Jaundiced and Amateurish

The consensus here is that you have not done yourself any favours with the recent Birdy Black test (A to B 44).Whilst we know people will form their own opinions, the feel of the test is both jaundiced and amateurish for what is normally a very professional publication.

Our main bone of contention is the tyre issue.You could have brought the bike back, or at least phoned so we could mail you a replacement tyre. According to our mechanics, this is the only incident of a Birdy tyre coming off the rim.With 10,000 Birdies produced a year, I think we would have heard of any large-scale problems.With respect to the test bike, we also tried and failed to seat the troublesome tyre and fitted a new one.We agree that what happened to the test bike is potentially serious, but it doesn’t deserve the bad press.

The other issue is the taller Comfort stem: we equip 90% of our Birdies with Comfort stems, as purchasers are either female or prefer a more upright riding position. In our opinion this adds negligible weight and cost and adds no complication to the folding procedure. As for carrying long, heavy objects under your arm – we would advise using a trailer.We could go on, but we would end up criticising 75% of your test.

Richard and Gary
Avon Valley Cyclery, Bath

Good in Parts

Thanks for the interesting and insightful review of the Birdy Black. Although you have some valid concerns about the tyres, and value-for-money against the competition, there is one feature that I particularly admire on the Birdy that received little attention: the rear suspension protects the rack, as well as the rider, from road bumps.This might seem a strange concern, since groceries don’t usually mind being jostled, but less stress on the cargo also means less stress on the bike. I’ve experienced pinch flats, broken spokes, and even a cracked frame, as a result of heavy loads on the rear rack. Almost all of Riese and Muller’s bikes offer this feature, perhaps most elegantly on the Avenue city bike.

On most full suspension bikes, one could only obtain this advantage by clamping a rack to the seatpost, but that would be marginal for loads heavy enough to make this an issue. The new Tubus Vega rear rack mounts on the suspended portion of the frame, but it only works with bikes that have special mounting points. Several German bike manufacturers are now making bikes with these mounting points, but I haven’t found any outside Germany.

Charlie Sullivan
New Hampshire, USA

Dahon is Better

I’d go along with your comments on the Birdy Black. My commuting problems have been solved with a Dahon – cheaper, better equipped, and with better road tyres. I’m getting a second set of wheels so that I can use it both for the commute (partly towpath in winter) and for fun on the road. It actually handles the towpath very well, and is certainly better than the Birdy on the road, and even at list price it would be cheaper than the Birdy Black (though not the Red). Actually in standard form it makes a lot of Bike Fridays look pretty silly too, at UK prices at least.

Mike Hessey
Dudley,West Midlands

Bascule Crossing

The recent tragic level crossing crash near Newbury lead to my revisiting a personal piece of lateral thinking.Why not treat the at-grade crossing just as you would a waterway crossing, where the road or railway is swung, lifted or slid clear of the boats? On reflection I opted for a ‘lifting’ design, allowing the deck surface to rest on the track foundation.This design would suit most one or two-track high speed lines including those with overhead electrification.The essence is a counterweighted lightweight platform which sits across the line, and has to be powered into the down position, presenting a positive means of ensuring the rail route cannot be occupied by a vehicle when the road is raised. Naturally, the signalling would show ‘line blocked’ until the platforms were in the ‘up’ position (much as the current system indicates if the barriers have failed to lower, or other warnings to activate, by maintaining the rail signal at danger). Swing bridges exist on the A82 and A9 trunk roads and there is a very famous lifting bascule bridge on the A2…Tower Bridge.

Dave Holladay
dave.holladay@ctc.org.uk Glasgow

There are many advantages – cars cannot turn onto the tracks (surprisingly common), small objects will be thrown clear as the bridge lifts, while larger ones will prevent it from lifting, keeping rail signals at danger.Two-wheelers would no longer have to negotiate slippery rails, and the weight of HGVs would be transferred away from the track, reducing maintenance. (Eds)

Another Weighty Problem

After reading about weighty riders in A to B 44, I wonder if I’m unique. Over the space of around six years heavy commuting from Oxford to London, I’ve managed to break almost every bit of my first Brompton, so much so that the company replaced the frame, handlebars (twice), handlebar stem, gear sprocket (three times), gear casing (once), folding pedal…. and I’m not that hefty (88 to 90 kg).

Paul Mylrea
Oxford

Some people break things and others don’t. I weigh 85kg (big bones, you see), but have never broken anything on a Brompton (or anything else) apart from a pair of very old handlebars that gently sagged at the traffic lights (I rode on carefully).That might imply that I’m a heavy but gentle rider, but my 1991 Brompton managed to hold off a large field at Cyclefest a few years back (for half a lap at least), so we can’t be that lethargic. It must come down to riding style. (David Henshaw)

Towing Kayaks

The Innova Safari - an inflatable that can be carried by bike

Just wondering about trailers for a Brompton, as I am about to replace my 1994 bike. Ideally, I’d like a trailer that could carry quite a bit of shopping and also firewood from the local sawmill.

This is probably a crazy idea, but I’ll throw it in anyway! I am going to buy a kayak early in 2005, as I feel the need to work on my upper body as well as the lower half, which benefits from cycling and running. I intend to use it on the Oxford to Banbury canal which is about seven miles away, along a mainly shared-use path. Is there any way I could tow a kayak behind a Brompton, or one of our bigger bikes? They are eight feet long I believe.

David Earley
Oxford

See page 36 for general advice on trailers. As for the kayak, we’d say you have two choices – either an inflatable (it can be carried on a Brompton, see www.geocities.com/amfoldarover/red_rover.html), but you’ll need some puff, or a ‘spine’ trailer, such as the one produced by Bikes at Work in the USA.This useful and adaptable vehicle – see www.bikesatwork.com – can be extended in sections from 50cm (20″) to a maximum length of 295cm (116″) and is suitable for canoes of up to 5.5 metres long and 150lb on weight. At current exchange rates this costs a reasonable £195, plus shipping of £49 (surface mail) or £78 (airmail). Every home should have one. (Eds)

Political Intrigue

Watching the 6 o’clock news on BBC1 on Wednesday 10th November I was distracted from Andrew Marr by a man stepping out of 10 Downing Street carrying a folded green Brompton. Surely he must be an A to B reader? Does anyone know who he is and what he was doing there?

Seamus King
Maltby, South Yorkshire

Several other letters on this momentous event. Sir, you have been unearthed. (Eds)

Trailer Bikes

Regarding the letter ‘Two-Child Transport’ (A to B 44), our children Daisy and Anders are now three and five respectively. From about the age of six months, we used a Rhode Gear carrier on a Dawes Galaxy touring bike.Then when Anders was two we fitted a crossbar seat, with foot rest on the down tube and loops to stop his feet slipping.

Now the children are older, Anders rides a Tag-along trailerbike.We got one without gears for about £100, but you can buy a Trek for £120 which is a lot more like a real bike. I preferred the crossbar seat, as it is great for talking to the child while we are riding, and I can explain when we stop to cross roads, and ask him if it’s clear to proceed. I’m hoping that will be useful for road safety awareness!

Now Daisy can ride with stabilisers, we’ve got a Trail-gator for my wife’s bike.When they both go to school (two miles), we’re planning to get one of those Bike Friday Family Triple tandems.

Adrian L Mills Walton-on-Thames, Surrey

The Bike Friday Family Triple seems to be the favourite solution for carrying older children. (Eds)

On Your Doorstep?

Regarding the letter ‘Utopia’ (Letters, A to B 44), we would recommend Morag jumps on the train to visit Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op at 8 Alvaney Terrace (near Whitehouse Loan). My catalogue is out of date, but they design their own hybrid/town bikes and would certainly advise on a suitable bike for around £200.Their prices are competitive, and they are a workers’ co-operative.

Alex & Val Lawson
Cowes, Isle of Wight

Thanks to those who recommended the Bicycle Co-op.The shop did once supply ‘proper’ bicycles, but it no longer seems to, and has yet to respond to our request for information. (Eds)

Go German!

…has Morag thought of buying German bikes for herself and friends? They could hire a van and bring back ten bikes, complete with dynamo lights, mudguards, propstand, pump etc. The German bikes we saw are slightly lower quality than Dutch bikes, but a lot cheaper, starting at around £200. My German bike (a Goericke Dorada) is the one I ride most in the winter. It is extremely comfortable and the totally dependable back-pedal rear brake works well even in the rain. I don’t think anything similar is available in the UK. I can recommend: www.goericke-rad.de . www.gudereit.de . www.winora.de

Re: ‘An Electrifying Practice’, could I say that the best advice is probably to buy a new moped! We have found over long experience that there are usually only one or two car- free solutions to each transport problem, and if you find one that works, stick to it! I also combine scooter and bicycle transport daily, as we could find no other solution other than to buy a car. I take the kids to school on foot and then have 25 minutes to do nine miles to work, and often have to go back to work in the evening, making 36 miles each day, cross- country.There are no nearer jobs! However, I always try to fit in an hour on the bicycle for shopping and exercise, before fetching the children again. A scooter will, I hate to say, get you further and faster than an electric bike but only costs a quarter as much as a car to buy and run, and doesn’t block up the roads.

And no, we still have not needed to buy a four-wheeled gas guzzler!

Fiona Le Ny
Folkestone

We find the best electric bikes are just adequate for our longest regular cross-country journeys of 18 miles, but the technology is a bit marginal. On the positive side, we have the exercise and all the freedom of a bicycle, without the hassle of helmets, insurance, road tax and so on. (Eds)

Out of Stock…

After your glowing report on the Giant Lafree ST we went out to try and buy one, but everyone must have had the same idea! We checked the Giant website for local stockists, but had to go to Cambridge just to try the 4-speed Comfort, as there were no bikes in Norfolk.We ordered the 5-speed ST, only to get a phone call to say it will be at least March 2005 before any come on stream from Giant. Gosh – do they take that long to make? Or are they not making any at the moment.What’s the problem?

Phyll Hardie Norwich, Norfolk

Giant has had problems persuading cycle shops to stock the Lafree, which caused a shortage when demand inevitably took off. Full marks to those shops that ordered the Lafree in 2002, when we first said it was something special, and commiserations to those who waited until potential customers were queueing out of the door.The bike trade in the UK needs to be more proactive – it’s no use grumbling that big discount stores are selling all the MTBs when you don’t back the specialist products.We hope Giant will favour those who had the faith to order early on. (Eds)

Chargers & Stands

Some while ago you made a recommendation for a centre stand for the Lafree electric bicycle. Can you please provide the details and, if possible, a retailer (preferably in Dorset)? I have owned a Lafree Comfort for two years and apart from wishing that I had taken your advice and bought the basic model and an extra battery, I have been pretty much satisfied. I only have one gripe and that is the battery charger… I am now on my third one as well as my second battery, the latter I suspect, being changed as it was felt that the charger could not have failed… again.The bike is used daily (Monday to Friday) on a 14-mile round trip to work, as well as numerous lunchtime trips and is an ideal workhorse – comfortable, safe and, apart from the charger, extremely reliable.

I am a tad over 16 stone and carry my Jack Russell in a specially-designed container on the rear carrier, so we’re no light load, which probably explains why I have to charge the battery almost daily. I usually ride on the ‘eco’ setting, deliberately making hard work of it for the sake of exercise, but when I’ve had a bad day I can take it as easy as I like.

All in all, I’m happy having just the one car and the Lafree, and value both the exercise and the economy… I would however, appreciate any comments from other regular users who have also found a problem with the charger as I’m sure that I’m not the only one.

Mick Jarrett
user@mjarrett.freeserve.co.uk
Crossways, Dorset

The stand is a Swiss-made Esge dual-leg device – make sure to ask for the one with long legs (the stand, not the assistant). Some mild adaptation is needed to clear the Lafree motor, but it’s worth all the trouble. If the excellent Dorchester Cycles doesn’t keep these, we’ll be very surprised. (Eds)

Charged in Error

Having suffered the oft-reported failure (Lafree Long-term test, A to B 44) of my 2003 Giant Lafree charger, I ordered a replacement in May and was surprised to receive a different unit made by Metco, which seems much more positive in operation. Charge time is about the same and the LED system similar, but after reaching full charge it turns off, then cycles on and off, staying on for roughly two seconds in every 64.With my old Panasonic unit it was hard to tell if it was trickle charging or not and the cut-out time was always rather vague and variable.

Tony Flecchia
Croydon

If your charger has failed, you’re clearly not alone, but hopefully the problem is now resolved. Giant has confirmed that the Panasonic charger has been replaced. (Eds)

ITchair

In a recent (last 12 months) issue of your excellent magazine you ran a picture of a Brompton with a bar running from the seat post to the front of the frame with a small child seat on it, the child sitting between the arms of the rider. Please could you let me know something more about this device. Is it an official Brompton product or a bit of clever Heath Robinson engineering on the part of the owner? I have a Birdy Blue and would like to try something similar for myself and my five-year-old daughter.

Also, do you know of any trailerbike product or adaptor that would allow me to safely and securely fit a trailerbike to the seat post of my Birdy without compromising the manoeu- vrability of either bit? I have found a Trek unit that fits, but it is a snug fit, and any attempt at shimming it makes the connection too tight to turn effectively.

Richard Marks Oldham, Lancashire

The ITchair was designed in Spain and adopted by the Spanish Brompton distributor Bike-Tech. We’ve heard that production seats should be ready by Christmas.These will be in light alloy, complete with a saddle or baby seat (as shown).We think the ITchair could be adapted to fit the Birdy and other folding bikes. More information at www.itchair.com or info@bike-tech.net (Eds)

The Final Word

In which you get your say… briefly

Top of the pile . Superb in every way . An oasis of good sense . Small, but perfectly formed A beacon of sanity amidst the encroaching madness . Interesting, intelligent and literate A refreshing lack of spin . Important, amazing and informing . Well presented and informative . The only mag for Mr Everyman with an interest in day-to-day cycle usage Excellent, at a time when most decent bike magazines have folded . The ‘Folder’ events are missed! Always read first in this house . The style of writing makes all articles an enjoyable read . I do not like the anti-car attitude: there is a place for bikes and cars Carrying bikes by car should be covered . Don’t be afraid to be ‘in the face’ of car culture! The only magazine about minimalist transport and against government/big business transport policies . More on car-free living, please . More about campaigning and political developments Keep highlighting the widening gap between government targets and reality . Too blinkered in some reviews . Less Brompton bias please . As Brompton owners, we find technical information, improvements and modifications interesting . Brilliant – I’m not that interested in electric and folding bikes, but they’re significant socially [a social scientist] Professor Pivot is right on my wavelength [a scientist] . Inspiring, especially cycle trailers I completely endorse your appeal to reason and sound engineering versus fashion and ‘lifestyle’ . I like the train articles .Any electric folders? What is an electric bike when it runs out of battery? More folding touring and travel would make a fabby read even fabbier A to B remains a crucial read – I still love the humour . Love the slightly eccentric style Reading it is all over too quickly .A cracking good read . I enjoy it all – especially the humour Please publish a list of all bikes! [It’s at www.atob.org.uk – Eds] . Even more please! Bring back Mr Portly . Please bring back Mr Portly . Mr Portly reminds me of an acquaintance, but I have never let him read it . Cheaper than Penthouse . Love it! Great fun – up the Establishment

Climb Every Mountain

The ‘kick-change’ Speed Drive is well suited to the Brompton

Regarding Brompton gears (A to B 42), those who own the 6-speed machine would no doubt do well to experiment with sprocket changes, but owners of older machines (which I believe cannot be economically upgraded) don’t have this option. I think that the principal objection to multiple chainrings is that, so far as I am aware, there is no ‘mainstream’ conversion available. Inevitably, they do add complication but I liked the minimalist approach of a Brompton rider I encountered on the C2C who shifted his chain with a hand-held hook, apparently fashioned from a wire coathanger. My own design uses a Shimano braze- on mech and thumb shifter and is mainly aimed at filling the gaps in the standard Sturmey 5-speed range. I agree a wider range would be helpful but, pending the availability of better things, it seems we have to choose – never mind the width, feel the closeness!

I agree with what you say about possible chain-related problems; you might have added that the cage of the front mech has to be open at the bottom so as to allow the bike to fold. It occurs to me to add that a conversion provides an excuse to get rid of the rather down market standard chainset and benefit from shorter cranks.

George Winspur
Rochester, Kent

We’re still not keen. A multiple chainring adds more weight than a sprocket change and you have to fold the bike with care, particularly when the chain gets a bit old and slack – we’ve seen broken tensioner arms caused by misaligned, slack chains. For older Bromptons, we’d recommend either fitting the excellent Mountain or Speed Drive conversion (not cheap, but engineered for life), or trading the bike in for a new 6-speed with alternative sprockets. The secondhand value of grotty old Bromptons makes this very worthwhile. (Eds)

Extra Gears = More Speed?

I found the test of the Lafree Comfort ST interesting, because I’ve been using a SRAM 5- speed hub on my Lafree Lite since fitting it early this year. After nearly a thousand miles, I can confirm that the change does improve somewhat with time as Giant indicated, but it never gets anywhere near the slickness of the Nexus three speed. However, it soon becomes instinctive to stop pedalling and allow that moment extra for the ‘click’ from the hub. Given the hill climbing ability, it doesn’t matter if one involuntarily stops at a change down from second to first, since even a 1 in 7 hill start with a 14 kilogram trailer attached is easy with moderate assistance.

