d'acciaio - a film by ben ingham
- the cyclocross meeting - brian vernor
- brian robinson - an alan pascoe film
- breaking away
- cycle of betrayal - the shay elliot story
- the collective anthology
- jeremy powers cross camp
- mark cavendish: born to race
- beryl burton - racing is life
- l'ultimo chilometro
- janapar movie
- bespoken cycle music by johnny random
- pantani: the accidental death of a cyclist
- a film about coffee
- for the love of mud a film about cyclocross
- alf engers. a film by ray pascoe
- dummy jim - a film by matt hulse
- battle mountain - graeme obree
- time-trial a film by finlay pretsell featuring david millar
top of page.
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book reviews
- spain - the trailrider guide
- bikie
- the yellow jersey guide to the tour de france
- a century of the tour de france by jeremy whittle
- the official tour de france centennial 1903 - 2003
- flying scotsman - the graeme obree story
- riding high-shadow cycling the tour de france by paul howard
- the ras - the story of ireland's stage race by tom daly
- bicycling science 3 - david gordon wilson
- one more kilometre and we're in the showers
- food for fitness - chris carmichael
- 101 bike routes in scotland - harry henniker
- park tool big blue book of bicycle repair - calvin jones
- roule britannia - william fotheringham
- marco pantani - john wilcockson | lance armstrong - daniel coyle
- michael barry - inside the postal bus
- a peiper's tale - allan peiper | man on the run, (marco pantani) - manuela ronchi
- the tour de france - graeme fife
- viva la vuelta - the story of spain's favourite race - adrian bell & lucy fallon
- les nomades du velo anglais - tony hewson (plus extract)
- velopress special: andy pruitt's cyclist's medical guide | lennard zinn's book of road bike maintenance | lennard zinn's book of mountain bike maintenance
- workouts in a binder for indoor cycling - velopress
- the death of marco pantani. a biography by matt rendell
- heart zones cycling - the avid cyclist's guide to riding faster and farther
- the hour - sporting immortality the hard way. michael hutchinson
- a question of balance. a collection of 24 postcards by jean jacques sempe.
- le grand pelerinage - histoire d'une passion cyclomythique. jack fournier & bruno moreau.
- cycling's golden age: heroes of the postwar era 1946-1967 owen mullholland. velopress
- ascent. the mountains of the tour de france by richard yates
- cycletouring in france - a cicerone guide
- cycling in the french alps - eight classic cycle tours by paul henderson. a cicerone guide
- the tour de france 2006 by john wilcockson
- cycling for health and fitness (revised and updated edition). ed pavelka.
- the six day bicycle races - america's jazz-age sport. peter joffre nye.
- base building for cyclists - thomas chapple
- fausto coppi - jacques augendre
- in search of robert millar - richard moore
- the beautiful machine - graeme fife
- flandrien - stephan vanfleteren
- gracie goat's big bike race
- sports nutrition for endurance athletes - monique ryan
- the racing bike book - haynes publishing
- two wheels by matt seaton - guardian books
- city cycling by richard ballantine - snowbooks
- cyclocross training+technique by simon burney. velopress
- paris roubaix - a journey through hell. velopress
- rouleur photography annual and exhibition 2007
- the tour de france - graeme fife
- cyclist's training diary - joe friel
- the athletes guide to yoga - sage rountree
- the rapha guide to the road climbs of the pyrenees - graeme fife
- sex, lies and handlebar tape - the jacques anquetil story by paul howard
- road bike maintenance by guy andrews
- roadie by jamie smith
- the eagle of the canavese by herbie sykes
- touring in switzerland - a cicerone guide
- we might as well win - johan bruyneel and bill strickland
- heroes, villains and velodromes - chris hoy and britain's track revolution - richard moore
- the tour is won on the alpe - jean-paul vespini
- blazing saddles - matt rendell
- tour climbs - chris sidwells
- riding the storm - geoff thomas
- tomorrow we ride - jean bobet
- the bicycle book - wit, wisdom & wanderings
- campagnolo - 75 years of cycling passion
- rouleur photography annual 2008
- a dog in a hat - joe parkin
- tour de france - the history, the legend, the riders - graeme fife
- cycle for life - nicole cooke
- in pursuit of glory - bradley wiggins