I’ve also tried both 18- and 17-tooth rear sprockets in place of the standard SRAM 19- tooth. Any hypothetical illegality due to the use of the 18-tooth is virtually undetectable, given that the power begins to phase out at higher crank speed. However, the legal position isn’t really the issue, particularly with a 17-tooth – it’s more the lack of available power. In fifth with the 17-tooth, the least incline or moderate headwind forces a premature change down to fourth, leaving one travelling slower than if the original 19-tooth was in use, so after extensive testing with both 18- and 17-tooth, I concluded the standard arrangement was best. Also, as ever with NiMh or Nicd battery power, what’s viable when the battery is fully charged can soon prove not to be so in the latter half of the charge usage as the voltage reduces.

Tony Flecchia
Croydon

One problem with the Lafree for enthusiastic cyclists is the rather limited top gear ratio of around 80-inches – if a higher gear is used, the bike will either run illegally fast or, as Tony found, give up on hills. A solution might be to fit the bike with a 5-speed hub and ultra-high gearing to give four power-assisted ratios, and a sort of overdrive top, for use with the motor turned off when the going is easy and you want to pedal at higher speed. (Eds)

Familiar Semi-recumbent

Urban Glider (above) and Giant Revive (below) Despite technical differences, the bikes are remarkably similar in terms of geometry and equipment

At the CTC York rally I had a brief try on a pedal-assisted semi- recumbent electric bike from an outfit called Urban Mover. It was twistgrip operated, but power only came on when pedalling. At around £850, I thought it was very competitive, and streets ahead of the Lafree in appearance.

But for ‘worried . mum of  Surrey’  (Letters, A to B 42), don’t   think of buying  your 14 year old an electric bike. Offer him a decent sports tourer with a reasonable rack/pannier/saddlebag arrangement. He’ll be fitter, stronger and more independent… never did me any harm anyway.

Jim Whitfield
Beverley,Yorkshire

Ah, those were the days. Incidentally, despite having a bus season ticket, editor David Henshaw cycled six miles each way to school for several years (and occasionally home to lunch), all on a single-speed bike, dreaming all the while of owning a Sturmey 3-speed (this is all true). However, that was in flat seaside terrain.We should have made it clear that the route described in the letter crosses the South Downs between Albury and Cranleigh – a climb of at least 500 feet each way.Throw in the stress of dealing with rampaging four-wheel-drives, and it’s definitely an electric bike job, unless the young man is really keen.

The Urban Glider UM30 is a fascinating machine, very similar to the unassisted Giant EZB semi-recumbent, but with NiMH power and a competitive claimed weight of 26kg. If you want one you’ll have to hurry, as Giant is taking action to get it removed from sale due to copyright infringements, which is hardly surprising. (Eds)

Which Tyre Size?

I was interested in Nils Hoglund’s letter in A to B 42. I have no personal experience of folding bikes but I am hoping to buy one in the near future, and have been carefully scrutinising the reviews in A to B to select my model. Despite the acclaim given to the Brompton, I am rather put off by what appear – to someone used to a conventional bike – to be its very small wheels, which look like a lot of hard work, and I have been considering the Dahon Helios as an alternative, simply because of the 20-inch wheel size.

I would welcome some information and discussion on this point, and contributions from other readers’ experiences. Are 16-inch wheels really too tiring for anything more than short journeys nipping around town?

Peter Bolwell
Hastings, East Sussex

Although we’re evangelists for small wheels, we can’t deny that rolling resistance rises as wheel diameter decreases, but with modern tyres the effect is quite small.The best 20-inch (406mm) bikes are almost indistinguishable from big wheelers – in fact, the reduced mass and lower wind resistance probably makes them faster on good road surfaces.With the smaller 347mm tyre fitted to the Brompton, the performance gap is beginning to widen, but we’ve ridden 100 miles (once!), and many 50 mile days without exhaustion. If you can find a comfortable wind-cheating position, the tyre size becomes relatively unimportant. Sub-347mm sizes really are limited to short distances, although oddly our rolling resistance figures don’t seem to bear this out. Perhaps the extra fatigue results from the choppier less forgiving ride, rather than rolling resistance alone? (Eds)

Fluctuating Thingies

Drive system on the EPS Amigo, one of the very few electric bikes to offer regenerative braking

It is well known that a fluctuating magnetic field will produce a fluctuating electric current in a conductor and that conversely a fluctuating electric current will produce a fluctuating magnetic field. Can someone explain why an electric bike is designed to be run by pedal power on a level road and power-assisted to climb a hill but not arranged to charge the battery and at the same time provide braking assistance when travelling downhill.

Alex Massie
Chirnside, Berwickshire

Professor Pivot Replies: ‘Regenerative’ braking is something of a Holy Grail for cyclists and by far the most common question about electric bikes. My negative replies are always met with rather crestfallen, gloomy looks! Firstly, electrical braking can be and very occasionally is built into electric bikes, but it’s hardly worthwhile for a number of reasons. As a general rule, motors turn much faster than road wheels, so a fair amount of energy is required simply to turn the gears and motor. Consequently, most are fitted with a one-way clutch to disengage the motor when the rider is coasting or pedalling without assistance. For the motor to be available as a brake, it would have to be permanently engaged, with all the energy losses that would entail.

A few sophisticated wheel-speed AC motors have been produced, eliminating the frictional loss problem (and, incidentally, most of the noise). As AC motors are inherently well suited to providing regenerative braking, these are usually fitted with such a system. However, when you take into account chemical, electrical and frictional losses in the battery, controls, wiring, motor, drive system and tyres, plus vehicle wind resistance, there may be very little power left to store. A few years ago I experimented with a Zappy scooter, and found that the descent was regenerating a mere 20% of the energy consumed on the climb! I suspect that suitable AC motors will eventually become commonplace, but the impetus for regenerative braking will have more to do with reducing stress on the conventional braking system than improved power-assist efficiency.

Whacky Fringe

We all know that the Association of British Drivers is a small group of right-wing nutters with a tenuous grasp of reality. However, they have garnered a huge amount of media attention, out of all proportion to their real significance.

So, let’s set up the Association of British Cyclists (ABC) whose job will be to pronounce similarly whacky views, albeit from a two-wheel perspective.The ABD wants to ban speed cameras (except for those few in ‘appropriate places’ of course) – the ABC will counter with a demand for cameras placed every 100 metres on every stretch of road, everywhere.The ABD wants the motorway speed limit raised; the ABC would like to see it cut to 40mph, with the inside lane reserved for bikes. And so it goes on.

This way, the ABC can be dismissed as a radical fringe, leaving the CTC and LCC looking terribly moderate and responsible.Well, it’s a thought isn’t it?

Peter Henshaw
Sherborne, Dorset

Trundling and Musing

While trundling home in a downpour recently, I managed to enter a higher mental plane by contemplating on the design of a folding tandem. I’ve thought for a long time that there is an empty niche for a Brompton- or Birdy-esque tandem, folding to public transport size in less than a minute without disassembly.

The problem has always been, what to do with the timing chain? Folding the rear wheel under interferes with the chain. All obvious solutions involve removal and filth. My mind drifted back to articles in recent A to B’s and the piece in issue 39, on shaft drives. I think that this is the answer.A shaft drive connecting front and rear cranks, with a chain final drive.

The bike would fold in the same places as a Brompton, have 349mm wheels, suspension front and rear, drum brakes and an 8-speed hub.The solution seems so obvious that I think that I must have missed something. Nothing in cycling design is really new, so has this been done before?

Davy Nichol
Symington, Ayrshire

It can be made to work – see the folding shaft-drive on the Di Blasi trike, page 36. (Eds)

Peak Oil

Tony Raven (Letters, A to B 42) was right to be wary of any pundit using the phrase ‘running out of oil’. But those in the ‘70s with access to the best data were predicting that output would reach an absolute maximum around the year 2000 and then go into permanent decline. In the event, the year-on-year increase in global demand was substantially curtailed following the oil crises, but after a short-lived decline, consumption resumed its upward trajectory. Contrary to Tony’s impression, those leading the wake-up call on Peak Oil are primarily retired geologists. See the Association for the Study of Peak Oil (www.peakoil.net).

Bill Jamieson
Stow, Borders

Clip Your Own

You might be interested in visiting www.bikesmithdesign.com/peters_pedals/ which describes some removable SPD pedals I made using MKS Promenade pedals and a cleat from another pedal.The pictures are on the Minnesota Human Powered Vehicles Association website for reasons that are too complicated to go into! I have replaced my folding toe clips with this new solution. Much better when clipped in and much more convenient when using ordinary shoes.

Peter Amey
Bradford on Avon,Wiltshire

The MKS Promenade demountable pedals (see Helios SL) are a useful folding bike accessory, but cost in the region of £60 a pair. Any good bike shop should be able to order them, although Norman Fay Cycles is the only stockist we’ve yet come across – tel: 0191 456 1055. (Eds)

Electrifying

I have two 5-speed Bromptons both with front and rear carriers etc, the older with two gear levers, the younger (inherited from my late son) with one. I keep one in southwest Scotland where it is moderately hilly, and being of free TV licence age I would appreciate some power-assistance on the hills! The nearest shop and pub are five miles return away along the coast road, but I would be tempted to go further with a little help.

As an avid A to B reader,I have sensed that you are coming round to the idea of folding electric bikes? Presumably a brake upgrade would also be recommended?

B.E.Sayers
Wolverhampton

We’d recommend contacting either Kinetics in Glasgow (tel: 0141 942 2552) or E-go (tel: 07974 723996). Both have experience in fitting small motors into small wheels. (Eds)

The Final Word

In which you get your say… briefly

Excellent – more of the same for twelve months please! Genuinely useful, interesting and entertaining . Super – don’t change it . Vastly overpriced . Excellent value . Fantastic mag, monthly please, pretty please! PS Less electric bikes, more folders . Thanks for the article on brakes . More about trips and maintenance of folders, a bit less on electric bikes Just the right balance – I read every item . Could you do folding tandems? Too many electric bikes! Please include more articles from Japan and Asia . Rob Cope’s rail guide is sadly missed . Different but interesting . I like the politics related to all forms of transport Required reading on the way to the Le Mans 24 hour race . Rekindles my enthusiasm amongst all the gloom . I love the magazine, but my wife hates being ignored while I’m reading it Creates domestic dramas as we both try to grab it . Best thing since our homemade bread A voice of sanity, and fun besides! My bi-monthly dose of sanity – keep pedalling it!

Peaking Early?

Martin Snelus comments on concerns over oil in A to B 41.When I went to school in the ‘60s I never expected to be able to drive a car – oil was going to run out before I reached driving age. When I was at University in the 1970s and went through the oil shock, I never thought I’d own my own car because the oil was going to run out before I had a job and could afford one.We even had petrol rationing in the ‘70s because the end was so close. All my life there have been pundits predicting the imminent end of the oil age.That oil reserves are ultimately finite and will run out is undeniable and we should therefore husband them wisely. And if the pundits keep predicting the imminent end, eventually one of them will be right and be able to say I told you so.Whether David Goodstein and Paul Roberts are those pundits, or just more joining the long line of failed pundits, I don’t know.The current concerns and the pundits rushing to press seems once more better correlated to Western concerns about Middle Eastern politics than geology.

Meanwhile I will continue to cycle and drive a thrifty car to preserve whatever oil there is left.

Tony Raven
Royston, Hertfordshire

Quite right too, but the situation really is different now, because the supply/demand equation is much more finely balanced than it was in the 1960s or ‘70s. As recent events have shown, the very suspicion that supplies might be reduced is enough to cause global panic.The oil doesn’t need to actually run out, just run down by a few per cent. Like Global Warming, Peak Oil may only be verifiable when it’s too late to do anything about it. (Eds)

Folder Friendly or Noo?

There appears to be some confusion about ScotRail’s carriage of folding bikes.The National Rail Guide sponsored by Brompton states ‘Folding cycles are carried free without restriction’, while A to B’s own website says of ScotRail: ‘There are no special restrictions on folding bikes’. On the other hand, the leaflet displayed at ScotRail’s own stations says: ‘Cycles completely folded down and enclosed in a container or case throughout the journey are carried on all services and do not need a reservation.’ To complicate matters further, when I emailed ScotRail for clarification, a customer care assistant responded that folding bikes were treated exactly the same as other bikes and would need reservations on relevant services – mostly those north of the Central Belt. On a recent trip between Inverness and Aberdeen with my Bike Friday I did not dare put the matter to the test and reserved one of the two bike spaces available per train. Any other readers’ experiences?

Roderick Clyne
London

The ‘must be enclosed in a container or case’ clause dates back many years and has rather annoyingly been kept on the books by a minority of train operators looking for an excuse to evict folding bikes.This restriction is never applied to our knowledge, but do beware – if you attempt to travel on a packed commuter train with a big, oily, uncovered, and nominally folded bike, the guard may quote the rule. However, Scotrail is bound by the wording in the current ATOC/Brompton national leaflet, and if this states no restrictions, there are no restrictions. For a larger machine, such as a part-folded Bike Friday, some sort of cover would be a courtesy on a busy train, but not an obligation. ScotRail has failed to respond to our request for clarification. (Eds)

Planning Permissible?

I am looking for a lockable secure housing for our bikes which can be bolted to the front of our house. I found a company that sold such objects through your advertisements but can no longer locate the company. Could you help?

Manuel Alvarado
London

Perhaps surprisingly, Sustrans does not keep a list of recommended suppliers, but its town planning consultant Chris Dent adds that a front garden bike locker could fall foul of the planning rules if it exceeds a height of one metre. Anyone thinking of doing the same would be well advised to have a friendly chat with their local planning officer before investing in a large structure.

One of the best suppliers is BikeAway Ltd, Bell Close, Newnham Industrial Estate, Plympton, Plymouth, Devon PL7 4JH.Tel: 01752 202116, fax: 01752 202117, web: www.bikeaway.com and email: info@bikeaway.com BikeAway’s individual lockers are widely used by railway companies and local authorities and cost £460 each plus VAT – quite a lot, but it’s a substantial product that should protect your bike(s) for years to come. (Eds)

Some Answers and a lot more Questions

In A to B 41 Malcolm Mort asks if anyone knows of a source of good quality 150mm cranks. Chris Bell of Highpath Engineering will shorten cranks for about £36 including postage.The smallest practicable amount of shortening is 20mm, so 170s can be shortened to 150mm. I noticed Mike Burrows states that he now, ‘runs 150 cranks on all his bikes’. I suspect he has shortened his existing 170s. Regarding the benefit to knees of shorter cranks, what is it that can damage knees? Is it the angle through which the joint moves, or is it the largest angle of bend? Or both! Saddle height is relevant in this matter. If your saddle is low, then the angle of bend – from straight – will be large, even with short cranks.

In The Complete Book of Bicycling, Greg Lemond reckons most people – including professional cyclists – have their saddle too low. He reckons we should position the saddle as high as is comfortable, ride for a while until we are used to it, then raise it a little more, and repeat the process. Another factor affecting the knee joint angular movement is how much, if at all, we ‘ankle’. Using the ankles can make a considerable difference to the effective length of the cranks and consequently how much the knee joint rotates.

I am trying 157.5mm cranks and have noticed that I do not ankle as much as I do with 170s. Is there any evidence that long cranks can cause knee joint damage? I know from experience that long cranks can be uncomfortable and make it impossible to get a smooth pedalling action, but whether this would cause damage is another matter.Where do the figures come from in the published inside leg/crank length tables? Perhaps none of this matters now that it has been demonstrated that crank length does not affect power output?

Mike Lenton Kirby-in-Furness, Cumbria

Holy Matrimony

We were rather chuffed to find a handy padlock that fits snugly on the ever-faithful Brompton, disappearing inside the frame when the bike is unfolded. It is called Wedlock and is made by Specialized. We bought it here in Switzerland from a mail-order shop called Véloplus (www.veloplus.ch), but it may well be available elsewhere now. It obviously adds a bit of weight to the bike, but we have found it rather nifty. It folds out like a concertina and is great for securing the bike to likely-looking poles when it is not feasible to carry the bike inside (although I am getting quite shameless – my Brompton enjoyed its first trip to the cinema recently, as well as happily shopping in supermarket trolleys, on the strength of A to B’s advice!)

Juliet Fall
Geneva, Switzerland

Our advice is to avoid locking up your Brompton at all costs, particularly in London and the southeast of England, where thieves are aware of the secondhand value of the bikes. A kindly bike shop will generally agree to put the machine behind the counter for a small remuneration, and if your local shop refuses, let us know! However, for those who cannot avoid parking in town, a fitted lock seems a worthwhile investment.The Wedlock is available from a number of UK mail-order outlets for around £50. (Eds)

Thanks Ken!

This winter I have been using the Brompton and bus to get to work. At £1, it’s a lot cheaper than the £3.80 rail fare from Redhill to Croydon. The luggage rack could be almost purpose-built for a Brompton. Another advantage is there are no steps up and down from the platform.

The bus is slower, but overall the time is much the same because the route is more suitable and stops near(ish) to my destination. I use the route 405 which is a London bus, hence the £1 fare for cash.

Andrew J Holland
Redhill, Surrey

Modern low-floor buses are a great advance, with plenty of flexible space for luggage, including folding bikes. As a general rule, we still recommend covering your bike on the bus (at least, until you get to know the drivers) because a bus driver has the right to arbitrarily refuse luggage he doesn’t like the look of.Thanks are also due, once again, to His Holiness Ken Livingstone for revitalising London’s transport. (Eds)

GoBike Gone?

I am looking for a good folding bike in the 20-inch size for longer trips (I commute 14 miles every day, plus train, with a Brompton, but the ride is a bit too far some days… I read about a folding bike today that I haven ìt seen or heard about before. It does not appear to be listed in your website Buyer’s Guide or Price List? So, I am wondering if it’s a brand new thing, or is there really nothing new in the biking world? It looks really cool and it is called GoBike. It seems to be Canadian, and can be found at www.legroupego.com

Nils Hoglund
Sweden

Similar in many respects to the Birdy, the GoBike is indeed made in Canada.The manufacturers agreed to let us have a test sample when European sales commenced.We were told this would be happen when a cheap manufacturing deal had been struck in the Far East, but the GoBike project has since gone strangely quiet. Anyone know more? (Eds)

On the Case

My wife bought a Dahon Helios last year on your recommendation. She is pleased with it and would like to buy a hardcase for it, primarily to protect it from rough handling when travelling by air. Do you know of any firms who market a suitable case? The folded size of the Helios is quoted as 32cm x 66cm x 84cm.

John K T Fyfe
Edinburgh

You’ll be delighted to hear that Dahon UK has recently sourced the ‘Airporter’, a hardcase with internal padding and ‘bomb-proof ’ in-line skate wheels.They claim it fits all 16″ and 20″ wheel Dahon bikes, and will carry their 26″ machines with the wheels removed.The Airporter costs £169.99 from www.world-wheels.co.uk (Eds)

Small Point

One very small point. Moles eat worms not insects.They are therefore carnivores.

Stephen Slaughter
Horley, Surrey

Our proof-reading team points out that ‘Mammals in Britain & Europe’ classifies the mole as an insectivore. If mistaken, they will be fed to a family of weasels. (Eds)

Better in Germany

After reading your article on the Puky child bike (A to B 41), we thought you might be interested to know about the child’s bike we bought in Germany for our daughter Jasmine, now six years old.The bike is a copy of the Puky Z8, but cheaper (it cost us the Euro equivalent of £75) with slightly cheaper components. However, it comes with a bell, propstand, rack, front and rear reflectors (not lights), comfortable saddle, enclosed chain case, ‘crash pad’ on the handlebars, etc. It also has a back-pedal brake – Jasmine took a few minutes to get used to this, but now seems OK.The make is indeterminate, but it’s definitely manufactured in Germany and not Taiwan! The only name on it is ‘ErlKonig’.

The downside is that you have to go to Germany to buy it! We bought ours at a little bike shop in Baden Baden while on holiday, and the shop agreed to post it to us for the equivalent of £25, so we didn’t have to wrestle it on and off trains and planes.

There are many similar bikes in Germany, and if travelling as a tourist, you could probably fly home with one. Whether you could pay for your holiday with the saving is another matter – but it might be fun trying!

Fiona Le Ny
Folkestone

Multi-gear Brommies

Thanks for the information on fitting 12/18-tooth sprockets to the Brompton 6-speed (A to B 31).There was an excellent article in the Cyclists Touring Club magazine about a year ago on fitting a front mech to the Brompton, giving a double chainring and a greater range of gears. Perhaps a kit based on this would be useful?

A wider Brompton frame would accommodate the 8-speed Sturmey hub with drum brake – the only snag I can see is the decrease in efficiency (weight is not a big problem for me as I do not carry the bike often). Our local buses are low-floor Optare vehicles and I often wheel the Brompton on without even folding it. It fits well in the wheelchair space.

David Greensmith
Clunbury, Shropshire

A front changer can bring all sorts of chain-tension and clearance problems on the Brompton, so for the small increase in gear range we wouldn’t recommend it. By contrast, a 6-speed rear sprocket swap is easy, cheap and relatively snag-free.The 13/17-tooth option is straightforward but offers a limited range, while 12/17, 13/18 and (best of all) 12/18-tooth upgrades can be fiddly, but are well worth the effort. For parts and advice, we’d recommend contacting London hub gear experts Bicycle Workshop (020 7229 4850). (Eds)

Junior Electrics

My son has just turned 14, and I am thinking of buying an electric bicycle for him to use to get to school (seven miles of country lanes, including a steep hill both ways); to town (four miles of the same); to after-school sports and to visit friends. I know very little about this form of transport and would appreciate some advice.

Our criteria are safety and reliability, along with the capacity (in terms of both power and space) to carry substantial bags of books/files and/or sports kit (including, if possible, racquets/bats).We also need to know about re-charging the batteries (the school run is six days a week and includes late evenings). Oh yes, and if it looked a bit cool, that would be a bonus! What we really need is a Which? magazine type guide to electric bikes.

Diana Birkett
Albury, Surrey

Electric bikes can, indeed, be ridden by children of 14 and over, although this big potential market seems to have been almost entirely ignored. Looking cool is probably the biggest problem though, because that’s one thing most of these bikes will never be. However, there are one or two exceptions, notably the Tornado (£745 from Eco-Bike, tel 020 8839 9700) and the EV range (see page 14 – up to £1,300 from Powerscoots, tel 0870 606 7788).

We’d like to recommend the Giant Lafree Sport, but this sensibly-engineered, cleanly-styled cruiser is not yet available in the UK (although you might consider lobbying Giant UK on 0115 977 5900). An alternative would be to find a suitably cool donor bike and add an electric motor. One of the best kits is the Electro-Drive (£365 from E-go, tel 07974 723996).

For a mini-review of the key machines, visit our (under-utilised) Electric Buyer’s Guide at www.atob.org.uk

Most decent electric bikes should manage up to 20 hilly miles, provided they get a good overnight charge. School and back, plus town and back without an intermediate charge would be marginal for some, but the answer to that would be a school top-up. Even less likely than undercover parking you’d think, but worth asking, nonetheless. (Eds)

Giant Lafree Sport – cool, but sensible

Bolero

Re the ‘Final Word’ item on Brompton wrist strain (A to B 41, page 25), I can heartily recommend the stubby bar ends from Avon Valley Cycles.There is a note in my 1998 End-to-End journal which says, ‘The bar ends are to the Brompton what Bo Derek is to Ravel’s Bolero’.

Bob Hutton
Nailsea, North Somerset

The Final Word

In which you get your say… briefly

Hard hitting but humorous . Better than New Labour! The best magazine I receive! I get very twitchy when A to B is due .Avidly read, totally enjoyed and used for reference. Bizarrely (since I don’t have a folding bike) this is my favourite magazine . Never fails to delight . I like the style! Well balanced . Interesting and readable . Consistently excellent Refreshingly irreverent, independent and bold, yet humble enough to admit when wrong Any chance of going monthly? A compact and competent transport forum . Excellent – less technical stuff at last! I like the technical content . Hold the cynicism and bring back the railway guy [from his partner] . Needs to be bigger with dedicated sections [A to B] deserves a far higher readership and a long-awaited award . Light at the end of a fume-filled tunnel . I can’t live without it . Luv it, luv it, luv it! Keep it quirky!

Wretched Ryanair

Concerning ‘Airport Folders’ (Letters, A to B 36), I have seen handlers (literally) throwing bikes onto a trailer at Heathrow. Moreover, as the baggage carousels get larger, so even 700C wheeled bikes must take their chances with the hard cases. I am lucky enough to find myself in lovely places (usually for work) and take my Brompton for weekend use when work is over.This year: Lisbon, Paris, Bordeaux, Stockholm,Vienna, Rheims and Rotterdam.

The Brompton (with riding clothes, shoes, helmet and tools) fits into a large Samsonite case.The case is now black as well as the original blue but the bike remains intact.Total weight is slightly over the 20kg allowed by most airlines, but I’ve had no surcharge so far. However, wretched Ryanair has now cut the allowance to 15kg. So for the (Bergerac) Bordeaux and Skavsta (Stockholm) routes, I used the Carradice Brompton bag padded with a Karrimat – a total weight of only 15.7kg with clothes and tools. Ryanair threatened penal surcharges for excess, but I was not charged.

With hand luggage, what really counts are the terms of the carrier and not the recommendations of the International Air Travellers Association. Conditions are available on demand and the law says that travellers cannot plead ignorance.Take the three carriers I have flown with this year:

None checked the size, and curiously, the only one to check the weight (at Bergerac – not busy, so perhaps nothing better to do) was Ryanair, the most generous. Only today I read that the Office of Fair Trading has compelled a number of carriers to keep their terms in line with those recommended by the IATA.

Malcolm Clarke
Cambridge

Pilots Pay Too…

I am an avid reader of A to B and thoroughly enjoy it even though I am a pilot with Ryanair and I guess part of the ‘fuel burning population’. In the course of my employment I fly 900 hours a year and thus burn about 900 x 2,200kg of aviation kerosene (1,980 tonnes) but I do move a lot of people around for not too much money! Fortunately the CFM56 engines on the 737-800 are amongst the most efficient and least polluting engines in the world at the moment, so at least that is something!

To make up for this I rarely drive, apart from the trip to work (hard to cycle 18 miles in a full pilot’s uniform and arrive in a fit state!), but I do a lot of riding around my local area on my two bikes, a Brompton L6 and Specialized MTB.The Brompton goes with me on longer trips and fits perfectly in the largest Delsey rigid suitcase, along with my clothes and other bits and pieces. (If anyone wants the details, it is a Delsey Model 90179 AT costing about £80, and one would swear that has been designed perfectly for the job.

I am new with this airline and as yet have not carried the Brommie with them, but as a Ryanair pilot I have no more rights than the customers, and I am aware of the rigid baggage policy, as I have had to fork out large amounts for baggage when using them to position for flights for my previous company. I guess that is the downside of cheap fares!

Name & Address supplied

Sorted!

Mr Martin (Letters, A to B 37) might like the look of the Knightsbridge, even though the arm doesn’t swing: I still favour simplicity and light weight. It was designed for AVD, manufacturer’s of the Windcheetah, but I may make one or two myself.

Mike Burrows
Norwich

Ooh, lovely! Should anyone lust after a simple, light, yet highly effective folding bike, Mr Burrows has just the thing.That chain-guard really does double as a rear frame member – not swinging, but a light and innovative solution.Tel: 01603 721700. [Eds]

Some Dual Swing Arms…

Giant Revive

In A to B 36 it was suggested that a chain might be hidden in the swing-arm of a cycle, the Riese & Müller Avenue seems to fulfil this brief. Hope to see a road test.

Jeff Baker
Tattershall Thorpe, Lincs

R & M Equinox

After reading Hugh Martin’s letter about hollow swing arm drives on bicycles, I do know of one. Riese & Müller produce a bike called the Equinox, which has a chain running right through the suspension swing arm and even an enclosed chainring guard. Incidentally, I think Giant’s Revive EZB may have one too, on its high specification model, if it makes it to production. It does seem like a great design for a clean, efficient chain drive. Maybe you could review one or other of these bikes?

Andrew Sutcliffe
Swindon

The Avenue has a conventional chain line as far as we know. Both the Revive LX and Equinox run the chain through a frame member – a halfway house to a one-piece monoblade chainguard/rear frame assembly.The EZB project seems to be progressing rather slowly (see News), which sounds a bit suspicious, but we understand that the first bikes will arrive in 2004. [Eds]

Go Anglia!

Regarding your comment (Letters, A to B 36) that British railway companies will not sell you a ticket to Amsterdam, Anglia will, from any of its stations (and possibly others) to Amsterdam and elsewhere, and at a discount. For bookings, call 08700 409090. Incidentally, I would advise readers to urge the SRA to accept Anglia’s bid for the new ‘Greater Anglia’ franchise, or we could end up with some jumped-up bus company running our trains.

I agree that so called ‘travel agents’ are little more than flight and car hire agents, but I don’t think getting SNCF to run British trains will help.We recently went by train to Gstaad, Switzerland via London/Paris/Montreux, and Raileurope was unable to deal with the Swiss end, referring us to Swiss National Railways.We finally booked with Trainseurope (see www.trainseurope.co.uk), a company based in March, Cambridgeshire.The tickets didn’t arrive particularly quickly, but we had a completely hassle-free journey, despite the TGV arriving in London 30 minutes late.The Anglia service was on time as usual.

Richard Bearman
Norwich

Anglia, like Chiltern, was franchised to railway managers who, by and large, seem to have run a model franchise, despite abolishing SuperSaver fares. Bicycle provision is probably unequalled. Another excellent suggestion for worldwide rail bookings is the travel agency arm of the Ffestiniog Railway, which has been doing this sort of thing since 1836.The staff are both helpful and knowledgeable: www.festtravel.co.uk Email: info@festtravel.co.uk Tel: 01766 516010. [Eds]

Bike Space Reductions

Re: Letters, A to B 37. Our new trains currently being built for the fast main line services between London and Portsmouth will have spaces for six cycles and two wheelchair seats. The new trains that will provide the local stopping services will only have space for two cycles and one if a disabled passenger is carried.

The new trains will cover all routes currently operated by slam-door trains, and will start to be introduced in the next few months. It is hoped to have all in service by the end of 2004.The current Wessex electrics will provide the core services on the Weymouth line.

Simon Brown
Customer Relations Officer, South West Trains

Oh, No it Won’t…

Having spoken at length to the manufacturers of the Ezee Forza bike (A to B 36), I feel it is only fair to point out that you have been slightly misled! The bike you tested, with the excellent lightweight nickel-metal hydride battery, couldn’t be retailed at £650 in the UK, although the cheaper sealed lead-acid battery version probably could.

The NiMH battery and full spec as tested, would add £200-£250 to the price quoted, which of course puts a very different perspective on your review, especially in reference to the ‘end of the line dinosaur’ Powabyke range! In fact, the retail price of the Forza would be more than our 24-speed Commuter – a considerable price hike for a few kg?

We are in the middle of finishing two prototypes at the moment, including an NiMH option for all Powabykes. I think you will appreciate the weight advantage.

Nick Child
Managing Director, Powabyke

We look forward to a new Powabyke battery with great interest. Ezee is not to blame for our rather optimistic price estimate.The company gave us a raw trade price and we added a reasonable margin for a dealer selling direct to the public.We did, however, forget to factor in VAT at 17.5%, which would bring the price up to £760-£820.We still think a direct mail-order outlet could sell the bike for this, but via a dealer network, the price would be closer to £900 or £1,000.The prospects for the Forza certainly do become a bit stickier at this level. [Eds]

It Happened in a Trice

Regarding the KMX review in A to B 36, a major and not too obvious drawback of tricycle recumbents is the nasty injuries that can occur when the rider’s feet slip from the pedals, catch on the road surface and are dragged under the frame cross members.The rider’s knees and feet act as brakes and he/she may be thrown onto the chainset with rather unfortunate results.This happened to me once at around 17mph, or was it 17:00 hours?

Anyway I suffered a hole in my big toe you could put a pencil in, which took months to heal properly, a few broken and dislocated ribs and rather gory grazing of hands and knees. I’m not blaming anyone, but I think I should have been informed of this possibility when I bought the Trice. I have spoken to a couple of tricycle recumbent owners who have experienced similar things, but it’s possible the lower ground clearance of the KMX may help in avoiding such a mishap. Recumbent trikes are tremendous fun but should probably be used with toeclips or ‘clip in’ pedal systems – just in case.

Thanks for an interesting, witty and informative magazine. I too like the flying lady and would also like to express my fondness for the general A to B ethos.What puzzles me is how the other magazines manage to get it so wrong? I think perhaps I’m suffering from plaudit overkill… arrrrrgh… (Crashes to the ground clutching copy of A to B).

Ronald Arthur Dewhirst
Leeds

Sometimes we walk a tightrope between excessive ‘nanny-state’ scare-mongering and providing legitimate safety information.When testing the KMX, we made a few (very) low speed experiments and decided that a misplaced foot probably wouldn’t get drawn under the machine, but the truth is we don’t know. If in doubt, SPD-style clipped pedals would make a wise purchase. [Eds]

Solar Down Under…

You might be interested to know that solar panels certainly do work on a trike, at least in Australia.We built a machine with two lightweight 30 watt panels, set up on the rear, so that they could be pivoted to catch the sun as you were riding along.We used a Heinzmann motor and four 12 volt batteries. I found I only needed the 270 watt motor for about 20% of the time, when climbing hills at less than 20kph (13mph).This seemed like the most efficient way of using the extra energy.

On a 40km round trip over rolling hills, average speed increased from 19kph to 26kph with the solar assistance. I also found that however far I went, I never managed to flatten the batteries, so it seemed to have an infinite range with the solar panels on the trike.

One of the nicest things was that one no longer needed low gears, as you can see by the size of the chain ring.The smaller ring was never used.The all up weight was 30kg, and I found that the extra weight seemed to make no difference on the level, but it was definitely faster downhill!