- ten points - bill strickland
- the full cycle - vin denson
- les p'tits velo - janol apin
- weight training for cyclists
- inside stories - a collection of rapha labels
- fallen angel: the passion of fausto coppi. william fotheringham
- paterek manual for bicycle framebuilding - tim paterek
- bicycling for women - gale bernhardt
- hello sailor - michael hutchinson
- pedaling revolution - jeff mapes
- custom bicycles - a passionate pursuit. elliot & jablonka
- graham watson's tour de france travel guide
- a racing cyclist's worst nightmare - tony hewson
- the daily telegraph book of the tour de france
- lance - john wilcockson
- cutting your car use - anna semlyen
- cyclocross - chris hinkle
- olympic gangster - matt rendell
- bicycle diaries - david byrne
- the time crunched training system - chris carmichael
- chris hoy - the autobiography
- ride with me nyc - roos stallinga
- fixed gear culture
- rouleur photo annual 2009
- the wrong kind of snow - woodward/penn
- cicerone guide to cycle touring in ireland - tom cooper
- brompton bicycle - david henshaw
- cicerone guide to traversing the massif central - alan castle
- two wheels on my wagon - paul howard
- the athlete's plate - adam kelinson
- take a seat - dominic gill
- the rapha guide to the great road climbs of the southern alps - graeme fife and pete drinkell
- it's all about the bike - rob penn
- come and gone - joe parkin
- when we were young and carefree - laurent fignon
- 100 greatest cycling climbs - simon warren
- lapize ...now there was an ace - jean bobet
- tour de lance - bill strickland
- bikesnobnyc - eben weiss
- cyclopedia - william fotheringham
- the lost cyclist - david v herlihy
- where to ride in london - nick woodford
- the custom road bike - guy andrews
- the spring classics - velopress
- the peloton - timm koelln
- pocket rocket - steve joughin
- on tour - bradley wiggins & scott mitchell
- brian robinson, pioneer - graeme fife
- ten poems about bicycles - candlestick press
- cyclepedia - michael embacher
- cycling in the peak district - chiz dakin
- vintage people on bicycles
- drink smoke flanders - chris milliman
- maglia rosa - herbie sykes
- wide eyed and legless- jeff connor
- slaying the badger - richard moore
- sky's the limit- richard moore
- the cyclist's friend- chris naylor
- the bicycle book - bella bathurst
- pedalare! pedalare! - john foot
- how i won the yellow jumper - ned boulting
- hell on two wheels - amy snyder
- racing through the dark - david millar
- shay elliot - graham healy & richard allchin
- mud, sweat and gears - ken and maureen nichols
- one man and his bike - mike carter
- cyclosportive - chris sidwells
- excerpt from the obree way - graeme obree
- a bit of an all rounder - john coulson
- salsa for people who probably shouldn't - matt rendell
- team 7-eleven - geoff drake
- the belgian hammer - daniel lee
- bicycle travel journal - nigel peake
- past present future - condor cycles
- nicholas roche - life in the peloton
- bianchi: a bicycle alone in the lead - daniele marchesini
- rouleur photo annual 2011
- the obree way - graeme obree
- the cyclist's guide to hillclimbs on scottish lowland roads
- how cav won the green jersey - ned boulting (e-book)
- richard sachs, bicycle maker - nick czerula
- unsurpassed: the story of tommy godwin - godfrey barlow
- merckx: half man, half bike - william fotheringham
- bike tribes. a field guide to north american cyclists - mike magnuson
- argyle armada - mark johnson
- eddy merckx; the cannibal - daniel friebe
- another 100 greatest cycling climbs - simon warren
- land's end to john o'groats by nick mitchell
- field of fire - jeff connor
- cycle chic - mikael colville andersen
- cycle style - horst a. friedrichs
- born to ride - stephen roche
- cutting edge cycling - hunter allen, stephen cheung
- just ride - grant petersen
- fitness for geeks - bruce w perry
- the dirtiest race in history - richard moore
- cycling in the hebrides - richard barrett
- around ireland on a bike - paul benjaminse
- cycling guide to southern england - harold briercliffe
- the bike owners handbook - pete drinkell
- the road to valour - aili and andres mcconnon
- the eagle of toledo - alasdair fotheringham
- on my own two wheels - malachi o'doherty
- 100 best bikes - zadid sardar
- velo - paul fournel and jo burt
- bike! - richard moore and daniel benson
- mud, snow and cyclocross - molly hurford
- the secret race - tyler hamilton and daniel coyle