Ian Sims, Greenspeed Recumbent Trikes
Ferntree Gully, Australia

We’re convinced that a lightweight electric-assist recumbent trike has a great future. [Eds]

Practice Makes Perfect

We were at Tandem 2003 last week; a week-long rally of several hundred tandemists, including a few machines fitted with S+S frame couplings, as advertised by St John Street Cycles (see back pages).We never saw them uncoupled, as the tandems all arrived and departed as complete machines on top of large cars.

This led us to wonder – are the couplings any good? At the sort of price shown in the adverts, they ought to be, so why are the machines’ owners not putting their cycles in the boots of smaller cars, or even taking them as luggage on trains? I think we were the only cycle-camping participants at the event who didn’t arrive by motor. Have you ever reviewed S+S couplings in A to B?

Further to your experiences of disorganisation at the CTC’s Birthday Tea (Mole, A to B 37), we can let you into a secret.They can achieve such levels of disorganisation only because they have had so many years of practice! One or other of us have attended about a dozen Birthday Rides events over the past two decades, and each one has featured 5th August birthday tea chaos.We now always take our own food and drink!

Cathy Melia and Graham Lansdell
Nottingham

We touched briefly on S+S couplings some years ago. It’s a great idea, but expensive, and folding can involve a lot of fiddling with cable connectors.Very few companies are licensed to fit the couplings – the two primary ones in the UK being St John Street Cycles (tel: 01278 441538) and Kinetics (tel: 0141 942 2552). It’s disappointing to hear that people are basically too lazy to split their tandems for carriage, but not particularly surprising. [Eds]

CDs, PDFs and Other Animals…

Having just searched through my back numbers of A to B, I thought ‘If only it was on a CD’. Many magazines now put back numbers on Compact Disc.What chance for A to B?

Ken Smith
Cumbria

A CD looks unlikely for the time being.We’re highly suspicious of PDF, HTML, and other esoteric files and generally happy with the printed word.We also keep and sell a lot of back-numbers. One thing we really must do is to put a comprehensive master list of articles on our web site. (Eds)

Off the Rails

Re: Mail on Rail, A to B 37.The closure of city centre sorting offices brings further costs, mostly palmed off on Royal Mail staff who now need to run cars to get to and from the ‘remote’ sorting centres. I’d estimate that in some cities 80-90% of the traffic around 5am is generated by Royal Mail.The other issue is hazard – I’ve seen a motorway crash where a Royal Mail articulated lorry ended up on its side across all three lanes.

Dave Holladay
Glasgow

Unobtainable Stand

The mention and photo of the Esge stand (A to B 37, page 28) got me excited – I have been trying to get one for seven years.They’re not to be had in Hereford though. One retailer thought Esge had folded? Another thought Raleigh sold one, but the current catalogue only includes something that looks like a tuning fork that would be less stable. Help!

Ian Taylor
Leominster

As with most specialist parts, you need to find a specialist shop. Ours came from Avon Valley Cyclery of Bath, but most of the shops advertising in A to B should stock this sort of item. If they don’t, tell them they should! [Eds]

Nasty Moment…

I too used to have an Esge stand (2,000 miles on a Lafree, A to B 37) fitted to the Pino I ride with my disabled daughter. After a trip to York a few years ago we returned to collect our car which had been parked at Kings Cross Station. I wheeled the bike, with my daughter on board, off the platform and out to the car park. As I put the stand down there was a ‘Ping’ and one leg of the stand fell onto the floor. It was lucky I was still holding the handlebars or my daughter would have been on the floor too. So don’t put too much trust in yours when loading children into a rear seat. Before this incident I too had been very impressed with the Esge stand. I have since fitted the stand made by Häse and find it superbly designed for the purpose.

I recently fitted a Heinzmann 200 watt motor into the front wheel of my Pino so that I could keep up with everyone at the Company of Cyclist’s Week in the Cotswolds. My daughter doesn’t pedal at all and weighs about ten stone, so I tend to lag behind on the hills. But the Heinzmann made such a difference. Not only could I keep up, I even managed to give a boost to some of the trikes. I couldn’t tell you what kind of mileage we did, because I found the electronics upset my cordless computer readings. (I’ll have to fit my old one back on!) I even took the charger on one day and persuaded the park rangers at Cotswold Water Park to let me recharge during the lunch stop. By measuring the route for that day on the map it seemed to be about 17-18 miles each way, plus some vicious climbs.

Mike Armitage
Hillingdon

The Esge is more stable than a traditional stand, but it isn’t necessarily stronger, so it’s best not to ask too much of the legs, which aren’t really designed to stand the weight of a large child. A good tip when putting a child in is to assume the bike will fall over.That way, if it does, you’re ready to whisk the child to safety. Bicycles are dispensable… [Eds]

Over to you Brommie!

Our child seat conversion. Clearance is tight, but it works well, even with a four-year- old on board

I have a new Brompton and I am getting on fine with it, but would like to fit a child seat. Cycle Heaven of York wasn’t too keen to provide much advice, presumably being concerned about liability. I bought a seat from Index and it fitted fine – not bad for £25.The trouble is my heels keep clipping the footrests of the seat so it was back to square one. I’ve tried positioning the clamp further up on the seat post but there is too much flexing. I may investigate a Polisport seat, but wonder if you had the same problem?

Darron Dixon-Hardy
Leeds

Adapting a child seat is liable to invalidate both the bike and seat warranty.We think this is one for the manufacturer – how about a child-seat kit, Brompton?

Our Polisport seat (see A to B 24) fits at the bottom of the pillar. Clearance is tight, but never a problem.We reduced the load on the seat pillar by mounting a rubber yoke under the seat, transferring weight into the rear mudguard.This still works well (Alexander now weighs 18.3kg), and provides a well-damped ride, although we’ve destroyed at least one mudguard in three years. [Eds]

And Another…

How can I transport my three young (nearly one, nearly four and nearly six) children around using two adult bikes? Any pointers as to where to look/what to use would be appreciated. I own a Brompton L6, so knowing what I can do with that would be helpful.

Mark Hind
Chippenham,Wiltshire

We’re great advocates of trailers – safe, secure, dry (usually) and instantly removable for solo rides. If you do any child-carrying that includes bus or train, the Brompton child seat is priceless, folding up and down in seconds and occupying little more space than the folded bike. (Eds)

Weighty Problem

I am interesting in getting a folder, but I have been warned off by a major manufacturer because of my weight. I weigh 102kg (16 stone), which is not excessive given my build and height (6′ 2″).The manufacturer I spoke to was concerned that a folding frame might not cope with this amount of weight bouncing around on the frames his company produces. He seemed to think that other folder manufacturers would also advise riders of my weight that their frames would not be able to take the punishment for any length of time. I’d like to see if your opinion is the same and whether any brand of folding bike stands out as being substantial enough to cope with a rider of my weight.

Paul Slater
Brighton

Cruelly, we threw this one at the manufacturers. Airframe says customers of 151/2 stone (99kg) have no problems, Dahon recommends a maximum load of 16 stone 6lb (105kg),Brompton says 18 stone (115kg), and Bike Friday said they would be delighted to build a bike for you, as their bespoke products have been made for riders of up to 26 stone (164kg) in the past! Pashley and Strida declined to comment. [Eds]

To Pedal or Not to Pedal?

I wonder if you would mind answering a little question for me, please? I bought back issues 27 and 31 to read the reviews of the Giant Lafree Twist and Comfort, but even now I am not absolutely clear on a point that is important to me. It’s this. Can they be ridden on power only, i.e. without pedalling at all?

Jim Haigh
Peterborough

It’s surprisingly easy to miss the most obvious points from a test, for which we apologise. Electric bikes come in two forms – Pedelecs such as the Giant Lafree, which must be pedalled, and E-Bikes, where leg-power is optional. For more information, see page 28. [Eds]

Tight Tyres

I’m a poverty-stricken Brompton rider in my 50s and have been mending punctures for forty years or so. But I have great difficulty in getting the tyres off my Brompton. I feel quite humiliated that I need to get (usually) a man in a bike shop to mend punctures (and pay around £10), simply because I can’t remove the tyre.

Has anyone any tips? Does anyone know where I can buy a set of metal tyre levers? Local bike shops only stock plastic ones which bend. I feel desperate about this, and feel sure that some A to B reader will come up with a solution.

Liz Moore, London
lizmarymoore@yahoo.co.uk

You are not alone Liz – small tyres are usually tighter on the rim than their big cousins (but there are huge variations, with some 406mm tyres literally falling off once deflated). As for 347mm tyres (16-inch), in our experience, the Schwalbe and Raleigh tyres are tight and the Brompton and Primo are quite a bit easier.We wouldn’t recommend using metal tyre levers or excessive force, as this can precipitate early rim failure.The best advice we can give (see also Professor Pivot) is to avoid punctures – the Schwalbe and Brompton tyres are (relatively) immune, with the Primo mid way and the Raleigh far and away the worst. [Eds]

Light Fantastic

I have found that a more efficient version of the Cateye EL300 (page 16, A to B 33) is sold in Germany as the EL-300G, incorporating a battery current regulator and low battery warning light.The regulator should improve performance with rechargeable batteries and give a longer battery life.This lamp meets the strict German regulations and at E50 is about the same price as the inferior British model. I got my local bike shop to ask the UK Cateye distributors about the EL-300G, but they said they only sold the standard model.

Bill Johnson
Bradford

The EL-300G manages battery consumption more efficiently and has better lenses than its cruder counterpart, which seems to result in increased brightness rather than extra battery life.

Interestingly, the light fails to meet the latest German regulations through being too dim in the main beam area, but too bright outside it. A special exemption was granted for Germany, and German regulations are normally treated as being the equivalent of British Standards, so it may be legal in the UK. By all but these most exacting regulations, the EL-300G is a superb lamp, but not currently available here.The UK distributor was unable to comment. How helpful. (Eds)

The Final Word

In which you get your say… briefly

Congratulations on reaching your tenth birthday . Utterly and completely brilliant . Always interesting and thought provoking .Against fierce competition,A to B is almost certainly our most enjoyed magazine! Consistently interesting . I love it – it’s great . I love your magazine and its bolshie way . I read it cover to cover . Cover to cover read . I read and enjoy every word – sometimes twice . I like the ‘old time’ British flavour and humour Don’t be tempted to go monthly . Should be monthly . Should be weekly . A to B has real articles unlike that pap in Cycling Plus and, increasingly, the CTC magazine . Much better than the CTC magazine . I bought a Brompton on the strength of your review. I’m glad I did – it’s great .The best – great range of topics, well balanced reviews and healthy cynicism to boot! Excellent. Continue to strive for change in the cultural perspective . Still wonderful, but I didn’t like issue 37 . Great article on Royal Mail trains . Please continue with A5 format and pro-rail, pro-cycling views . Rather too much on electrics, but enjoyed nevertheless More pedals, fewer electrics . A regular ‘workshop for beginners’ would be nice . Could we have an article on servicing and adjusting the SRAM 3-speed hub? More on kids’ bikes, family cycling and maintenance classes . Life-enhancing [from a doctor] . Essential to my life It’s good to know I’m neither alone nor insane…

Sexist AND Ageist!

I really am rather disappointed to read that A to B feels it has to advertise for ‘young ladies’ to be available to act as hosts for the CYCLE 2003 show this Autumn, as per your advertisement.When I first saw this I thought it was a joke but on second reading, you are serious. Perhaps I am getting like Victor Meldrew, as I’m now in my mid-50s but I DON’T BELIEVE IT!

Seriously though, really – you must know that we don’t need to sink to the lowest common denominator when looking for pleasant, helpful and informative hosts at such an event (which is what is really needed, surely). I never thought that such a well written and commendable magazine would feel the need to be both sexist and ageist. Don’t you agree that smartish, pleasant, fairly/quite knowledgeable men and women of all ages would be much more appropriate as hosts at such an event?

Dave Swindells
Hadfield, Derbyshire

Sex and Age,No Barrier!

Having seen your advertisement, I felt I should respond. I have 45 years cycling experience, 20 years of cycle commuting, and I currently own a Bike E,Windcheetah, Saracen ATB, Raleigh Randonneur and a Birdy Black, doing all my own maintenance. I am an early retired university lecturer, 54 years of age, with good communication skills, able to encourage cycling as a viable alternative mode of transport

In order to comply with the selection criteria in your advertisement, I have booked for a full sex change in August, although this may leave me a little tender if bike demonstrations are required. I intend to address the ‘young’ element of your advertisement by having my navel pierced and purchasing low-slung buttock cleavage revealing jeans, which should distract attention away from my greying beard.

Graham Bretherick
Holmfirth,West Yorkshire

Confused readers should turn to the bottom of page 42, issue 36. I have to own up for dropping this ‘advertisement’ in just as the magazine went to the printers. A ‘For Sale’ ad had been withdrawn, and it’s easier to drop in a few lines than adjust the line spacing right down the page. I should add that our normally vigilant proof-reading team didn’t see the offending lines.

The idea (in so far as there was an idea) was to provide a subliminal ‘feel-good’ message for the CYCLE 2003 show, but the ad had a bigger, and less positive, effect than anticipated. One very reasonable objection came from CYCLE, whose Michael Heal made the point that A to B is not taking a stand at the show, so what were we intending to do with the young ladies? In any event, why would we need a bevy of beauties when we have our own wonderful Jane?

This small ad caused more complaints (all from men, incidentally) than the full frontal nudity in issues 15 and 31 (both still available should anyone wish to research further). (David Henshaw)

While We’re on the Subject…

For some time now she’s been missing. In fact the last time we saw her was A to B 33. Where has that graceful lady flowing effortlessly from ‘A’ to ‘B’ gone from your cover? Has the poor woman gone in for a face lift or is she just another victim of the appaling state of the British transport system, and failed to make it to the publishers on time?

I think we should be told.

Steven Brandist
Birstall, Leicester

Our leaping lady was indeed removed from A to B 33 onwards – less quirky corporate image and all that.We’re quite prepared to change our minds, but would we dare put her back? (Eds)

Moving Swiftly to Virgin Trains…

Much as I like trains, British train companies are unfortunately heading the wrong way by eroding their natural space advantage by cramming more and more people into seats which are ‘ergonomically designed’, and therefore guaranteed to be uncomfortable for nearly everyone. Meanwhile, luggage space is shrinking to nothing. I can now get the same uncomfortable space more cheaply on a bus, or have the option to suffer it for less time (and often more cheaply) on a plane. And if you fancy insulation from other travellers, only a car can now provide it. Indeed, television advertisements for cars have started extolling the private personal space and comfort they provide compared to trains. I even saw one sick advert where a train has to stop at a level crossing to allow the ‘superior’ car to go past.

Recently my wife and I planned to take our recumbent tricycle tandem from Stafford to Edinburgh, but discovered this will not be possible because that route is now served by sardine-cans called ‘Voyagers’ which cannot take tandems or tricycles. My requirement may appear unreasonable because the cycle is almost 3.5 metres long and one metre wide, but it splits within minutes into two shorter sections making transport reasonably practical. I have carried it on buses in Saudi Arabia with hardly a raised eyebrow.

Even the cycle-friendly ScotRail is only able to accommodate cycles along the Far North lines in the summer by transporting them by road. Better than not transporting cycles at all, but it does rank alongside other crazy modern railway practices, like carrying train drivers to work by taxi over distances of more than 100 miles.

In Poland I still enjoy long distance train travel in carriages with compartments. My experience of First Class seats on Voyagers is that they’re no more comfortable than a long- distance bus. As for getting my tandem from Stafford to Edinburgh, I hired a van. It was against my principles, less convenient (I had to drive), and it contributed to air pollution, road congestion and the danger to cyclists. For all that it cost me less than the two First Class train tickets I had intended to buy, and it made me wonder if I can continue to justify my preference for rail over other forms of transport within Britain.

Wojtek Kawecki
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

Thanks for the Info…

I am shortly going to cycle the Trans-Pennine Trail and was looking for information about whether I could take my bike on the train from Rochdale to Southport and return from Hull to Rochdale. I found your site through Google, and just wanted to say how extremely useful it is. I have bookmarked the site and will use it again in future to research getting to the start of other long distance cycle routes. It has all the information I could possibly want all in one place.

Paul Martin
Rochdale

For those who haven’t visited our web site, it’s full of information, including a comprehensive guide to carrying conventional bicycles and folders by National Rail, London Underground, ferries and privately-owned railways.Most of the information, covering the 25 key Train Operating Companies is also available as a leaflet published by Brompton, and available at all staffed railway stations. The A to B web site is at www.atob.org.uk (Eds)

Bus not Rail!

400 fewer cars - one of the Glastonbury specials fills up after the Festival

‘T in the Park’ (the Scottish equivalent of the Glastonbury Festival) operates coaches from both Edinburgh and Glasgow at ten minute intervals – very different to Glastonbury’s legendary traffic chaos, and coaches shuttling between Castle Cary rail station and the site. Simply another case of the Scots showing the English how to do something properly?

Dave Holiday
Glasgow

The Glastonbury Festival is three times bigger than T in the Park, attracting more than 100,000 visitors, most of whom arrive by car, causing utter chaos. But our public transport system does a remarkable job too:This year, 18,000 travelled by train to Castle Cary, then via the free connecting buses to the Festival. Our guess is that Castle Cary station could handle about 35,000 Festival-goers (a third of all visitors, in other words) given more trains and staff. Incidentally, the best route is train to Castle Cary, then by folding bike via quiet country lanes to nip in the back way, eliminating all queueing. If the organisers will allow us, we intend to provide a cycle route map next year. (Eds)

Bike Space Evaporating

I travelled to Normandy from Poole last week.With a limit of five bikes per train on the Wessex Electric services, and no reservations, there must already be problems, but the guards told us that with the new carriages there will be a maximum of two bikes per train, and only one if a disabled passenger needs the space.These carriages are coming into service next year and certainly raise concerns about family travel, for instance.

Mick Gardiner
via email

The guard could well be right, but the good news is that the older Wessex Electric trains will continue to run to Weymouth for the foreseeable future, and these account for half the services to Poole.We think the intention is to put the new trains to work on Southampton and Portsmouth services first. Either way, it’s yet another squeeze on limited bike space. Incidentally, South West Trains has failed to reply to our requests for information – not unusual. (Eds)

Vive la France!

With reference to Dave Minter’s letter in A to B 35. About this time last year I wanted to go to the Floriade display, between Haarlem and Amsterdam, but wished to spend a few days in Antwerp on the way. So I toddled down to Poole Station only to be told that they couldn’t sell me tickets either for the whole journey, or even from London to Antwerp. I pointed out that I had purchased tickets for Bournemouth to Paris a few years previously, so, ‘could I get the required service if I went over to Bournemouth station?’ Answer: ‘No, no longer’. ‘Where can I go then?’ Answer: ‘Try Bath Travel or Thomas Cook’. So, I did, but with equal lack off success; ‘We don’t do that any more’.

This confirmed my opinion that travel agents are probably infringing trade description legislation these days as all they seem to do is to flog packages of holidays without providing any ‘travel’ services. But I was surprised at Thomas Cook, bearing in mind that it produces the excellent European Train Timetable on a monthly basis (at £10 this must be the best value in the whole field of published material!). However, someone at Cooks did mention RailEurope.

At some stage I had obtained a quotation direct from Eurostar on a London to Brussels basis, but after one non-stressful phone call to RailEurope I obtained a ticket from London to Amsterdam (actually out to Antwerp where I alighted, but returning via Amsterdam, at minimal extra cost).

The astonishing thing was that the Eurostar trains both ways were identical to the ones in my earlier quote (dates and times) yet the overall fare through RailEurope was less than the Eurostar quotation for the London – Brussels section alone!

I was so amazed that despite the Europe thing and the existence of the channel tunnel, it had become more difficult to get such ticketing that I wrote to my MP, but she gave the predictable answer that these were private companies now and ‘what can you do?’

Anyway RailEurope got me sorted (tel: 08705 848848, web: www.raileurope.co.uk). I still had to buy a separate return ticket for the Poole to London stage.

Norman Payne
Broadstone, Dorset
normvel.payne@virgin.net

RailEurope is a division of SNCF, the nationally-owned French Railway operator, and has vowed to become, ‘…the consumer preferred choice for buying SNCF and Eurostar tickets and the No. 1 UK seller of rail-based travel and holidays in Europe.’ Remember when the UK had a cohesive national rail operator too? French and German railways seem able to sell tickets to and from any European destination, but only London and Ashford in the UK… Maybe we should invite SNCF to run the British railway system too? Incidentally, Eurostar offers some great deals on its own network, such as London to Avignon for £69 in September or October: see www.eurostar.com (Eds)

Lafreedom

My wife has been finding it too painful on her knees to tackle the hills around us recently, and we had begun to think about an electric bike, when a friend from our local Friends of the Earth group lent me his pile of A to B’s. After reading the favourable comments on the Giant Lafree, (and having already tried and rejected the Powabyke), we set off in search of one.We eventually tracked one down in Hereford and bought it after a brief trial. It proved up to the job of tackling our hills, but produced a horrible squealing of brakes on the way down. After the dealer tried without success to adjust the brakes, he replaced them with better quality Shimanos. Silence! Now my wife waits patiently for me at the top of each hill. She says it’s like being a child again, when all you had to do was get on the bike and go: no great effort and no fiddling with complicated gears. She did complain it made her face ache from grinning too much!

After showing it off to a group of friends on a family ride for Bike Week, one of them borrowed it to try up the impossibly long and steep hill that runs up to his house. It made it, and a couple of weeks later, he too is the proud owner of a Lafree, but he had to go to Hampshire to get one.

At a party last weekend, largely populated by bike riders, the bike was much discussed. It was admired, but there was a definite air of non-approval which compared with the cry of ‘Judas!’ when Bob Dylan also ‘went electric’ for the first time in the 60’s. So beware, buyers, prepare your moral case before admitting to your ownership.

Thanks to A to B for the detailed reviews and an amusing read to boot. So my beloved bike’s a ‘cumbersome’ is it?

Alan Terrill
Minsterley, Shropshire

Bob Dylan makes a rather apt comparison.The cycling world can be painfully conservative, but we’ve found the most vociferous antis are those who make 90% of their journeys by car, with a brisk workout by bike at the weekends. Somehow, that’s OK… it’s a funny old world.

No-one should feel defensive about riding an electric bike – particularly if they suffer from knee trouble. By the way, how about the acronym ‘sparkies’ or ‘sparklers’ for electric bicyclists? Cumbersome sparkies, folding sparkies, recumbent sparkies… (Eds)

End-to-End by Sparkie?

I am finding it difficult to obtain information on power-assisted bicycles in the UK. I want to go from Lands End to John O’ Groats. I was going to do it on an Aprilia Enjoy electric bike, but I don’t think it would have enough range, and when I rode it with the motor off (as I would have to do in the event of a flat battery) it was almost impossible to pedal, even up the slightest slope. So now I want to do it on a petrol-driven bicycle either like the Solex or Sachs. Here in Australia (and most other places) this is considered a bicycle. However in the UK it is something else, (I think they try to keep a straight face and call it a motor vehicle). If this is the case, how do I go about using one of these bicycles in the UK. I could buy one at home, in Europe or perhaps the UK.

Hugh Clark
via email

In Britain, internal combustion-assisted bicycles are covered by motorcycle legislation, so you’ll need a helmet, insurance, MOT and road tax. Unless you have a particular enthusiasm for the genre, you really would be better off with a small moped.

The woefully inefficient Aprilia has now been withdrawn – a relief to us all. But could a better electric bike do the end-to-end? We think the front runner would be the Giant Lafree: (a) it’s easy to pedal unassisted and, (b) it’s light, with a light, compact battery.Three batteries permanently plumbed in (it’s more efficient that way), would give a daily range of up to 70 miles, assuming a ten hour overnight charge, but you wouldn’t want to carry much camping gear… (Eds)

Great Swinging Chaincases

When it comes to ‘evolutionary dead ends’ the shaft drive bikes by Zero and Aurora are much more likely candidates than the admirable Ezee Forza in A to B 36. Shaft drive has been rediscovered every few years since the 1890s and has always failed to catch on for exactly the same reasons. It’s heavy and complicated, gear ratios are virtually impossible to change and it has more friction than a chain drive. Chains also help to absorb road shocks, limiting the unwanted feedback from rough road surfaces to the pedals which has been a problem for shaft drives in the past.

The latest systems may claim to have conquered friction, though it’s hard to see how two sets of skew gears with their associated oil seals and bearings could ever approach a chain drive for efficiency.Weight is clearly going to be a problem, judging by the apparent need for anything up to four chainstays. Previous versions have at least contrived to make the shaft casing substitute for one chainstay. Perhaps Zero could also explain how a simple klaprad with fixed rear triangle ‘compares well with the Brompton in terms of folding’?

Some 1950s motorcycles put the chain inside a combined suspension arm/chaincase. Suitable for bicycles?

As usual, the simple answer to the problems of oily trouser legs, dirty chains and rapid transmission wear can be found in any Dutch cycle shop – the fully enclosed chain guard. It’s lightweight, removable for maintenance and friction-free.

If budding engineers still feel the urge to borrow motorised technology, here’s an idea I just cobbled together: 1950s motor scooters pioneered a light alloy casting forming the chaincase and the swing arm of the single-sided suspension. Eminently suitable for bicycles, and it could even weigh less than the chain and seat stays it replaces. For folding it could easily be made  to swing underneath the frame, Brompton-style.

Dispensing with the traditional bottom bracket would leave ample room between the pedals for a multi-speed gear box. Is there any good reason why the output sprocket has to be concentric with the pedals? Variable gearing from the pedals to a separate sprocket could result in an ultra-compact chain drive with 18 or 20 teeth on both the chainwheel and rear sprocket. How about rear swinging arm bearings concentric with the output sprocket, for suspension without chain length variation?

Hugh Martin
Antingham, Norfolk
hughmartin@lineone.net

We agree about the shaft-drive – the good old chain is still king, for all sorts reasons.We don’t know if a hollow swing-arm has been used on a bicycle before, but it sounds perfectly feasible and the chain would last forever. By the way, Zero isn’t responsible for the claim that their folder compared well with the Brompton – that slightly dubious quote comes from the first owner… (Eds)

In praise of Derailleurs

In your review of the Orbit Orion (A to B 36), you criticise manufacturers for cramming more and more cogs into the rear wheel. Personally, I’m a fan, but what I can’t understand is why they keep selling the front derailleurs to ordinary mortals (racers really do need closely spaced gears).

A nine speed cassette now comes with smoothly spaced cogs from 11 to 34-teeth – a range of over 300% which puts all hub gears to shame, and plenty enough for utility cyclists. Moultons and Birdys have been sold with such gearing for ages, but anyone rediscovering a ‘normal’ bicycle still gets bamboozled with more gears and controls than they’ll ever need, or possibly ever bother to work out.

I don’t believe that your wonderful magazine is ‘anti-car’ (I’m not sure if anyone actually is), but you are coming across as distinctly anti-derailleur – shame on you!

Mark Candlish
Caversham

Our main argument against derailleurs is that hardly anyone understands them and uses them properly, particularly once two levers are involved. For most cyclists a hub system really would be better, and the SRAM and Shimano 7-speed hubs gives a range of very nearly 300%, albeit with some friction losses.Yes, a 9-speed derailleur (without front changer) can work well – we particularly liked the SRAM 9-speed on the Bike Friday Crusoe (A to B 25).There are some mild engineering arguments against – principally the rapid wear and (more controversially) reduced efficiency of the small sprockets needed on sub-24 inch bikes. (Eds)

Pavlovian Response

You’ve occasionally published my anecdotes on fitting a Currie electric drive to my ‘workbike’ (now much improved since the importer fitted a decent hub: the original kept snapping spokes) and I thought my latest ‘mods’ might be of interest to readers.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a teacher in a comprehensive school.While my electric bike has caused some interest and fascination with the pupils, its silent approach has caused some problems when crossing the school yard to park.

I tried the standard cycle bell. Unfortunately this is so seldom heard these days that youngsters just don’t take any notice. I tried an enormous (biggest I could find) ‘ding dong’ bell, but with no better results. Finally I taped a Halfords air horn to the frame.This gets RESULTS!!

Now my approach to those blocking my path is a couple of polite ‘ding dong’s’, followed by an almighty ‘BLAAART’ on the horn.This usually results in lots of swearing, diving for the bushes etc, to the point where pupils now ask me to blast the horn just so they can watch their mates jump. But the important thing is that they’re learning to move out of the way, so I rarely need the horn. It’s a bit like Pavlov and his dogs really – they’ve learned to respond to ‘ding dong’ to avoid the pain of ‘BLAAART’!

John Rutter
Hartlepool

Security Weakness

With a veritable plethora of new electric machines coming on the market, perhaps you could comment on the security aspect of these bikes, in particular, the batteries. I seriously considered an electric cycle some months ago, but as it would have meant leaving it on a cycle rack at Surbiton station all day, I was a bit worried about having bits filched from it – the battery mainly.The only cycle with a battery that appears to incorporate a moulded-in handle (thus capable of having a security cable passed through it) is the Powabyke. Some others do appear to be locked in place, but this is not necessarily commented on in your tests, and neither is the security of said locking arrangements.

As for a folding bikes, it’s obviously best to carry it with you, but there are times when you have to leave it chained to something. Perhaps I am paranoid, but if I leave the Brompton unattended for any length of time I remove the frame clamps. Manufacturers should be persuaded to offer decent built-in security or discounted locks with new cycles.

Ashley Needham
West Molesey, Surrey

Batteries are generally quite well protected, with locks on all of the major machines, although not many would deter a vandal or thief for very long. But we think the Giant Lafree and Viking are the only bikes with cycle locks fitted as standard.One alternative is to buy a grotty-looking old Powabyke, but the only real answer is bike lockers, and these are starting to appear.We’re told that secure bike storage is being considered for stations in the Surbiton area. (Eds)

Mad Dogs & Englishmen

I have done some travelling with a folding bike in Taiwan and intend to go back soon. Has anyone discovered how to deal with the problem of semi-wild dogs? It seems that dog ownership has now spread to Asia, and the animals are breeding and living in the suburbs of towns along the coast lines. Packs of four or five will close in on a cycle in an alarming hunting mode. An airline brochure carried an article about this problem and suggested ‘forcing its head into the ground’. Fighting with wild dogs is surely out of the question?

Peter Rawlin
Bath

We’ve recently received a sample personal alarm.Would this piercingly loud alarm make a practical dog deterrent, we wonder? See what you think – Radio Shack, Catalogue number 49-417. (Eds)

Priorities…

Browsing through Calderdale Council’s website today, I note that the following vacancy attracts a considerably higher rate of pay than that of a Calderdale Council Road Safety (including cycling) Trainer, which is £5.45p per hour:

Models – Post No ED098
£6.91p per hour (unclothed)
£6.59p per hour (clothed)

Applications are invited from persons interested in joining a pool of ancillary staff who are called on from time to time to support Adult & Family Learning at venues throughout Calderdale…Travel expenses would be paid…

Mieszek Konrad-Kosicki
Halifax

We suggest Calderdale employs the unclothed models to teach road safety, thus improving wages and increasing attendance at a stroke. (Eds)

The Final Word

In which you get your say… briefly

The best – no doubt! Excellent magazine . A delight to receive and a pleasure to read The astutely critical tone is refreshing . Sensible and thoughtful . A wonderful read As welcome as the monthly pay cheque . Should be monthly . I laughed so much I nearly fell off my chair . Look forward to it . A treat . Don’t change anything . Some of the best things come in small packages . I don’t need a folder or electric bike, but I love your style How about an article on touring by electric bike? Could you cover Moulton bikes too? More on folder expeditions, improving brakes and adapting gears . More on rail and trikes All power to your cranks . Just keep churning it out . Shine on, crazy diamonds!

Useless Cycle Network

The picture on page 41 of A to B 35 sums up the situation in Nottingham (and too many other British cities) as far as cycling ‘facilities’ are concerned – white lines painted along uneven pavements obstructed by signs, traffic lights, trees etc. If this is British best practice, I’d rather not have it, thanks! The best lanes in Nottingham are the bus lanes – they are wide, clear, smooth and regularly swept of debris. And they’re in force 24 hours a day. The biggest problem with cycling in Nottingham is the ring road and horrendous one way system, which seems always to prevent you from getting where you want to go, to such an extent that ignoring ‘No entry’ and ‘No right turn’ signs will often get you to your destination quicker and more safely than going round Broadmarsh several times.

Oh, and for an example of the differing attitudes of road builders to cyclists and motorists, one only has to look at Raynesway (A5111) in Derby, which has just been slewed (to make way for yet another bypass).The road surface is excellent, but the token cycle path alongside seems to have been shovelled out of the back of a lorry and then stamped down with a pair of welly boots. Needless to say, I use the road!

Dave Burbridge
Derby

Please Sell me a Ticket!

I’m riding the Paris-Brest-Paris Audax ride in August on my old Moulton and I want to take the train there and back with my bagged bike. I’d prefer to travel there 16th August and return 23rd August.

I’ve previously read in A to B that I should be able to get through tickets (possibly discounted) from my Midlands station (Tamworth) to Paris rather than a ticket to London, plus Eurostar ticket, but I can’t find a method that works.When I try to book online on the Virgin or other British railway websites, nothing recognises Paris, Gare du Nord or similar. Any suggestions as to how I can get through ticketing from Tamworth to Paris (ultimately St Quentin-en-Yvelines, but Gare du Nord would do)?

Dave Minter
Via email

The failure to establish a user-friendly through ticket system has to be one of the biggest scandals of the rail privatisation debacle. Although long-distance trains stop at Tamworth, the station is run by Central Trains, and in your area only Virgin sells through tickets, so you’ll have to buy separate single tickets to and from a Virgin station.Then,Virgin can only sell tickets to Eurostar destinations, so you’ll need separate local French tickets too.That said, at £79 to £89, the Birmingham – Paris bit can be good value.The Virgin customer service line is 0870 789 1234. For train times, German Railways (www.bahn.de) provide an excellent English-language European service, but you’ll still have three tickets to book. Any better suggestions? (Eds)

Sturmey Responds

Just a couple of points about your report on the Dahon Vitesse (A to B 35).The Sturmey- Archer 3-speed is not the same as when it came from Nottingham, as the hub internals are very different.With the original AW hub, it was possible to find a ‘false neutral’ between gears 2 and 3, which nobody really minded until Dutch manufacturers asked us to correct it 15 years ago.We consequently introduced a ‘no in-between gear’ (NIG) 3-speed hub in 1989, but only in the drum-brake version, which is widely used here in the Netherlands.The old AW 3-speed continued to be made alongside the new hub, largely because it was a cheaper system.