- bike craft, design, innovation - the oregon manifest
- between the lines - victoria pendleton and donald mccrae
- raleigh 125th anniversary book
- reg harris - robert dineen
- merckx 525 - velopress
- behind the stare - geoff proctor
- made in england - sowter, feather, peshcke
- bradley wiggins: tour de force - john deering
- allez wiggo - daniel friebe
- the srampagmano tales - scarlett parker
- my time - bradley wiggins
- 21 days to glory - official team sky tour 2012
- coppi - herbie sykes
- everyday bicycling - elly blue
- the cycling anthology issue one
- the bicycle reader - jack thurston
- cycle space - steven fleming
- inside out - tom southam and camille mcmillan
- ride 2: bicycle fiction
- the complete guide to sports nutrition - anita bean
- the rhine cycle route - mike wells
- dennis horn - racing for an english rose - peter underwood
- fitter, further, faster - charlton, hicks and reynolds
- hellingen; a road cyclist's guide to belgium's greatest cycling climbs - simon warren
- paris-roubaix: the inside story - les woodland
- lost lanes - jack thurston
- maglia rosa second edition - herbie sykes
- twelve months in the saddle - john deering & phil ashley
- tour de france 100 - richard moore
- racing hard - william fotheringham
- tour de france 100 official treasures - carlton publishing
- cycling anthology volume two - birnie, bacon
- 100 years of the tour de france - quercus publishing
- riding hard - william fotheringham
- the race against time - edward pickering
- easy rider - rob hayles
- hunger - sean kelly
- va va froome - david sharp
- the rules - velominati
- golden stages of the tour de france - allchin & bell
- haynes advanced road bike maintenance
- land of second chances - tim lewis
- the culinary cyclist - anna brones
- 30 year cycle - chris boulton
- complete road bike maintenance - guy andrews
- the waltonwood journal
- steel soul - andrew g smith
- l'album d'eddy
- 101 - bradley wiggins & scott mitchell
- cyclo cross photo book - balint hamvas
- the long race to glory - chris sidwells
- the elite bicycle - gerard brown and graeme fife
- it's all about the bike - sean yates
- classic cycling race routes - chris sidwells
- project rainbow - rod ellingworth
- life cycle - gary sutherland
- rapha city guides
- the waltonwood journal no.2
- the cycling anthology no.3
- the pain and the glory - team sky
- rouleur centenary tour annual 2013
- reading the race - jamie smith
- wheelmen - albergotti & o'connell
- pocket road bike maintenance - guy andrews
- at speed - mark cavendish
- viva la vuelta - lucy fallon and adrian bell
- the girl's guide to life on two wheels - cathy bussey
- ordinary - john bradshaw
- a bicycle ride in yorkshire - heather dawe
- the monuments - peter cossins
- racing weight cookbook - matt fitzgerald & georgie fear
- racing weight cookbook - matt fitzgerald & georgie fear
- faster - michael hutchinson
- get on your bike - rebecca charlton, robert hicks & hannah reynolds
- lanterne rouge - max leonard
- gironimo - tim moore
- the veteran's guide to gearing up for your ride - tom allen
- the road cyclist's companion - peter drinkell
- 100 greatest cycling climbs of the tour de france - simon warren
- yoga for cyclists - lexie williamson
- the complete history of the world's greatest cycle race - marguerite lazell
- reckless, the life and times of luis ocana - alasdair fotheringham
- on the road bike revised edition - ned boulting
- etape - richard moore
- merckx 69 - tonny strouken & jan maes
- shadows on the road - michael barry
- the complete book of the tour de france 2014 edition - feargal mckay
- climbs and punishment - felix lowe
- the cycling anthology number four
- amigo - nando boers & pedro horillo
- the climb - chris froome
- bike fit - phil burt
- cycle of lies - juliet macur
- eric's big day - rod waters
- kings of pain - rapha
- ocana - carlos arribas
- a clean break - christophe bassons
- the loyal lieutenant - george hincapie
- the road headed west - leon mccarron
- cyclocross 2013/2014 photo album - balint hamvas
- along the med on a bike called reggie - andrew sykes
- the race against the stasi - herbie sykes
- pro cycling on $10 a day - phil gaimon
- two days in yorkshire - pave publishing
- the moselle cycle route - mike wells
- how to be a cyclist - john deering & phil ashley
- great british cycling - ellis bacon
- the moselle cycle route - mike wells