When production was moved to Taiwan, the new owner was naturally unwilling to produce two different 3-speed systems, so the NIG was introduced into the AW. Spares for the AW will eventually run out, but the internals of the new hub (part number HSX143) were designed to fit the old hub shell.The gear indicator toggle chain is also longer.

Note too, that when Sunrace bought Sturmey-Archer they quickly recognised that the Sturmey-Archer name was much stronger in Europe than elsewhere, so the decision was taken to omit the Sunrace name and continue to brand the products as Sturmey-Archer.

Alan Clarke
Sturmey-Archer Europa N V, Amsterdam,The Netherlands

Nothing New

As an older reader (just celebrated my 80th birthday) and Pashley Moulton ATB rider, can I join in the debates? First,The Mole’s mention of Milton Keynes in A to B 35: I seem to remember the place was first conceived, with its grid-iron layout, as being dedicated to public transport (trams!) and cycleways, before the motor lobby hijacked the town.

Next, your News (page 19, A to B 35) that they’ve re-invented the shaft-drive. And why not? I’ve heard of shaft-drive bikes in the 1920s and ‘30s: it was only the slump in that decade which killed them off. I also recall the Trident (unfortunate name) from the 1980s, which had lovely German-designed skew gears in the rear wheel stay, but was ruined by a rubbish frame from Taiwan.Then there was a good made-in-Germany roadster, not to mention my old Yamaha Townmate scooter and other motorbikes, from the beautiful 1950s Sunbeam to BMWs. Shaft-drive must have a future, especially in transport bikes, and it’s a perfect match for the indispensable hub gear.

Doc Arnold
Appledore, Devon

Interesting about Milton Keynes: we’d never heard that before, but it might help to explain why this very car-centric town has a street pattern focussed on the railway station… According to Carlton Reid of cycle trade magazine BikeBiz, the Sussex drive unit fitted to the Aurora bikes may be the same unit that was fitted to the Trident back in the 1980s – apparently it first made an appearance at about that time. (Eds)

Which Airport Folder?

We require folding bicycles in a case of suitable dimensions to take on package tours.The cases must be able to withstand the rigours of airport handling and protect the bikes. The machines are for touring day rides of up to 50 miles – they must have mudguards, a gear ratio from below 40 inches to 75 inches, and carry the food, tools and clothing required on the ride. Is anything produced that meets our requirements? If not, would you suggest a compromise?

Richard & Margaret Nicholl
Wincanton, Somerset

We generally recommend the Bike Friday or the Brompton for hard case carriage by air, because these two fold into particularly square, compact, packages – the best defence against airline baggage handlers. If you like the Brompton’s rather upright stance, the L6 offers a gear range of 40″ – 86″ (or a bigger range with aftermarket sprockets), weighs from 11.6kg and costs £524. Fit a decent saddle and bar-ends, and this bike is more than capable of holding its own with sportier machines. If you do a lot of this kind of thing, a Bike Friday makes sense – typically expect gears of at least 31″ – 90″, weight of 10kg and price in the £1,000+ region.We should also mention the Airframe (light, but a bit bulky), the Birdy (full suspension, but equally large) and assorted Dahons (cheaper, but mostly larger and heavier). (Eds)

Tried the BMW?

We live near Rochester, upstate New York, and ride around the parks and along the Erie canal with two children, one on a tag-along behind my wife’s Birdy, while I ride an Airnimal. I can thoroughly recommend this fast, light and sturdy bike. I have a fast set of wheels (Araya rims fitted with 28 spokes) and an ‘all purpose’ set with standard rims and Spanky knobbly tyres.The climate here does not help – we are very near the Canadian border and there is lots of snow for five months of the year. So even with the knobbly tyres, it seems that I may have to invest in a more conventional mountain bike. I wondered if you considered reviewing the BMW folding mountain bikes (Q3.S and Q6.S) or if any of your readers have any recommendations? They certainly look like mean machines, but with a serious price tag (just under $1000 and $4000 respectively).

Baz van Cranenburgh
Fairport, NY, USA

For many years BMW folding bikes were thinly disguised Montagues, but the Q3.S and Q6.S are very different.We’ve been unable to get a bike from BMW, or a reply from Montague, but we notice that BMW is still listed as a partner on the Montague website. Anyone know more? (Eds)

The Holy Grail

I continue to search for an electrically-assisted bike which will give me enough help on our steep hills here in the Chilterns.Through the kind assistance of Addiktion Cycles in St Albans, I had a good long trial ride round the outskirts of the town on a new Lafree Twist. It was exhilarating on the flat, down hill and up slight hills, but it did not give me enough help on significant hills. Admittedly, I am nearly 73 years old, out of condition and on blood pressure drugs, but I am still disappointed, because you found it ‘possibly the best power- assisted bike, so far’.

I have tried other bikes in the past, but ruled them all out (Powabyke too heavy, Heinzmann too expensive, etc). Do you have any other suggestions, please? I really enjoyed my ride today, except for the steeper hills!

Brian N. Parsons
Berkhamstead

We were impressed by the Ezee Forza (see page 34), or try the Electro-Drive kit, which has limited range, but will climb almost anything:Two contacts – tel: 07974 723996 or 01244 671999, or email: sales@electro-drive.co.uk or sales@pedalandpower.co.uk

Cheaper at Halfords

The article about map holders in A to B 34 was of particular interest as I have been using the Zefal map holder with my Brompton for over five years, but mine came from Halfords and cost £3.99. It appears to be just the same as the Zefal and is available in all Halfords branches under their own cycle luggage label, although it now costs £4.99.

I am thinking about getting a carrying case for my Brompton as it is getting more use on public transport these days.The case made by Carradice appeared to be a nice piece of work when I examined one at the London CYCLE show last year, but they’re expensive and produce a rather bulky package to carry around when riding. However I see that Dahon markets a bag for folding bikes with 16″ wheels which they claim will fit the Brompton. It is made from tough padded nylon with shoulder straps, and when not in use the bag folds into its own pocket and can be carried as a waist pack.This ‘Doubleplay’ bag looks ideal, and costs only £24.99.The problem is that none of my local dealers had heard of it.

John Swain
Croydon

Dahon tell us the Doubleplay is out of stock, but the standard 16-inch bag is available direct for £19.99, plus £3.50 postage.Tel: 01580 890007. (Eds)

Golden Days Awheel

I had subscribed to A to B for nearly three years off and on before I purchased a Brompton L6 last August.Thanks to your readers’ letters I was able to ask all the appropriate questions, and was pleased to see that the nice copper-haired Stephen at Ratcliffes of Leigh gave honest replies, didn’t dismiss my concerns, and didn’t treat me like a mithering pensioner. Nor did he bat an eyelid when I returned from a 40-minute trip around the town

.

The Brompton has exceeded all hopes and met all my needs so far. I find the saddle unsuitable for a day ride, but I’m reluctant to change it because I’m reluctant to increase the weight, which I find just manageable.

It was the sheer joy of reading Albert Winstanley in Cycling World that first got me on a bike in my early forties. I hope he’s still around – please write another letter Albert! Perhaps you could reveal the whereabouts of any hidden copies of Golden Days Awheel – a cycling treasure discovered in the St Helens Central Library?

Anne Kilmurray
Wigan

Albert still resides at a very earthly address in Bolton, Lancashire. (Eds)

Brompton Update

A few comments on my Brompton, which is used for coastal surveying work:

1) Schwalbe Marathon tyres: No punctures in 3,000km (1,900 miles) of use – part urban commuting where the problem is broken glass, and survey work where most punctures are due to thorns.The rear tyre lasted 3,000km, but the front has not been changed.

2) Pedals:The folding pedal got a bit too worn after about 2,000km (1,250 miles), so I have fitted old track pedals with toe-clips. I carry a 15mm spanner should I need to remove the left-hand pedal. I intend trying the MKS removable pedals when these become available.

3) Saddle height adjustment: Being tall, I fitted a telescopic seat post, and when folding the bike, I sometimes remove the top section.When unfolding, the main stem comes up to the maximum, and the top section is fitted with a plastic collar which also secures a rear LED. Removing the saddle helps with train racks, but is not usually necessary.

4) Rear frame pivot:This has worn a lot, probably due to salt, sand and water getting in during survey work, so the frame will be going back to the factory soon for new bushes. I intend to fit a grease nipple to improve bearing life.

5) Carrying bag: I made a nylon bag to carry the Brompton, with pockets for the saddle and left-hand pedal.This is useful on ferries that charge for bikes and in some (posher) hotels.

Martin Fillan
Hennebont, France

The Final Word

In which you get your say… briefly

Best mag of them all – one improvement: should be monthly! Love the political slant and the intellectual but anarchic style . Good mixture, bang up to date, balanced and dynamicRefreshing, honest, and a consumer guide too! Refreshingly different . A joy to read Don’t change – A to B is a perfect vision for the world . Honest, witty and non-commercial Still an excellent read . Good reading and honest opinions throughout . Well worth the money Really enjoyable . Excellent, crap-free read . Keep it A5 please . More bike tests – too hung up on rail travel .Any pressure for a decent rail service is good . Please ignore comments asking for less politics . More on folders, less about electric bikes . More electric bikes please More electric bikes . How about info on electric scooters? How about an article on trikes? Don’t forget recumbent trikes! Can’t wait for it! Top sprocket! Irreverent, soulful and fun

Old-tech Fights Back

Thanks for the review of LED lamps in A to B 33.The case design of the new Cateye lamps certainly appears to be a bit of a let down. Given the slightest opportunity, moisture will always creep into the electrics of poorly sealed cycle lamps and terminals will need occasional treatment with switch cleaner.

I use an Ever Ready Night Vision front lamp on my Brompton. I replaced the mounting bracket with a sawn-off section from the Ever Ready Night Rider bracket, enabling the lamp to be mounted near the centre of the handlebars, with a thick piece of rubber inside the clamp to avoid over-stressing the bars.

Rechargeable NiMH ‘C’ cells and a Reflectalite GH155 halogen bulb give excellent performance in a virtually waterproof lamp.The Night Vision was given a 5-star rating in issue 3 of The Folder – February 1994.

Up until about 18 months ago, Night Vision lamps were available in Woolworths, but Energizer UK may be able to advise if they are still available.

Jack Anderson
London

We did indeed give five stars to the Night Vision lamp. Ours, modified in much the same way as Jack’s (but permanently bolted in place of the front reflector, and fitted with a socket for recharging), is still in use nine years later – powerful, moisture-free and running with the same halogen bulb…The downside is a weight of 260g, plus an equally chunky bracket, but that’s still lighter than today’s Cateye EL300, so perhaps things haven’t advanced all that far. (Eds)

On the Right Wavelength

I’m a Canadian working on a PhD here in the UK, and was delighted to discover (in short order) the Brompton folding bike and your magazine! Regarding the discussion on lights in the current issue, it seems the human eye is sensitive to light which tends to the blue side of the spectrum (including ‘white’ LEDs) in such a way that, while the light from such devices is visible from a great distance, in many cases the lights actually do not provide great visibility.There is, of course, a great deal of dispute and debate on the topic, but a good source of information can be had at http://lighting.mbz.org/tech/bulbs/blue/bad/bad.html. A brief quote: ‘Blue is the shortest wavelength/highest frequency colour of visible light, and, as such, scatters the most readily.This is why the sky is blue rather than any other colour from the sun’s white output spectrum.’ And it explains why yellow light is so often chosen for use in foggy conditions, as it scatters less.While the better LEDs produce quite white light, this still scatters somewhat compared to the output of yellow incandescent bulbs.

Waldemar Kowalski-Daher
London

Yum, yum

Since writing to you (Letters, A to B 34), I have found a better rain cover for the Cateye EL200. Ferrero Rocher hazelnut chocolates come in a clear plastic box measuring 14cm x 7.5cm x 7cm, which is ample. I clamped the lid to the bracket, fitted the lamp and put the box over the top, secured by two elastic bands – completely rain-proof, even in driving rain.

A G Bannister
Padstow, Cornwall

The Angle of Dangle

I bought Cateye LD600 and EL300 lights before your article arrived, and I have no complaints about them. I have used both in flashing mode and the Police have not shown any interest so far! But why sell lights that are not yet approved? Is Cateye planning to get these LED lights approved retrospectively? Or are they going to give us a trade-in on the approved lights?

The trouble with LEDs is that most have a 20 degree wide beam and the regulations call for 80 degree beam width inwards and outwards horizontally. So without a clever lens, an approved lamp would need a minimum of 8 LEDs, angled accordingly. Maybe the Cateye lenses are to spread, rather than concentrate the beams, which might explain why they are less satisfactory for lighting the road.

Incidentally, ‘white’ LEDs are really blue ones with white phosphor in front, reducing efficiency and increasing cost. As our eyes are more sensitive to the green/red end of the spectrum, perhaps LED lights should be comprised of a mixture of colours for maximum brightness and minimum cost/power consumption.

Mike Hargaden
London

No Pump?

Your reviews of the Giant Lafree Twist in issues 27 and 31 convinced me that this was the electric bike to go for.The chap at the Solex Centre (King’s Road, London, for those interested) was extremely helpful and informative, allowing me several test rides on adjacent roads. Collecting a new machine a week later (and ordering a spare battery), I tried its performance on the 7-mile run home to north-west London – your review in issue 27 was right on the mark!

As I had dreaded a puncture, I’d taken with me a can of Finilec (similar to Tyreweld). Luckily, this wasn’t needed, but on arriving home it occurred to me that this expensive bike carried no essential extras: no puncture kit, no spanners, or Allen keys. Surely these could be included as goodwill? They were supplied with the Raleigh Boulevard Tourist (of whose weight and handling the Lafree now reminds me) that I purchased in 1965.

As I read Giant’s comprehensive owner’s manual, the light dawned: ‘Every 50 hours of riding: take your bike to the dealer for a check-up’. Are they serious? I know this is a power-assisted cycle, but is it really so precious? With anticipated daily commuting use, I’d be bringing it in every month! Anyway, Giant may be stingy, but I do like the Lafree Twist.

Chris Gielgud
London

With any bike, we’d suggest a thorough service after the first 50 hours (600 miles) or three months use, whichever comes first – a good shop should provide this as part of their after-sales back-up. At the first service, parts such as spokes, wheel bearings, brakes and chain will have ‘bedded down’ and may need adjustment and/or lubrication.Thereafter, if you make your own regular safety checks and adjustments, a bike may not need to see the inside of a shop for years. But for the non-mechanical, a professional check of brakes, tyres (including pressures) and bearings every 600 miles sounds a worthwhile investment.

Good point about tools and pumps.The Lafree rear wheel is quite difficult to remove, but that’s more to do with the Nexus 4-speed hub than the electric-assist. Don’t worry too much though – we’ve only had one puncture in 1,500 miles.

According to John Kawecki of Giant: ‘In these modern times there are more pumps sold by bike dealers than bikes themselves! We stopped supplying pumps with bikes many years ago as it became apparent that the customer wanted to choose a pump that suited their specific needs. If we supplied the pumps with the bikes then this would have to be reflected in the retail price of the bike and would not give a customer any choice. Sorry, but that’s the way of the modern cycling industry.’ (Eds)

My Car Costs Less!

I value all the technical information in A to B, particularly reports of tyre performance, electric bikes, batteries and real costs per mile. But I would appreciate a more detailed breakdown to show depreciation and maintenance costs.After all, there’s a lot of difference between 5p per mile and 10p per mile, which compares unfavourably with running my car (7.5p per mile, petrol only).And I suspect that a cycle-motor might cost less than 3p per mile.

The latter seems more promising than electric power for someone old and feeble like me for long distance touring, especially with a crank-mounted motor driving through a derailleur, giving the ability to climb anything.The thought of persuading the average B&B landlady that charging a battery overnight will not break the bank or catch fire while she sleeps is something I do not wish to tackle! In this context, fuel cells (using bottled gas) seem more promising, but I can’t see it happening before I ‘jump into the box’. Roll on the petrol-assisted semi-recumbent that does 200mpg.

Ian Taylor
Leominster, Herefordshire

Our electric bike running costs are calculated according to a simple fixed formula, assuming 2,500 miles per year, making no allowance for non-compulsory extras, such as insurance, 2p per mile for consumables such as tyres and chains, plus:

1. Purchase price fully depreciated over ten years. 2. Battery depreciated over 700 charge cycles (NiMH or NiCD) or 350 charge cycles (lead-acid) 3. Electricity consumed at 6p per kWh 4. Mileage per full charge based on the A to B test.

The resulting figure – generally 6p to 9p per mile – should really be compared to full motoring costs – currently averaging 30p-80p according to the Automobile Association. Against your 7.5p fuel cost, a typical electric bike costs around 0.1p per mile! As for cycle-motors, the AA puts the running cost of a moped (assuming 4,000 miles a year) at a scary 25p per mile.You could probably halve that, but clearly even a cycle-motor would cost more than an electric bicycle.

As for landladies, we’ve recharged electric bikes at a number of strange places, including a railway ticket office and an ice-cream kiosk – slightly bemused looks, but no problems. A payment of 5p would easily cover the fuel cost. (Eds)

Rightful Place…

I was delighted to see the letters by Michelle Whitworth and Patrick James (A to B 34), stressing the importance of cycling on the road with other vehicles. In North America, we too have those with a fantasy of a segregated system for cycles, free from competition with motor vehicles.The more that we can persuade people to get out of their cars and walk, cycle or take public transport the better, but realistically, we’ll be sharing the road with motor vehicles for the indefinite future.

The existing road system was designed to make it efficient to get from A to B, with an almost infinite number of origins and destinations. As cyclists, the less distance we have to go out of our way between A and B, the better.This usually means taking the existing road.

I’m grateful for the pioneering work of John Forester, in his Effective Cycling (first edition 1975), for outlining that cyclists fare best if they behave like a car, obeying traffic rules, signalling their intentions and taking their rightful place on the road. I rode for nearly fifty years before encountering this material, and it has really focused my attention on the hazards and how to avoid them. For example, most urban accidents occur at intersections, not from being hit from behind. Special paths or lanes for cyclists just compound the dangers of this mix. Forester’s book is now published by MIT Press.

Bob McInnes
Victoria, B.C. Canada

The 1993 reprint of ‘Effective Cycling’ is available in the UK – about £20 for the paperback (Eds).

D.I.Y. Cycle Routes

Urban cycling without recourse to Sustrans paths (Letters, A to B 34) is easier than you might think. Simply note your start and finish points on a street map and draw a line between the two.You can then choose a route linking up all the side streets running parallel to main roads – these are surfaced, reasonably direct, lit, safe, virtually traffic-free and don’t usually involve gyratories and junctions from hell.

As for low-mounted lights, I was very nearly flattened by a lady motorist who didn’t see my Brompton front light on an unlit street, so it’s now at handlebar height, without folding problems. I also use a secondary rear light at saddle height.

Charlie Hall
Whitley Bay,Tyne & Wear

In Sustrans’ defence, the organisation has always recommended the Dutch cycle path model (see page 36), where road traffic usually gives way to cyclists. It is not Sustrans’ fault that UK local authorities and the DfT have generally refused to adopt this approach, leaving most urban cycle paths difficult and dangerous to use. As for lights, we would suggest keeping the battery/dynamo lights where they are, but fitting secondary high-mounted LEDs front and rear.The LEDs illuminate signs and alert motorists, while the low-mounted conventional battery or dynamo light provides warning of pot-holes and other nasties. (Eds)

Load Carriers Rumble On

In support of Professor Pivot (A to B 34, page 14), I tried the Cargo Bike when on holiday with our two children of 17 months and nearly five.There is plenty of room for them plus luggage, and in addition to the features mentioned by Steven Brandist (Letters, A to B 34), there is also a frame lock.

On a flat clear road with a following wind, it performs well. But when you start to climb, the handlebars flex and you soon run out of gears, so you resort to pushing.There is little point in fitting lower gears because at low speeds handling becomes challenging.The brakes are weak too, so emergency stops and steep descents are a bit risky.

Catherine Girvan
Worcester

And From The Trade…

In reply to the debate over child and/or load-carriers, by far the most important thing in parents’ minds when purchasing a vehicle to carry children is safety. Front-loading tricycles, such as the Christiania, offer a number of advantages:They are more stable than two- wheeled vehicles; they have a sturdy box that protects its passengers; they have a more assertive presence on the road; the children are always in view of the rider; it is safe to carry babies in their cots. Note too that the Christiania Light has 24-inch wheels all round.

Andrea Casalotti
ZERO, London

Sleeping Centurions

Richard Dunn has missed out on a couple of points (Letters, A to B 34). First, unlike our ‘free’ press, A to B’s policy of not being pro-car isn’t anti-car. If I were looking to buy a financial product, my advisers would have to declare an interest – our national press claims to be unbiased, but the contrary is often the case.

Secondly, while ancient Rome had traffic problems, it also had traffic laws which make Ken Livingston’s £5 charge seem very reasonable.You could only use two-wheeled vehicles at certain times, and it wasn’t advisable to charge at a pedestrian crossing, as they were basically a set of stepping stones across the street. Early traffic-calming perhaps – drive carefully or wreck your chariot! An idea that might be worth copying.

Bill Houlder
Pontefract

Rules Of The Road!

I commute to work by bike/train, and every day I see the same thing – cyclists flagrantly breaking the law in ways they would never dream if they were driving a car. And this is everywhere, not just London: running red lights (the favourite), going the wrong way on one-way streets, cycling on pavements, cycling at night without lights, ignoring pedestrian crossings when in use… the list goes on.These ignoramuses don’t seem to realise that when a cyclist gets away with breaking the road traffic laws, the motorists who witness this get p***ed off.The more annoyed they get, the less respect they show to all cyclists. I’m not saying motorists are innocent in this, but I can understand their irritation with cyclists.

Jason Collins-Webb, Reading

Load of Rubbish

I think the principle of electric vehicles is great, it’s just that I haven’t had any luck. I bought a Citybug e2 scooter, and the throttle/drive mechanism malfunctioned twice after only a few miles. I also bought the Bikit electric-assist kit, unfortunately before reading your review.The kit won’t install on either of my bicycles because the frame tubes are too thick and I can’t get the proper clearance between the pedal crank and sensor.

Since I don’t live in a hilly area, and I’m not faced with the prospect of carting heavy loads, I don’t really need electric-assist, but if I do want to have an electric bike in the future, should I invest in something like a Giant LaFree or Heinzmann?

Steve Wirzylo,Toledo, USA

We don’t think luck comes into it! Cheaper powered vehicles are designed for occasional leisure use. If you want something that will give good service, it’s best to choose a proper bicycle and a reputable drive system.The Lafree and Heinzmann are probably the best around at present. (Eds)

Nuts in May

Your picture of the nudists and a Brompton in A to B 31 brought to mind a claim made to me some time ago by my friend Julian of ‘Bona Bicycles’, Balham. He swears that Andrew Ritchie originally intended to call his splendid machine the Hampton – and was only dissuaded by a colleague observing that the folding process might entail some small risk of getting his Hampton caught.

Edgar Newton,York

The Final Word

In which you get your say… briefly

Much appreciated . An enjoyable and encouraging read . Devoured within minutes of arrival Like the honest down-to-earth style . Look forward to it immensely . Well written from start to finish . A different outlook on the cycling world . A breath of sanity in an insane world A haven of common sense . Read from cover to cover… the wife dreads its arrival I do not own a car, so regard A to B as perfect . Brompton and A to B have improved my mobility Essential reading for someone who chooses not to own a car . Keep up the anti-car bias A pity your advertisers don’t update their copy more often! Small, but beautifully done Refreshing – A to B gives an infusion of optimism that all is not lost! Better every year! My primary small-wheeled bike info source . A good practical magazine – humourous too! More on electric scooters please, and support for making them legal . Keep up the trials of power-assisted bikes . More electric bikes, please . Could you test the new CCM Evox semi-recumbent? More info on rail bargains . Less politics and transport, more bikes Confine politics to transport! Please give addresses and phone numbers – not everyone has email The best cottage industry on wheels . The only bike mag I read . Love you to bitsWIFE: ‘Excellent cycling coverage’ HUSBAND: ‘Top birds’ .As the late, great Eddie Cochran sang: ‘Hallelujah, I just love you so

A Jolly Good Machine!

I read with interest your comments about the Giant LAFree Lite electric bicycle. A few days after reading your review, I stumbled upon a chance to test one. It proved to be everything you said it was.The bike is a revelation. It was indeed almost completely silent, and my best estimate is that the pedelec motor arrangement did about two-thirds of the work of moving bicycle and rider.

At the same time, I tested one of the Sport models, and the difference in handling was dramatic.The Sport model (and others of its weight class) rides like a moped; the Lite model rides like a bicycle.The light weight of the bike and battery opens up a new world for the long-range rider. For longer range, carry a spare NiMH battery.This is not a serious option with a heavy lead-acid battery, but it is perfectly reasonable with the battery pack of the Lite model.

Thanks to your review, I have seen the future of the electric bicycle. It provides a quiet, easy and sweat-free ride.Your comments were spot on, as usual.

Martin Snelus
Torrance, California

The US cycle trade has interpreted the Giant electric brand as ‘L.A.Free’, whereas Europe insists on ‘Lafree’. The Sport model seems to be known here as the E-Trans or E-Race. (Eds)

Bottom Preload

I think your review of the Giant Lafree is unfair and incorrect in the comments on suspension seat posts: ‘…the saddle to crank distance varies as you ride…’ and ‘There’s no easy answer, other than fitting a proper suspension system.’

It is important to set the preload to about equal to the rider’s weight so that when you sit on it there is little if any deflection. It appears that the seat post on the Giant Lafree (and the Powabyke Commuter) had little if any preload and when the rider sat on the saddle the seat post moved down quite a bit and he was in effect sitting on pogo stick.This would give a wallowy ride with varying saddle to crank distance and, as your reviewer found, make stopping at traffic lights a hazardous and uncomfortable experience as well as making pedalling inefficient.

A suspension seat post can give most of the advantages of rear suspension without its major disadvantage – the bouncing when riding out of the saddle. Neither the seat post nor rear suspension accommodates high frequency irregularities in the road surface – the annular pneumatic suspension deals with these, together with the padding in your pants.

Mike Lenton
Kirkby-in-Furness, Cumbria

Quite so. Our escape clause on these occasions, is that we always adjust bikes as prescribed in the manual. Giant doesn’t put any information in its manual because the bikes come with a leaflet from Post Moderne (ours didn’t). Powabyke says nothing because its older seat posts are non- adjustable.This has now changed, and Powabyke says the manual will be updated. (Incidentally, don’t try unscrewing the plate under the seat pin on older Powabykes, or the spring will fly out).

The disadvantage with preload, of course, is that a given setting will only work properly for people of similar weight, and the abrupt travel stop on rebound can be annoying. Post Moderne suggests adjusting for a fairly large static deflection of 10-15mm, out of 40mm travel.The company also provides springs of three different rates for fine-tuning. (Eds)

Easy on Auto Lights!

I normally respect the technical aspects of your reviews but it seems you are still in the dark about lights – namely the operation of the Nexus hub dynamo (unless you were sent a duff). I recently fitted an identical system and can report that it works perfectly. I leave the switch on auto all the time and it comes on ‘like magic’ as it should, in any low light conditions – it does not need to be very dark.The only thing you cannot do is switch between modes while moving. However, once set to ‘Auto’ while stationary there’s really no need to ever fiddle with it again. I’m very pleased with mine and recently completed a 10- hour night ride, running the dynamo continuously without any problems. Drag seems much less than with a rim dynamo.

David Kemp
Woodbridge, Suffolk

Auto Conundrums

You commented in A to B 31 that the Lumotec light did not come on under trees/twilight. I have one fitted with the SON hub dynamo, and whilst the instructions were unclear, I found that it has worked very satisfactorily.The problem I have found is getting the rear light to work – I suspect earth connections.The rear light is powered from the SON hub through the Lumotec front light, but I have only used the live wire.

It took me a while to work it all out.There is a switch on the headlamp – ‘S’ is for ‘Sensor ON’ and ‘1’ is ‘Always ON’. So in theory you should always have your lights on when they are needed. It was only after a while that I realised the Lumotec rear light came on automatically too, and I am guessing that when the connection is fixed it should come on at the same time as the front light.

Adrian L Mills
Walton-on-Thames

Readers may recall that our unit worked well, but failed to switch on at dusk unless you stopped and restarting. It turns out that the Comfort (and any other bike fitted with the Nexus automatic hub dynamo and automatic Lumotec lamps) has light sensors on the dynamo switch and the lamp, but one is redundant.With no information as to the meaning of ‘S’ and ‘1’, we used the Nexus sensor switch, which didn’t work too well. But leave the Nexus ‘ON’, and the Lumotec at ‘S’ and everything works perfectly… If you’re buying one of these automatic systems, we’d suggest matching the Lumotec with a non-sensor hub, or the Nexus hub with a non-sensor lamp.

With Adrian’s system (non-sensing hub, but sensor front light and ‘slave’ rear light) a power feed should run to the rear lamp from ‘downstream’ of the sensor – the terminals are under the lamp. In this way, front and rear lights should switch on and off together. (Eds)

Engineered for Safety?

Regarding car ads (Mole, A to B 31), I saw one a couple of weeks ago for a Mercedes, suggesting that the car was ‘better than walking’. I sent a note to the Advertising Standards Authority explaining why it isn’t… I’ve only had an acknowledgement back so far.

I’m not sure about motor manufacturers realising that improved safety features get cancelled out by changed driving practice, as you suggest in the Giant review (A to B 31, page 25). I believe it (and it’s my job to calculate its effect), but I know other safety engineers who deny it. One Swedish engineer I worked with summed it up as ‘Volvo drivers are maniacs’. It’s well explained in Robert Davies’ Death on the Streets and Risk by John Adams.

Peter Stanton
Northampton

New stock? Never!

New sleeper train guards vans (A to B 31, page 14)? Not likely! When these are scrapped, that’ll be the end.They were recently refurbished and should last as long as the sleeper carriages themselves.

As for 12-tooth sprockets (page 17), we have used one on a Brompton for many years, without problems.That said, we used Shimano Dura-Ace, although filing off the splines was very hard work.

Finally,V-brakes (page 21). Perfectly adequate? You testers may not live with most bikes long enough to wear the rims out, but some of us do! And more energy going into the bike means more has to be taken out by the brakes. If an electric bike is used as you advocate – 30 mile round trip commuting – it will see lots of rim wear. Even on a Dawes Galaxy, the rims fail before the tyres now.

David Edge
Derby

We’ve now done 500 hard miles with a 12-tooth sprocket without a hint of trouble.We take the point about rim wear, particularly with a fast and fairly heavy commuter machine like the Comfort, although we’ve heard that Shimano roller brakes can be less than reliable in the long run. Good old drum brakes are still the best choice, but discs are getting lighter and cheaper all the time. (Eds)

Like That Bike!

We bought a secondhand Like-a-Bike through your small ads. It arrived on Thursday afternoon and by Tuesday afternoon our four year old could ride her own bike – built in obsolescence! We have since lent it to various friends.

Catherine Girvan
Worcester

These little pedal-less bikes are a great learning aid, and fun too. At 21/2, Alexander very quickly mastered balance on a Like-a-Bike, despite having lost all confidence on a conventional bike with stabilisers. Eight months later, he rode straight off when placed on an ordinary bike. Now aged 31/2, he’s quite proficient, and proof enough for us that the system works.

We couldn’t sell our Like-a-Bike – it’s become a much loved family heirloom. (Eds)

Unnatural Desires

I have an irrational desire to own a recumbent and I like the idea of being able to convert my T5 Brompton, if only so I can convert it back if it proves to be a bad idea.The web site address I have isn’t supported any longer and I wonder if you have any up to date contact information for the manufacturer or an importer? I thought you had reviewed it in A to B but can’t find the item.

Secondly, I have had a reliability problem with the Basta rear standlight fitted as an upgrade to my Brompton.As the dark nights are drawing on I took it to pieces and found on close examination of the batteries that they are alkaline not rechargeables (as I had thought). Fitting a new set of long life batteries seems to have solved the problem. I mention this as others may be having similar problems and it could be a cheap and easy solution.

Paul Denyer
Portsmouth

The Brompton recumbent kit is still produced in Germany by Juliane Neuß. Juliane can be emailed at , but Bikefix (Lamb’s Conduit Street, London, tel: 0207 405 1218) usually has a demonstrator available.We reviewed the kit in A to B 8, and great fun it was too. The Basta Standlight is a hybrid dynamo/battery rear lamp giving the best of both worlds – plenty of light underway, but remaining on for four minutes when stationary too.The batteries should last for years, but Brompton says a few early lamps were faulty, and yours could be one of these.We’d recommend a visit to your dealer. (Eds)

Any hub info?

Can you give me a few handy tips, or guide me to where in your esteemed publication you have mentioned adjustment of hubs other than the Sturmey 3-speed. And could you explain why the Brompton should not be adjusted ‘on it’s haunches’ – why not do it upside down? Finally, if money was no object would you buy a Rohloff hub? Are you still happy with your crank-mounted Speed-Drive system?

Mark James
Edinburgh

There really is very little consumer information on this subject (see below), so it’s high time we tackled hub gear adjustment – one for Professor Pivot. As for the Brompton, when the rear wheel is folded under the bike, the cables are pulled tight, making a nonsense of any adjustment. And if the bike is upside down, the shifter may be slightly depressed, giving similar results.With the 5-speed in particular, the only sure answer is to adjust the hub in the ready-to-ride position, then grovel about on the ground, or use a small mirror to check the indicator position.

No, we wouldn’t buy a Rohloff – we’re delighted with the Speed-Drive and the wide-range Brompton 2×3, both of which give adequate gear range for a lot less money and trouble. (Eds)

Ditto

Can you tell me how I can get instruction manuals for bicycles, similar to the Haynes manuals for cars? Alternatively, do firms like Shimano and Sturmey Archer supply maintenance/overhaul literature?