- transport, climate change and the city - hickman & banister
- roads were not built for cars - carlton reid
- ray's mtb indoor bike park - johnathan allen and ray petro
- cycling anthology volume five
- infographic guide to cycling - roadcyclinguk
- bike mechanic - guy andrews & rohan dubash
- 101 damnations - ned boulting
- goggles and dust - velopress
- the great fatsby - elden nelson
- bicycling around the world - jeurissen & johnson
- the danube cycleway vol. one - mike wells
- eat bacon, don't jog - grant petersen
- 20 classic sportive rides in south east england
- hinault - ruben van gucht
- to hell on a bike - iain macgregor
- between worlds - andrew welch
- cycling climbs - nigel peake and claire beaumont
- eat sleep cycle - anna hughes
- bernard hinault - william fotheringham
- cyclogeography - jon day
- alpe d'huez - peter cossins
- the hebrides - peter edwards
- the grand tour cookbook - hannah grant
- kings of the road - robert dineen
- a corinthian endeavour - paul jones
- vélochef - henrik orre
- rapha's mondial magazine
- the great boffo - frank dickens
- the yellow jersey club - ed pickering
- cyclocross 2014/2015 - balint hamvas
- beyond the finish line -philipp hympendahl
- a year in the saddle - giles belbin
- the racer - david millar
- the cycling anthology volume six
- the bolt supremacy - richard moore
- the world of cycling according to g - geraint thomas
- the man who made things out of trees - robert penn
- everybody's friend - peter cossins
- shoulder to shoulder - velopress
- my hour - bradley wiggins
- journey- ben ingham
- the mamils a to z - wilson & rickett
- the danube cycleway vol 2 - cicerone guides
- cycling in the hebrides - cicerone guides
- lost lanes wales - jack thurston
- ventoux-bert wagendorp
- connected - matthias schneider
- zinn and the art of road bike maintenance - lennard zinn
- the bicycle colouring book - shan jiang
- grand tour - richard mitchelson
- lands end to john o'groats - nick mitchell
- art of the jersey - andy storey
- shut up legs - jens voigt
- africa solo - mark beaumont
- the great bike race - geoffrey nicholson
- cycling in the lake district - richard barrett
- triumphs and turbulence - chris boardman
- magnum cycling photography - guy andrews
- the cyclist's bucket list - eliza southwood
- circus - camille mcmillan
- the invisible mile - david coventry
- the cyclist who went out in the cold - tim moore
- boulting's velosaurus - ned boulting
- greg lemond. yellow jersey racer - guy andrews
- river rhone cycle route - mike wells
- reinventing the automobile - mitchell, borroni-bird, burns
- from bicycle to superbike - hadland & burrows
- crapper cycle lanes - david whelan
- brooks compendium
- walking the speyside way - alan castle
- dead reckoning: the photo book
- around the world in eightly days - belbin & seex
- the climbs of south-west england - simon warren
- the men of paris-roubaix - max leonard
- the haywire heart - case, mandrola, zinn
- bike nation - peter walker
- giro d'italia - colin o'brien
- steadfast-my story - lizzie armitstead
- giro d'italia - colin o'brien
- a man and his bike - wilfried de jong
- cycling climbs of scotland - simon warren
- giro 100 - herbie sykes
- higher calling - max leonard
- indurain - alasdair fotheringham
- the hardmen - velominati
- ask a pro - phil gaimon
- butcher, blacksmith, acrobat, sweep - peter cossins
- tom simpson - andy mcgrath
- bike boom - carlton reid
- the time crunched cyclist - chris carmichael & jim rutberg
- the cycling cartoonist - dave walker
- spain to norway on a bike called reggie - andrew sykes
- mrs flying scotsman - anne obree
- simon's cycle shorts - simon bever
- three weeks, eight seconds - nige tassell
- the descent - thomas dekker
- cycling climbs of north-east england - simon warren
- cycling the lancashire cycleway - jon sparks
- chasing the rainbow - giles belbin
- cycling climbs of north-west england - simon warren
- cycling science - cheung & zabala
- anquetil. alone - paul fournel
- rainbows in the mud - paul maunder
- woods. a celebration - robert penn
- duffs fantastic cycling gizmos - graham high
- gravel cycling - nick legan
- cycling podcast - moore, birnie & friebe
- the ronde: inside the tour of flanders - edward pickering
- sunday in hell - william fotheringham
- the all new cyclist's training bible 5th edition - joe friel
- copenhagenize - mikael colville-andersen
- full gas - peter cossins
- the call of the road - chris sidwells
- the wind at my back - paul maunder
- getting started in road cycling - guy andrews and laura quick
- american pro - jamie smith
- cartes du tour - paul fournel
- the road cycling performance manual - nikalas cook
- london to paris - mike wells
- racing bicycles - nick higgins
- the wild atlantic way and western ireland - tom cooper
- coast to coast across lancashire - rachel crolla
- around the world in eighty days - mark beaumont
- building the cycling city - melissa & chris bruntlett
- cycling lôn las cymru - richard barrett
- the theory of type design - gerard unger
- my world - peter sagan
- i like alf - paul jones
- queens of pain - isabel best
- rich mitch 'legends' takenotebook
- peaky climbers. paul mcintosh with anna hughes
- the road book - a cycling almanack - boulting, kelly
- the tour according to g - geraint thomas
- rapha handbook 02 longer rides - jo burt
- cicerone 50th anniversary - kev reynolds
- cycling the canal de la garonne - declan lyons
- pantani was a god - marco pastonesi
- cycling the camino de santiago - mike wells
- pedro delgado. a life on the pedals
- outdoor adventures with children - rachel crolla and carl mckeating
- the beast, the emperor and the milkman - harry pearson
- 100 greatest cycling climbs of italy - simon warren
- mind is the ride - jet mcdonald
- the secret cyclist
- need for the bike - paul fournel
- chasing lines - james mclaren
- rough stuff fellowship archive
- cycle touring in wales - richard barrett
- the yellow jersey - peter cossins
- one way ticket - jonathan vaughters
- magic spanner - carlton kirby
- the self sufficient cyclist - guy kesteven
- cycling anatomy (2nd edition) - shannon sovndal
- viva la vuelta - fallon & bell
- the greatest. the times and life of beryl burton - will fotheringham
- cycle touring in northern scotland - mike wells
- where there's a will - emily chappell
- the power of pink annual - rapha/blutrain
- exploring off-road - helen wyman
- navigation. techniques and skills for walkers (cyclists) - pete hawkins
- navigation. techniques and skills for walkers (cyclists) - pete hawkins
- the grand tour files 2019 - pete linsley
- the medal factory - kenny pryde
- colombia es pasion! - matt rendell
- lost lanes north - jack thurston
- balmamion - herbie sykes
- mountains. epic cycling climbs - michael blann
- the bicycle clip diaries - nick raistrick
- gears for queers - melton and cooper
- cycling hadrian's cycleway - mckeating/crolla
- northern line 2021 calendar
- mountains according to g - geraint thomas
- ride inside - friel and rutberg
- ride britain - simon warren
- raincoats are for tourists - isabel best
- la course en tete - will fotheringham et al
- being gary fisher - guy kesteven
- slow rise - robert penn
- the road book 2020 - ned boulting
- end to end - paul jones
- bespoke - tom bromley
- pennine bridleway - hannah collingridge
- a cylcist's guide to the pyrenees- peter cossins
- the art of cycling - james hibbard
- war on wheels - justin mccurry
- the midlife cyclist - phil cavell
- from a to b. a cartoon guide to getting around by bike - dave walker
- land's end to john o'groats - richard barrett
- big rides - kathy rogers/marcus stitz
- cycling the reivers route - crolla and mckeating
- signs of life - stephen fabes
- vuelta skelter - tim moore
- a brief history of motion - tom standage
- desire, discrimination,determination -marlon lee moncrieffe
- exponential -azeem azhar
- 1001 cycling tips - hannah reynolds
- more rough stuff
- the road book 2021 - edited by ned boulting
- cycling the elbe cycling route - mike wells
- god is dead. the rise and fall of frank vandenbroucke - andy mcgrath
- cycling the ruta via de la plata - john hayes
- gravel rides scotland -ed shoote
- the break - steve cummings
- jan ullrich - daniel friebe
- great british gravel rides -markus stitz
- beryl - jeremy wilson
- climbers - peter cossins
- the dot - lachlan morton
- the sound of the machine - karl bartos
- traffic-free cycle trails south east england - nick cotton & kathy rogers
- the northern line cycling calendar 2023
- britain's best bike ride - walsh & reynolds
- chased by pandas - dan martin
- two wheels good - jody rosen
- the road book 2022 5th edition - ed. ned boulting
- the brompton: engineering for change. will butler-adams
- a brief history of pasta. - luca cesari
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