Kenneth Smith
Ulverstone, Cumbria

Haynes does produce a bicycle book (‘The Bike Book’, Fred Milson, £14.50).We haven’t seen it, although we understand it has just been reprinted. Otherwise, the best general guide book these days is Richard’s Bicycle Book (ISBN 0 330 37717 5).

For hub gears and older bicycles, the ‘Reader’s Digest Home Maintenance Manual’ (ISBN 027 6000 064), was published for about twelve years from 1972, and includes a superbly illustrated bicycle chapter.This was published on it’s own from 1974 as a paperback: ‘The Reader’s Digest Guide to Bicycle Repairs’ (ISBN 027 6000 722), but went out of print long ago.

Both Shimano and Sturmey Archer can supply information sheets, but they’re designed for professional workshop staff and can be hard going… Although we say it ourselves, we dealt with day-to-day maintenance of Sturmey 3 and 5-speed hubs rather well in A to B 23. (Eds)

The Final Word

In which you get your say… briefly

Gloriously unglamorous . Pithy, pungent, progressive and perfect . An absolute gem The best . An information magazine par excellence! Entertaining and much needed A beautiful magazine .A treat waiting to be read . Extremely interesting . Still a great read Excellent read . A very interesting read . I read it cover to cover – even the technical bits An instant read on arrival . Good value for money . Full of intelligent comment without a surfeit of jargon . I am not too excited about electric bikes, but that could change The only reliable resource for railway information . Don’t change the content, style or format Priority to bike tests, please . Fab! Please review the Birdy Green . I’m interested in tricycles Like news on what politicians are doing . Keep up the quality reviews and political comments Too political and serious recently . Historical articles would be nice . More general articles More news, less nudes please . [The nude], Issue 31, page 5 is not acceptable, but don’t take me off your mailing list . Please do not publish this comment . Knows its stuff – serious soul I could pop my clogs soon, but must subscribe for another two years . Occasionally incomprehensible to post-colonials . Get the feeling you’re fighting a losing battle? [No]

Teach ‘em a lesson!

I’d like to add my voice to the recent debate (Letters A to B 29 & 30) on feigning injury after a crash. I have suffered two nasty incidents in the last few years – one where I was deliberately sideswiped by a motorist and another where a car passenger engrossed in a mobile phone conversation opened his door onto a cycle lane. As I avoided a serious collision and/or injury in both cases, the police were completely disinterested, even though I had some enthusiastic witnesses.The point is not so much that I suffered trauma, but that I was lucky or skillful enough on these occasions (probably the latter!) to escape injury. Neither miscreant showed the slightest remorse, both got off scot-free, and they’re both liable to re-offend.The next time it might be a child or an elderly person.With the benefit of hindsight, I would certainly stage an injury in future, if it helped get the police involved.

William Smith
Kensington, London

Easy on the Motorist!

I am surprised at your answer to Malcolm Clarke’s letter with regard to feigning injury following a Road Traffic Accident. I have been a motorist for many years and a cyclist since childhood, and I have certainly seen some stupid driving, but I have also seen some stupid cycling, especially more recently – cyclists riding through pedestrian crossings while people are crossing, along pavements, the wrong way down one-way streets, and through red lights. If a cyclist does this and is hit by a car, are you still going to claim the motorist is to blame? If so, feigning an injury in an attempt to arouse sympathy from the crowd would be outrageous. I really believe you should think this through again. If I drove my car like some people ride bikes, I would expect to lose my licence.

Colin Rose (Member, the Association of British Drivers)
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

Cyclists certainly do some daft things, but they’re generally only risking their own lives. Children can be daft too, as can animals – as an experienced motorist, you’ll no doubt appreciate the need to predict their actions too.The biggest cause of crashes is motorists driving too fast for the conditions and being unable to avoid animate or inanimate objects such as cars, cyclists, children, brick walls or trees.The first rule for all road users must be to travel at a speed that allows them to stop when the unexpected occurs. And as motorists represent the greatest danger to others, we think it’s perfectly fair that they should suffer tougher penalties if they fail to observe this simple rule.

Incidentally, in a useful bit of Euro-harmonisation, we understand that the UK may eventually be forced to adopt the Dutch model, putting the onus on motorists to prove that they were not at fault following a collision with a cyclist or pedestrian, rather than visa versa. (Eds)

Cars are Rubbish

Thanks for running an interesting magazine. I think it’s wonderful we can have a magazine for car bashing. If anyone asks me why I don’t drive (I can, and have a licence), I say ‘I would be ashamed to’. Apart from the fact that cars are ugly, inefficient and stink, they’re rubbish in engineering terms, solving the problems of centrifugal and gyroscopic forces by simply adding more weight and wider tyres. How car drivers are not ashamed to take it upon themselves to live off the fat of the land in this way is beyond my comprehension.

Henryk Belda
Penicuik, Midlothian

More Bus Troubles

After travelling to work with my Brompton on the bus for six months, I encountered a problem on 1st July. A new driver said ‘We do not accept folding bikes’. I said ‘I haven’t had any problem before’, to which he replied ‘We carry pushchairs and suitcases.We do not accept folding bikes!’ Fortunately, he agreed to let me travel that time.

However, since our paths could cross again, I took his registration number and called Arriva HQ, where I was told that the company leaves it up to the driver, but I was impressed with a response acknowledging my complaint two days later. Coincidentally, I encountered the same driver the following day. He just looked at my pass and said ‘Thank you’.

Only five days after the incident I received a written response from the Operations Manager apologising and explaining that I can travel with my bicycle as long as there is enough room on the bus, which there always is, because I commute in the opposite direction to most other people.

The company explained, ‘the driver concerned will be seen regarding this incident,’ and even enclosed two free single trip vouchers. I was impressed with the way Arriva dealt with my complaint, especially since I rely on the bus to get to work. It would be ironic if the company now responsible for the Dales Bike Bus is found to be turning away passengers at the first sight of a package that looks vaguely like a bicycle.

Jonathan Pattison
Leeds

Rivet Counting

In A to B 3, you trialled the three 7-speed hub gears then available and wrote thus: ‘… we would totally discount the Shimano… the seven speed appears to be lacking in all areas against the other hubs.’ In Cycle Touring & Campaigning magazine, Chris Juden reluctantly recommended the Sachs over the Sturmey Archer at the same time. In the current issue of Velovision, Crispin Bennett suggests the Shimano Nexus 7 is more trouble than it’s worth.

In A to B 30 you tell us that the Sachs/SRAM 7-speed is, ‘nowhere near as pleasant to use or adjust as the superficially similar Sturmey or Nexus’. Can you clarify please? Before you conclude that I am a sad rivet counter, my main concern is to buy products as locally as possible – now that Sturmey Archer has gone, I would have little doubt that Shimano would like to become the sole supplier of these hubs.

Clive Parsons
Worcester

In most respects – weight, price, gear range and (particularly) adjustability – the Sturmey was streets ahead of the opposition, but it proved frail in service.With the benefit of several years use of the others – the Nexus has the edge on adjustment, but like Chris Juden, we’d give the SRAM a rather grudging thumbs up overall. Our main gripe is that this hub uses a thin steel rod rather than a cable to effect gear changes, which can be hit-and-miss affairs. Sun Race Sturmey is reintroducing the old Sturmey Archer hubs, so we may see a new 7-speed in the shops soon. (Eds)

Hard Enough?

I have been searching for a hard suitcase to fit a Brompton and at last I’ve found one… a Globe-Trotter Eminent GT Pullman 32in, reduced from £109 to £43.60 in the sale at Debenham’s Stoke-on-Trent store. Lucky me!

There is room on all sides to cushion the bike with clothes etc, to help protect it during airport loading and unloading. A more expensive Globe-Trotter model was given a glowing write-up in the travel section of the Sunday Telegraph recently. It said the Globe- Trotter brand was well known for durability. However, I have not yet been able to put the case to a flight test. Globe-Trotter cases are distributed by Greenwich Group Limited, Fourth Floor, 5 Greenwich View Place, Millharbour, London E14 9NN.

Chris Proudlove
Stoke-on-Trent

Sleep On It!

Thanks for the information regarding cheap sleeper tickets in A to B 28. I used it early in March to travel to Fort William, spending just one night in the town. Due to strike action, I found my return journey the following day was to be from Inverness. As I didn’t fancy a road coach transfer, I cycled to Inverness via Aviemore. On another trip, I travelled from London to Glasgow, and cycled to Stirling, returning three days later by train.The following information may be of use to fellow travellers:

1) If storing a Brompton bicycle in a sleeper berth, it will only fit at right angles to the bed and can be positioned near the sink. On three trips where I had to share, the other person was happy with this! I did cover the bike with a plastic sack.
2) A full touring pannier bag will fit along the sink unit shelf between the two beds.
3) I used another sack over the front bag to keep the rain off…

Roger Taylor
Weybridge, Surrey

The sleeper trains are a great way to get to Scotland with your bike and they’re run by Scotrail, not Virgin – reason enough for some travellers.We managed to fit all our bags and two Bromptons in the berth when we travelled to Aberdeen a few years ago, but space was obviously at a premium. For those with larger bicycles, skis, or huntin’ shootin’ & fishin’ paraphernalia, the Caledonian Sleepers still have guards vans, but the situation may change when new rolling stock is introduced. Visit www.scotrail.co.uk for the latest information. (Eds)

A Vote for Solid Tyres

Why are cycle shops so set against solid tyres? Punctures put people off cycling, and with modern technology such as shock absorbers, telescopic forks etc, it shouldn’t matter too much if they are a wee bit firm!

I’d given up cycling because of punctures – I used to cycle to work, but the bike proved unreliable, so I started motoring. I had a Bickerton too, and I loved it! But at the start of a holiday in the Lake District, I suffered a flat tyre, miles from the nearest cycle shop.What with the bad weather as well, I ended up taking the next train home.

Now, thanks to Green Tyres, I’m back on the bike and life’s worth living again!

Jean Watson
Muirhead, Strathclyde

For bigger wheels and lowish speeds, solid tyres can be perfectly practical. However, rolling resistance and a hard ride become more of a problem on smaller tyres, particularly 16 inch and below.We tried a Brompton with hybrid foam-filled tubes and the tyres were warm to the touch after a couple of miles, as was the rider (see A to B 9). Big sizes abound, but there are no solid tyres to suit the 349mm Brompton, Micro or Bickerton.To some extent, though, the puncture resistance of modern tyres has reduced the need for solid tyres.You might find it worth looking again at pneumatics! (Eds)

Know Any More?

A group of us are looking into trying to buy a Velocity electric bike from Switzerland as we’ve read some good things about them. Unfortunately, the website is all in German and we know of no outlets in the UK. Do you have any information on these very practical sounding bikes?

Richard Peace
Wakefield,West Yorkshire

This is one for our Swiss and German readers, because this attractive and practical-looking bike is not available in the UK at present.The specification reads like an electric bike wish-list: 24kg (53lb) in weight, top speed (an illegal) 18mph, range 17 miles and recharge time of under an hour. If you have no luck, try the manufacturer:Velocity AG, Burgweg 15, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland. Tel: +41 61 693 4358. (Eds)

In Favour of the Heinzmann

At last you review the best ebike! I bought a Heinzmann after road-testing all the others and being disappointed every time. Reading the company’s website convinced me to buy one and I am not disappointed. None of the problems you mentioned are there on Heinzmann’s own bike, the Estelle, and the range of motors is helpful: I chose a good compromise of speed and range.

My bike has a conventional throttle control but includes a pedal movement sensor that acts as a ‘dead mans handle’, disconnecting the motor when you stop pedalling.You really must have a safety device of some sort on any electric-powered machine as it has to be safe to leave around children.

I hardly ever turn off the ignition, except for long periods of non-use, or to discourage tampering – the bike is padlocked when not being ridden.The batteries lock onto the rack effectively and hide very well behind panniers too. I bought mine with an extra battery, which always comes along.This is great when I forget to recharge or make a really long trip.

I plan to change the bicycle frame for a much bulkier one as I carry two kids of five and eight years old plus luggage. I tried a pedicab and a trailer, but we usually cycle in heavy, slow or stationary traffic. Incidentally, the front child carrier is hung on the handlebars and balances everything nicely – it’s not much fun carrying just one child on the back as all the weight of two batteries is there too.

The Estelle comes with every accessory you might need – speedo, pump, lights, mudguards, high pressure tubes and really good tyres with reflective walls. DO get a real one to try sometime – Yamahas and Powabykes nearly put me off E-bikes altogether. I still like riding bikes without power, but not while carrying or towing. Remember lightweights? You don’t get to do this sort of riding often when you have kids.

Tim
London

After 700 miles, we’re also pleased with our Heinzmann. Range while towing is a bit limited at 10- 14 miles, but it’s quite hilly here and the two hour recharge is a real bonus. Like Tim, we rarely use the powered bike for solo rides, but they’re becoming increasingly rare.What the Heinzmann has done is enable us to take Alexander on more and longer leisure rides that we might not have made otherwise. A few weeks ago we rode 12 miles to the Gartell Miniature Railway at Templecombe in Dorset (highly recommended for steam enthusiasts) and plugged the battery in at the ticket office for the journey home. Excellent stuff. (Eds)

A Spoke-eating Curry

Some months ago I bought a Curry Electrodrive and fitted it to my ‘get to work and back’ MTB. It works very well and I’m delighted with it although after 400+ miles of satisfactory service, the strange wobbling from the back of the bike and funny angle of the brakes became too much to ignore.You’ve no doubt guessed what comes next – Yep, ten spokes had snapped at the head end. What made it even worse was that they were all on one side, leaving only eight holding that side of the wheel up!

When the unit is bolted in place it bends the spokes towards the main unit and this stress eventually snaps the heads off.To remedy this I’ve fitted thick rubber sheet under the retaining plates, but only time will tell if this has cured the problem. It was fun re-lacing wheels again after all these years (I used to build them for friends when I was a lad) but I didn’t get the dishing right – good enough for work though!

John Rutter
Hartlepool, Lancashire

The Electrodrive is available in two versions – one driving via the spokes, which we always thought a bit dubious, and the other via a custom drive mechanism into the back wheel. Unfortunately, this cheap and powerful bicycle drive appears to be without a UK importer at present, but let us know if you hear otherwise. (Eds)

Bike, Scooter or Car?

I need personal transport to and from work, and I’ve never ridden an electric bike before. My journey is approximately 15 miles (seven miles there and seven back); the land is quite flat (North East Lincolnshire), and I am a reasonably fit 40 year old, but will need to do this five days a week. I remember cycling a non-electric bike when I was in my early twenties (the same type of journey), and I found that taxing five days a week.

Do you think a modern electric bike would be feasible? Or should a greying oldster like me use a car or scooter? Would even an electric bike puff me out?

Paul Hunter, via email

Please don’t consider the car or scooter, because the electric-assist bikes below will handle this sort of daily mileage with ease, and provide you with exercise and fresh air too. If speed is a priority, we’d suggest the Electrodrive (but note the warning on page 15), followed by Powabyke’s Euro, or Commuter. If low weight is important, we’d suggest the Giant Lafree Lite or Comfort, and if you have a suitable bike already, try the Heinzmann or S-Drive conversions. (Eds)

Dinner Plates

Just a quick note to support Martin Fillan’s comments about catching his feet on Brompton rear rollers. As a size 101/2 (45 European) I had exactly the same problem, especially if I was wearing trousers with turn-ups, which tended to catch on the rollers. I overcame it by taking the dished plastic wheels off and putting them back on with the dish facing inwards. This seemed to give just enough clearance.

Paul Elliott
Box,Wiltshire

We’d still suggest giving your feet a few weeks to become accustomed to the rollers before making changes, because the full width rollers really are useful, especially on the train. Back in 1991 when we bought our first Brompton, we found the rollers annoying, but within weeks we’d acclimatised and the problem never recurred. (Eds)

Brompton Trailer Hitch

Is there a child trailer tat would hitch onto the Brompton? I believe they normally clip onto the bottom bit of the back of the bike. I have just had a baby and am wanting a trailer, but lack any kind of space in my flat so am possibly looking for a collapsible bike, too.

Emily, via email

If space is a problem, we’d suggest the Brompton (unbeatable folded size), Burley Solo trailer (the smallest and lightest around), and the Burley hub-gear hitch.This is the best trailer hitch available, and you can even fold the Brompton rear wheel under with the trailer connected. Not cheap, but worth every penny. Burley UK: 07000 287539, Brompton: 020 8232 8484 (Eds).

The Final Word

In which you get your say… briefly

Another epic issue . Excellent . Absolutely great . Love it . Not A to B, you’re A* Useful info and a great read . Unpretentious, small format, interesting . Humour, modest size, and above all, an eclectic mix . Dry humour . Love the acerbic wit . Best value publication A cover to cover magazine . Best magazine in the country . Bit lefty, but I enjoy it immensely Nice to read a different view on cycling . I look forward to it . Long may you continue Still the best . Jolly useful and fun . Always inspirational . Enjoy comments on modern life and glimpses of a potentially better future . Best representation of ecology with responsibility Very interested in electric bikes . Not remotely interested in electric bikes . Like the bits on railways and politics . Commuting by train with a folder is not that important to me Any information on Bromptons welcome . More on load-carrying, less on electrics More on cycling by folder in big cities . More on standard cycles and maintenance Keep up the comments on politics . Love it . Should be compulsory reading!